Tastes

I know what you are thinking; A 3 rating for a bottom shelf bourbon? Please, hear me out. This bourbon is punching far above it's weight. I just finished my Four Roses Small Batch and I've been working on my Willett Copper Pot and it hit me. I'm spending a hell of a lot on bourbon! So I searched online for a quality budget drink. This came up again and again. Everything I have read appears to be spot on. There is a definitely a heavy sweet aroma - like corn syrup and vanilla frosting. The palate is caramel corn and candied fruits with that vanilla still in the background. The mouth feel is thick, a bit buttery if not outright oily. There is a cool, almost mint like finish. Give a minute or two and there is a slight warming in the throat and belly, but there is no harshness. That would be my biggest complaint about this bourbon. The only thing I would like for t to have is a higher proof. I think it would take care of the oily mouth feel and the minty finish. It needs a burn or something for an assertiveness. However, given the fact that it can be had for $18 it is an incredible value! I cannot wait until I can have a few friends over for a bourbon tasting and sneak this one is as a wildcard. I am sure that it will get far better reviews in a blind tasting than if I brought a bottle to poker night.

I think that I have found a true competitor to the Four Roses Single Barrel. Similar to the Four Roses in the fact that fruit is evident in the palette, the Willett is more of a citrus and floral that fades to a caramel compared to dark fruits of the Four Roses. It truly is a delicious bourbon. Light and not too complex. There is a little bit of alcohol presence, but it is a pleasant warmth and not a burn. Since the flavor is so delicate, I don't think that it stands up well with water or over ice. It's also far too good to be used in a mixed drink. This is a bourbon best served neat. The only bad thing about this bourbon is that here in Ohio, it is next to impossible to find. I had to trade a bottle of Weller Antique 107 to a friend in Indiana for this bourbon. The price is reasonable, but it is a chore to obtain. I can find the Four Roses Single Barrel almost anywhere though for about the same price if not cheaper.

Oooh, this is so close to being as good as the Four Roses Single Barrel in terms of quality. Don't get me wrong, it's damn good - but the price is a little more than the single barrel and the taste is just a smidge less enjoyable. Taste is subjective - but in my opinion the single barrel is just a little bit better. There is a chocolate nose, but also a good bit of vanilla. I don't get any peppermint as the professional taster describes, but I do get caramel notes. The flavor is just complex enough to make you want to take another sip to try and figure it out. It's a heavier flavor than the Willlet I am also sampling, but I find it more enjoyable. Honestly, I am beginning to think that anything Four Roses does is a good bourbon. This is a great bourbon, but I still think that the single barrel is my personal favorite. That is no fault of this whiskey, just personal preference. Rest assured that you can buy this one knowing that is will be an enjoyable drink.

Honestly, this isn't a great bourbon. It's not sophisticated nor a complex , but it is a fun sweet whiskey. I don't mean like those gimmicky apple or salted caramel though. The reviews I've read nailed it in their description. Fruit salad is the predominate flavor. This is not one that you share with someone to impress with a rarity or meticulously crafted bourbon, this is one that you share with someone and tell them, "You'll never believe what I found for $35." If you are entertaining or going to a sampling party, or better yet introducing someone to bourbon and/or whiskey - this is a great choice.

Despite the higher ABV, it is pretty smooth. However the flavors are not that complex OR my palette is not developed enough to discern them. I may be judging this harshly - it may be a wonderful wheated bourbon, I think I am just not a fan of wheated bourbon. Or it could be that I am just still swooning over the Four Roses Single Barrel. Predominate flavors in my opnion is burnt chocolate up front with an oily mouth feel. Alcohol burn and red hots afterwards. Finish and aftertaste is thick honey. Not unpleasant, but not enough pleasure to make this one high on my list.

I wanted to dip my toes into wheated bourbons and this was the most readily available example during the COVID quarantine. I think I can best sum it up like this - it has a twist cap underneath the pretty red wax. There is nothing wrong with this whiskey, but it doesn't really stand out either. I don't agree with much of the professional review with the exception of the oak and spearmint. I don't get crème brûlée nor much vanilla. All I can think of when I drink this that I would make a wonderful mint julep or an old fashion.

I feel bad giving such a low score to such a highly regarded bourbon because it makes me think I am missing something or that I am just uncultured; but I did not enjoy this bourbon. It was brought to my attention by someone who is more experienced in bourbon than I, but I found it to be a bit more acetone than I was expecting. I taste more alcohol than anything else. The nose and palette are overwhelmingly alcohol and spice. At first taste I thought I had a rye. but the finish and shortly after that is very pleasant. Caramel or brown sugar, I can't tell which , but a warm rich flavor is present after you swallow. Prior to that, it's just spice and burn in my opinion. Coming from the Four Roses Single Barrel to this one, the Russell just falls so very short.

Fantastic bourbon! I honestly believe this may be the best one I've had yet and it's only made better by the fact that it is reasonably priced. I've just tried it neat to get it straight taste of it, but I am curious if an ice cube will wake the flavors. The official review says cherries on the nose and pallette, and I have to agree to some extent. Plum however is much more prominent in my opinion. Wonderfully rich flavor, complex only in the fact that you can taste so many different things and are left pondering what was strongest in that last sip. So you take another sip and repeat the process. One moment it is cherry, the next plum, then... what is that ? Brown sugar? Butterscotch? I don't know what it is, but I am sure as heck enjoying the repeated tasting to try and find out. The finish is very oaky and aromatic in the fact that I swear I smell more than I taste. It's not floral nor fruity, but it is sweet and maybe dark dried fruits heavily flavored by the oak. It's just damnably enjoyable. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this bourbon. I don't think that it is a rare bourbon in so much as availability, but it is definitely rare in the fact that it is affordable and very high quality.

Very simple whiskey. Tried it based on a friends recommendation. Compared to regular Jack Daniels it's much better. Nose is very much acetone with sweetness underneath. Palette reminds me more of spice and brown sugar than banana that seems to be a popular opinion. I found the finish to be more harsh than Bib & Tucker, which is is a higher alcohol content. The burn is not so much as to be unpleasant, just assertive. This is as cheap of a bourbon as I think I would buy to drink straight. Though I wouldn't be to proud to offer this to someone to mix with a Coke.