Tastes

Vanilla caramel and candied ginger on the nose. Sweet baking spice on the palate A warm vanilla and pepper finish that lingers into chili heat.

Pears and green apples on the nose. Sweet vanilla and spice on the palate. Holding it in your mouth the whiskey gets warm and full, delivering a medium finish with more orchard fruits. Adding some water opens up the apples on the nose and brings out a bit more tartness

Bourbon corn and pepper on the nose. Sweet and caramel on the palate. The finish has the lingering spice and vanilla. The finish has been the best part so far... I usually enjoy the nose the most. Adding a little water... The nose opens up a bit, and I start to smell some stewed apples in nutmeg and ginger. More spice and caramel on the palate, it tastes like a bourbon... with that sweet charcoal spice from the charred barrels. The finish continues to linger with strong peppers and chili.

👃 On the nose I get orchard fruits, especially pears and a little vanilla. 👅 A smooth mouth feel, sweet pears and peaches quickly turn to a... 🏁 finish of warming vanilla and pepper which is clean and doesn’t linger too long.

The nose is sweet with honeyed fruits and bananas, it could also be fresh orchard apples and spice. I smell both. The palate is sweet caramel with a smooth mouthfeel. The finish is peppery, and spicy. And it lingers for a while. Adding some water, the nose gains more vanilla and apple pie. The palate stays mostly the same. The finish gains a bit of peat warmth to add to the long peppery finish. This whisky smells appetizing and it goes down fairly smoothly. I am pleasantly surprised.

Sweet sherry fruits on the nose... almost a strawberry or cherry jam... Palate starts with some of the bitter of chocolate and a hint of vanilla sweetness. Finish lingers with smoke and spicy chili. Add a little water... And on the nose there’s more of the strawberry jam and I can pick up on some of the smoke. The palate is sweeter with a creamy mouthfeel. Almost jammy. The finish remains peppery and spicy.

After being aged in American oak, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the nose is all bourbon: spice and that sweet corn smell. The palate is light to medium bodied. Smooth. It’s sweet-ish and I think I can taste a bit of spice from the oak. But I can’t quite sus out a flavor. It’s like there’s the shadows of the players but I just can’t see them. The finish is a surprise, there’s a bit of smoke that comes through to linger on the first sip and there’s a bit of spicy pepper. The finish is long and pleasant. You know what? I didn’t have high expectations for this dram and I find myself pleasantly surprised. Not bad!

I wanted to revisit this bourbon as it’s often the Distiller’s community top pick. It was also one of my favorite whiskies when I started exploring the spirit 20 years ago, and I was curious how it and my palate have changed. On the nose is the smell of caramel apples and spice. The palate is sweet and a bit tart. The finish is smooth and lingering with the spice of the oak coming through as cinnamon, apples, and a bit of bitterness.

👃 Pineapple and... watermelon with a hint of red licorice on the nose. 👅 Sweet toffee and almost candy on the palate. A smooth mouthfeel. 🏁 A longer finish than I was expecting. Flavors of oak and then pepper.

Apples on the nose. Smooth vanilla sweetness on the palate. And a short a smooth.