Tastes

Some context: I am a long-time mma fan, as well as a McGregor fan. But I don't let my appreciation for the sport cloud my judgment. I wanted this to be good. I knew many whiskey snobs would likely go out of their way to pan Proper No. 12 just for spite. I wanted to be able to defend this as a completely decent Irish whiskey. But this is not good. Furthermore, it is bad. I tasted it first neat, then, having regretted that with all my soul, with some ice. It didn't improve. My biggest problem is that the foremost flavor profile is that of cheap grain alcohol. It overshadows anything else it might have going for it. I'll use this as a mixer with Coke, then will never buy it again.

My favorite bourbon. Tasted side by side with Blanton's, in my opinion, Noah's far exceeds it. This is, of course, a matter of taste, but Noah's is a mouthful of oak and char, and is somehow very smooth, despite the high alcohol content.

Apples burst out of the bottle when I removed the cork. I am very impressed by this. Apples, apricots, cloves, mint, black pepper. The finish is long and complex. A wisp of barrel char at the very end. I dislike very sweet whiskeys and this manages to be sweet without being heavy or cloying.

This came highly recommended by a local slinger of spirits. I think this would be great in a cocktail, but as it was recommended as an excellent sipper, I was disappointed. It's not bad by any means, but I found it to be sickeningly sweet. Likely just a matter of personal taste, but with such high rye content, I hoped for a spicier, drier dram. If you like your whiskey sweet and simple, this is your jam.

Lots of oak with vanilla and leather and a bit of smoke in the finish. Remarkably smooth for 100 proof. Not sure why more folks aren't fans of this one.

This is a really pretty terrible bourbon. At under $10 a bottle you can't expect much, but I think one could reasonably expect more than this. "Green" is very appropriate as the finish reminds me of green, or under-matured wine. Yeasty and off-putting. It's worth the extra buck to upgrade to the Evan Williams black label, which is more likely what you were hoping for when you made the mistake of buying the green.

Amazing flavor at an even more amazing price. If you have $30 to spend and want the most bang for your buck, this is it.

Disclaimer: I do not pretend to have a refined palate. I am an enthusiast who finds trying new spirits as enjoyable as record collecting. I know what I like but don't always know why. I tried the 1783 after reading an excellent review on the wine enthusiast. I think this is a no-brainer bourbon. It tastes very nice, with none of the negative characteristics of bottom-shelf spirits. It is not going to blow your mind, but unless you are hosting a whiskey tasting party and want to appear erudite and elite, this can't be beat for a great, everyday drink at an incredibly affordable price point.