Tastes

Not mind blowing like I hoped it would be. The finish in the extra barrel cuts down on the burnt marshmallow flavor that the original has in spades, and brings forward some dark caramel, vanilla, and a rounded sweetness that’s almost cherry. There’s also an extra bit of astringency now, but that’s a good thing in this case. Overall, very pleasant stuff. It’s got two main problems, 1: smells godlike, but the taste doesn’t follow through. 2: Really needs some sort of acidic brightness to liven up the flavor profile. As it is, it actually tastes a bit watery. Never thought I’d say that about a nicer bourbon, but maybe my taste buds went haywire today.

Take what you think is a classic bourbon flavor, and add some more brown sugar and some floral notes to it, with a bit of honey lurking beneath, and you have this. It’s one of those straight-down-the-middle bourbons that basically gets everything right. That said, it probably won’t blow you away, but it’s a nice option if you’re looking to treat yourself. (Also would be good as a gift thanks to its fancy cardboard tube.)

It lives up to its reputation, solidly good bourbon for super cheap. Not exactly a typical bourbon, but still nice. On the palate, you’ve got some light caramel, with some floral notes and a pronounced peanut flavor. And that’s about it really. But, there’s also no astringency, no medicinal notes, nothing that you could say is an objective flaw. In that sense you really can’t go wrong. Of course, stronger flavors or more complexity would be nice, but still. I can’t help but think of the Whiskey Vault’s review where Daniel explained this one in musical terms, and said it was all mids, with the bass and the treble turned way down. Pretty much right on the mark.

On the palate, there’s lots of vanilla, banana, and caramel. Not much of anything else if we’re being honest, but that’s okay. Calumet is very much shooting for the bananas foster, creme brulee territory, and that’s not a problem. No flaws and no off-flavors either. As for the finish, 12 years and 47% gives it some significant tannin bite, but not quite on the Weller/Van Winkle level. It kinda straddles the line between plain enjoyability and super strong enthusiast-level flavors (similar to McKenna BiB in this regard). I can’t help but wish the proof was a little higher. It’s not quite nectar-of-the-gods status, but it wants to be, and that extra strength would’ve probably pushed it over that edge.

This is the first actual 18 year age statement scotch I’ve had. Honestly it was a bit of a let down. There is nothing wrong with this scotch. Absolutely no off flavors or anything that could be considered offensive. However, once that’s out of the way, what you’re left with is something that’s just not all that interesting. Certainly nothing about it screamed “this is a flavor you can only get from an 18 year scotch.” On the palate you’ve got honey and a cereal grain sweetness, a bit of butterscotch, and just some hints of dessert wine fruitiness. Overall, very low key, but tasty either way. Strikes me as a scotch that you buy someone else as a gift, rather than for yourself. The chances of someone finding this unpleasant are very small, but I need some more vibrancy from my whiskey.

I actually finished this a while ago and forgot to write the review, RIP to my detailed tasting notes. Long story short, reminds me a lot of Blanton’s, with the added bonus that it gets better as the bottle airs out over time. Good news if you’re a Blanton’s fan looking for an alternative. I can’t recommend it in good conscience because it’s stupidly overpriced. You can buy stuff just as good for a quarter of the price. But if you can find it at a bar, or if cost is no concern then give it a shot.