Tastes

Almonds and peach pie. Even cinnamon. But not one I DEFINITELY need to keep on the shelf. Lots of great bottles at this price point

👃 Cherry bomb 👄 Very nice. I wanted to try a Calumet product before I splurged on the older products. Now Im going to have to splurge on the older ones. This is great and still affordable. 🏁 Probably not as great as the palate, but its long and still nice.

Doing this review from my computer instead of phone, but had to stick to the format you've all grown to know and love. [Nose emoji] IDK if it's just the fact that I just learned that this product is a mixture of 8 and 12 year old whiskey (much older than I'd expect from an entry level product), but this smells pretty oaky. A little sugar cookie here as well. Low proof. [Mouth emoji] Really enjoyable. The low proof allows you to swish it around and really explore the flavors in different parts of your mouth. Although it is a little pricier than other entry level bourbons, this might be the very best. Might need to do a side-by-side with Buffalo Trace (even though BT is maybe a few dollars less expensive). Vanilla infused syrup poured over freshly made pancakes. [Finish emoji] More of the same. Just classic, traditional bourbon with no weird funk. Not going to blow you away with any super creative flavors, but for this price, this is a nearly perfect daily drinker.

👃 caramel wafer 👄 Honestly kinda astringent. Maybe needs another drop of water. Hold please... Thanks for waiting. Ok, that's a little better. Bourbon flavored cotton candy. 🏁 Full disclosure: I have added a few drops of water already. oOoOO that's interesting. Remember when you went to the dentist as a kid and they put those gas masks on your face before they numbed your gums? That. TBH, not a huge fan

👃 pineapple pinecones. Shockingly smooth for the proof. 👄 Sugary oak. Again, easy on the palate for the proof. This is a good one 🏁 Dark fruit Struggling to find specific notes on this one, but I'm doing a side by side of a120 b521 and v522 and I think this one is my favorite

Pro tip: you don't have to pretend you prefer bourbon to be this high proof. Fill a rocks glass with ice water and buy a little pipette to allow you to add small, consistent amounts of water to your dram. 👃 I don't care who you are, this shit is spicy I get a little dark cherry and after a drop of water it's not as hot as you'd expect 👄 Gotta take small sips on this on, but it is complex oaky goodness 🏁 Surprisingly sugary. Splendid.

I've decided it's the finish that kills this one. Some weird sour coffee note and it just burns all the way down. Much rougher than it's proof point

Tbh, this was the first time I didn't love this pour. Still good whiskey at MSRP, but don't pay too much over.

👃 Peaches 🍑? Almonds? It's like if you smash a cranberry muffin on a pine stump and then light it all on fire. And I mean that in the best way 👄 Palate doesn't blow you away. It's a little spicy neat, but still a sipper... Er... Sippa 🏁 Pine needles. Pine cones. The rye is noticable on this one

👃 sweetness of the rum casks is very apparent. Definitely overpowers the rye notes. Egg nog. 👄 Picture this. It's a nice spring day. 72 degrees. Just walking your golden doodle around Wash Park. You pass a sage bush under a pine tree. The rye notes are robust and undeniable. You notice a bee's nest. It's clearly late in the season as the honey notes have begun to appear. 🏁 The finish is a real journey. A triathlon if you will. We've got the standard rye notes up front. Those fade into a vat of egg nog where several pinecones have fallen. The final piece of the adventure is clearly at a campsite beneath a magnificent starry night. Roasted marshmallows. For days.