Tastes

Another one that took a while to appreciate. Bottle is about half full/empty. Rich, full, warm, sweet, coating, honey, baking spices, barley, malt, vanilla and shotbread cookies. Not gonna rock your world, but a solid pour that will appeal to the masses.

A really nice bourbon. Takes the small batch and refines it, removing any sharp notes, enhances the best ones and adds a nice toasty oak. Bottle kill: The bloom is off this bottle by now. It’s kind if dull compared to how it started. Actually prefer my open bottle of the Small Batch to this.

4th pour out of this bottle. Green bananas, nilla wafers, play dough, and hints of baking spices on the nose. Semisweet and viscous on the palate, nothing else really stands out. There is a general sense of warmth and spice. Finish is medium length, a little hot, somewhat bitter, baking spices, more green bananas and slight vanilla note. Tastes like Bushmills. Not impressive.

Third pour out of this bottle. Nose: Short bread cookies, play dough and berries compote. Palate: Soft, creamy, viscous, coating, really sticks all over the mouth, mild spices, butter cookies, oranges, and hints of marzipan. Finish: Medium length with mild spices, berries, mixed nuts, orange peel and a hint of oat meal raisin cookies. Empty glass: Mild, short bread cookies and marzipan. First two pours were less impressive. Really blossomed on this pour.

Sample a friend brought back from Bardstown. Three year old distillate. It’s likely a good representation of the quality of what will be released in future years. Buttered popcorn, a little bit stale, hints of oak, vanilla, caramel, a bit more refined than the white dog, not much burn, nice little Kentucky hug. Portends good things coming out of Bardstown.

Sample a friend brought back from Bardstown. You gotta take this for what it is, unaged, white dog, fresh distillate. It’s a good representation of the quality of what will be released in future years. Freshly buttered popcorn but slightly over cooked, vanilla, caramel, thick and oily, minimal burn. Portends good things coming out of Bardstown.

Neck pours. Sweet and soft with honey, malt, vanilla, caramel, plums, baking spices and hints of dried fruit. Warm, lengthy finish.

Fragrant, rich, velvety, sweet, spicy, plums, raisins, orange zest, cocoa, malt, baking spices, sugar cookies and graham crackers. So many good notes. Delicious.