Tastes

Simple. Balanced. Quality. This is my first “daily sipper” that I’ve found.

Nose: Brown Sugar & Banana-Infused Ethanol Palate: Not enough sweetness, just hot & spicy. Not my thing. Finish: Baking Spice & Black Pepper. Rather dry.

HOT

The caramel & vanilla from the nose don’t stick around that long. The tobacco is prevalent before the oak is.

Distillery: Heaven Hill Brand: Evan Williams Region: Kentucky, USA Proof: 100 | 50% ALC/VOL MSRP Range: $17 - $22 Mash Bill: Corn - 78% | Rye - 10% | Malted Barley - 12% Color: Brighter than you'd think for a bonded whiskey; 'Honeycomb Gold' Personal Takeaway: This gives BBBIIIIIGGGGG "house wine" of bourbon vibes and that kind of feels generous, but alas... it's mainly talked about for the price. Not something I'll seek out or really even recommend other than to a college kid on a tight budget that wants to get into whiskey. Maybe. On The Nose: Very vanilla forward and syrupy; it coats the glass well and you get a very prominent baking spice vibe right away, perhaps maybe even reminiscent of gingerbread to some. The longer you smell it you get some caramel undertones, but it's definitely not overpowering by any means. As the oak subsides, you do get a hint of some peppery spice on the backend. It's smoother, especially for being a higher proof... but pretty dry, not the sweet and dare I say... basic? Parading The Palate: It's nickname should be the fast flat whiskey. Seriously, the sweetness dies pretty quickly and the woody oak notes come through right away. It's actually a lot drier than one the think the more it sits. As It Finishes: There's almost zero sweetness and as the dryness sets in, it almost tastes like what I imagine a mouthful of sawdust would taste like. Perhaps maybe there is a slightly nuttyness, but I can't help but only taste the oakiness a ton. It's almost the only prevalent flavor after the dryness subsides since the sweetness died long ago. In summation, for as much as this is talked about as such a 'fantastic value', I think that's slightly overrated. I was able to purchase a bottle Old Forester 86 for the exact same price ($18.99 + tax) and would even pay up to $5 more for that bottle over this one even if it were $5 cheaper than what I paid for it.