Tastes

First off let me set the setting for you as I was drinking this awesome dram. I was cooking a fine slab of meat for the girlfriend and I and decided while the steak was baking in the oven I would enjoy a pour of this juice. On the nose even through the smell of steak was heavy dark chocolate and coffee notes with wood spikes coming through on the first time around. The second smells and I could get was soft baking spices and fruity with a slight chocolate finish which was odd considering the first smells were all chocolate. The first sip coats your tongue and covers your mouth with a syrupy mouthfeel and not a bad one at that. The fact that there is little to no burn even on a first sip is dangerous and just makes you want the next sip that much faster. The first notes I got were of the wood which was surprising but immediately after the rich coffee notes came running and carried me through with notes of honey, chocolate, dark rich fruits and barley. The fact that this juice was rich and carried a heavy mouthfeel was amazing and served as a great appetizer for my dinner. The finish was not as long as I was hoping but it was longer than others and certainly more enjoyable as it left my mouth coated but not with a lot of the notes you get while sipping but more of as a reminder that your mouth just had something very rich and it is craving for more. I would highly recommend this scotch for any coffee drinkers and anyone that wants rich complex whiskey. I can say nothing bad about this whiskey except that it is quickly being consumed at an alarming rate and I hope to find another bottle at retail price to have as a replacement.

Typing this a day after tasting it from a glencairn glass so I am going off notes I remember most about this juice which really is all we care about right? The most important notes that stand out. The nose on this was incredible as it jumped right out of the bottle as I poured it into glasses for myself and others. It was like warming up maple syrup inside of a bakery. As I continued to sniff the glass I could get strong notes of baking spices and cherries combined with small bites of oak. The taste was shocking as I was expecting the juice to be sweet but as I took the first sip it was a bit more of a bite than I was expecting but quickly turned over as the sides of my tongue felt out those familiar citrus notes with a heavy maple syrup taste following. As I moved the bourbon around my mouth I started to get more oak and pepper notes which nearly balanced the strong maple syrup and cherry notes. And for me that was this juices only downfall, the "balancing" notes were a little too sharp for my liking. The only other way to explain it is the notes you get are too strong, when the sweetness comes through it hits pretty hard and when the oak and pepper notes come through it feels almost as though you have taken a bite out of a peppery log. Overall: Still with everything said I still really enjoy this whiskey and highly recommend it but only to my friends that really enjoy their drams neat or with a few drops of water. As for novice drinkers, this might be a bit complex and would say to start off with the regular Woodford Reserve to really adjust to this mashbill. Enjoy fellow drinkers!

So for this tasting I had a half ounce pour generously offered by a friend of a friend so I did my best to savor each and every drop. Nose: The nose on this is like hot cinnamon and baking spices with a fruity undertone but other than those notes you get some cherries and light brown sugar (stereotypical bourbon notes) Palate: The first thing I noticed from sipping this dram was how much it coated my entire tongue and the light oily sweetness it came with the coating. Right after adjusting to the light coating on my tongue I got all warm sweetness and some pepper undertones that were a bit of a surprise after getting an oily sweetness overcoat on my tongue. I enjoyed the surprise but for the finish I was hoping for something a little more complex other than baking spices and pepper notes. Was hoping for more of that oily sweetness it first started off with. Overall: When I tried this I had to luxury of trying all three versions of the Blantons lineup and this ranks as my favorite from all 3! Def would recommend to anyone who enjoys the regular Blantons.

So first off before I proceed any further with this review I would have to say I am extremely biased with this juice because for me it was the gateway bourbon for me and I have not turned my back on it ever since. The nose on this is caramel butterscotch with notes of pepper. The nose is pretty standard bourbon but you can always tell a BT bourbon. The taste on this is exciting and everything you would want to expect from a classic bourbon. You get cherries and citrus jumping on your tongue with light notes of brown sugar and caramel. In between the sweet notes you can feel those pepper notes tip toeing on your tongue as well letting you this juice is alive. The finish is what does it for me because it is not too short, nor is it dragging along forever. I love drinking this bourbon any way I can get it, neat on the rocks in of course in a perfect old fashioned. Try this bourbon out ! Especially for under $30 you can not find a more fruitful dram.

