Tastes

The nose is light, and doesn't betray the elevated proof. I smell cola, vanilla, and a little medicine, with oak lurking in the background. With water I also get candy, yeast, and maple syrup. The finish goes on forever. I prefer the 2017 Stagg flavor profile, but this has great complexity.

Smooth, but light; reminds me of Blanton's, which costs less; a little more interesting with water, but still not very complex for the price

Oak, some stone fruit, and a burn on the finish; very light body; with water, more oak, and turpentine

The nose has a lot in common with the 17 year. It is maybe a little lighter, less herbal overall, and I get more mint. On the palate, the higher proof hits you immediately. The flavors aren't as concentrated as BTAC Stagg or W.L.Weller, but there is still a lot going on, so the burn is still pleasant. Let it linger too long in the glass neat, and peanuts show up (not my favorite). With water there is vanilla on the nose. The palate flattens out a bit, and the peanuts are more noticable. The finish remains cheerily warm.

Note: my pour was from a nearly empty bottle. Very grassy/herbal, maybe cedar on the nose with a little cough medicine. Palate is not as grassy, with more typical bourbon flavors. Very smooth finish. A couple of drops of water dissipate the herbal notes and bring in maple syrup. The palate still has hints of cedar, but loses a little complexity and adds a slight bitterness that in my experience is fairly common when adding water.

Neat, this one is pretty light and subtle, almost like, gasp, Glenlivet. A couple of drops of water makes the nose come to life and the sherry influence becomes more pronounced. However, the palate loses something with the water.

Even at the higher proof, this is syrupy sweet stuff. It just reminds me of the base Maker's Mark with more alcohol. If you like that kind of thing, go for it. For a long time I thought I didn't like bourbon because I didn't like Maker's Mark or Knob Creek. It doesn't even make a very good Old Fashioned. Not to mention the terrible way the owners treated their gay daughter. Don't buy this, go get some Old Grand-Dad 114.