Did a proper tasting with the glencairn glass for this one as I was excited to try this dram out. The nose on this was a pretty classic bourbon with a little more of the baking spices popping through. After a few whiffs the nose seems to calm and opens into light berries with spices. The first sip was a little spicier than I expected for a finished whiskey but it let me know that it was there which was a pleasant surprise. Still it was a good first sip that had some kick at the short finish. The second sip was what I was looking forward to as my palette was becoming accustomed to the juice. The first thing I got was brown sugar with caramel followed by jelly/jam, but not too sweet. After the sweet notes the baking spices showed up a little with a peppery and short finish. It is a good bourbon and I would recommend anyone to try it but I do not believe I will be going out of my way to purchase another bottle. I liked the juice just was hoping for a longer finish for a bottle of this pricing. Go out and try it still!

I've had this bottle on the shelf for awhile and had pours whenever friends came over to share with but this last time around I finally came around to really dive into this dram. Nose: The nose on this is like a cherry pie with a kick of light peppery tobacco. The first few sniffs I got classic brown sugar notes along with some burnt orange and then after the few I got those cherry pie scents. First Sip: The first sip of this juice is quite amazing as you expect a little bit of bite from the smell but it is almost as subtle as a nibble when you taste this. The flavor immediately hit the sides of my mouth and sides of my tongue as any sweet orange would. Then as the "sourness" goes away it breaks down into sweet cherries and caramel with a slight spice on the back end but again ever so subtle. Finish: The finish is not too long but definitely not short as it only opens up even more towards the end giving baking spices a whirl as well coming back to a cherry pie a la mode. It is not as oily as I would have intended but it still leaves the mouth feeling extremely rich and craving another sip. I would highly recommend to any first time bourbon drinkers because it is not an overpowering bourbon and can be enjoyed neat or in a cocktail if so wished but it also contains some complexity that advanced whiskey drinkers can appreciate.

Firstly I have to mention that I am not a huge fan of Rye but I can appreciate a good one when I come across it such as this amazing juice. Nose: The nose is heavy cinnamon and baking spices with a very slight hint burnt sugar. The smell is fairly sweet and after the initial whiffs towards the end I can honestly say I can smell a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch cereal in the morning with a vanilla coffee in the background. First sip: For me the first sip is always a bit warmer than I am used to and I feel the oily nectar all over my cheeks and once it settles I can taste the subtle spice notes with a sweet pepper finish. The finish is not as long as I'd like but then again with Rye I never mind but I would like those oily notes to linger just a little longer. Second sip: Here comes the sweet cereal at the second sip for me with a nice bite and warmth following, right after the bite the sweet rum finish comes through and lingers throughout the finish. Not much to add on the description other than once I put the idea of cinnamon toast crunch with vanilla coffee I could not get out of that mindset because it is honestly all I taste and smell. If you like sweet bourbons and are not a big fan of rye I highly recommend this dram for you.

The nose on this bourbon is sharp caramel with the staple corn bourbon notes coming through like brandied cherries, toasted oak and some soft pepper. The initial sip is slightly stronger than what the nose has to offer but quickly opens up more and reveals friendly notes such as the corn, pepper and toasty caramel. Sip after sip it becomes smoother and sweeter but does not let up with the spices in the finish. Enjoyed Neat. A cube of ice makes the whiskey sweeter and softer. Do not recommend in cocktails because the notes will be hidden from the additional ingredients.

On the nose this whiskey is soft with notes of vanilla, caramel with hints of toasted marshmallow. The initial sip has the slightest of burns with toasted caramel and oak. The finish on the first sip is semi long, sweet, oaky and slighty creamy. After the first initial sip this whiskey transforms into what I can only describe as a cream soda with slight oaky marshmallow toasty finish.It has a drier finish than I expected but it only has me craving the next sip right away. I certainly love treating this as a treat or even when I am introducing to friends/new whiskey drinkers. Enjoyed Neat, can be used in certain cocktails and I do not recommend adding ice only because dilution takes away from a lot of the notes it has to offer.