Tastes

Purchased at the distillery in December 2022...can't remember the amount...somewhere in the 60-70 range IIRC. Rating this on the heels of the 1792 sweet wheat FWIW, and, well, the nose 'pops' in comparison, even if it is still pretty soft and approachable. A grassy base has some flowery notes and some light baking spices...I don't think it would be a challenge to identify this as a wheater if poured blind. Flavor is a bit more of a surprise...and makes this a more interesting pour. It's a bit more rich with plenty of vanilla from start to finish, along with a chocolatey note alongside the bread and yeasty flavors. Mild spice, and a bit more ethanol than I was expecting, but not in a bad way. Moderately long finish gets just a skosh hot with some cinnamon before a softer end. Overall, I thought this was a pretty good whiskey...worlds above the 1792 SW in terms of depth and intrigue, even if both are approachable and, at the core, enjoyable

Bottle sort of fell into my lap for $50, so couldn't pass up the opportunity, even if this wasn't on my short list of things to seek out. Nose is pretty faint and requires a bit of agitation to pull much out. Yep, its sweet, and yep, its wheated. Hints of lighter fruits, some in-the-shell-peanut-like notes, and little else I can pull out...very soft. One sip, and I already can tell this might be the most sweet-forward whiskey I've tried in years. There really isn't a ton going on here...it is simple, but it is tasty to be fair, even if it isn't something that challenges the palate. A splash of tropical fruit, faint vanilla, and while I'm sure this was aged in wood, nothing to pick up on that front. A bit of heat up front softens quickly, and then it ends pretty abruptly as well. I'm perfectly fine with this bottle at MSRP, as I've been a bit bigger fan of the 1792 series than the average joe/jill, but anything above $50 would have left me disappointed, and I can also say I'm pretty happy I never shelled out the $15+ for a small pour at a bar. Will keep this one on the shelf for those who come over and want to try something new...

Feels appropriate to state up front that I've had ~3 amburana-aged pours prior to this pour, and have had some hits, as well as dreadful misses... The nose on this pour is truly unique and oh-so-inviting. It is a melange of two breakfast cereals from my youth - Apple Jacks and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Aside from this, there's some cider-y notes, vanilla, brown sugar, and a nice dose of ethanol that creeps in over time. While the nose is the star here, the flavor is no slough off, bringing some of the apple jack/cereal-like creaminess, plenty of cinnamon spice, more raw, red apple, and then Quaker brown sugar oatmeal. It is bourbon...and the base seems quite nice, but this is one where the finishing is what it is all about...for better for worse. Oh, to that end, I could certainly knock this whiskey for the finish...it is short and lacks gusto. I thoroughly enjoyed this whiskey...to the extent that I felt it would be an appropriate first rate for an amburana-finished pour. This exceeded any expectations I had for a $55 bottle, and I would love to stock this bottle for years, both for personal enjoyment, but also to get a 'wow' out of newer whiskey drinkers. This being said, I fully understand some might find this an abomination. To each their own, but for me, this has a place on the shelf

Far from my first pour of this Irish beauty, so let's give it a rate. Nose is fruity - apples and melon come to the forefront with an unsurprising heavy honey note. Floral on the edges...it is on the sweet end of the spectrum, and unabashedly so. While I could just nose this pour and end the evening quite happy, the sip does not disappoint. More fruity (apple) notes spring up early and there remains plenty of sweet honey, but a hefty dose of vanilla comes in before long and holds its grip until the dying end. There's a bit more girth here than, say, a Redbreast 12, but it makes it a notably different whiskey, and not in a bad way. Finishes incredibly smooth with a long, yet graceful ending...this is probably my favorite offering from Powers (to date...)

Batch 3 @ 105 proof here...bottle 9084 for some over-specificity. Nose leans heavily to herbal and grassy notes - plenty of mint and maybe cardamom (something tea-like), as well as notes of tobacco and hay, as well as some younger woody elements. Its interesting, though I struggle to find much cohesion here. I dare say I do like it, but this is a bit of a challenge and while I usually find such challenges inviting, this one feels a bit more of a chore. Flavor opens up a with some light fruit notes before quickly drying out and finishing with some fresh cigar-leaf notes...and that was actually a bit unexpected as I expect a 'cigar' pour to be bold and provide the theoretical "hold up to a" Cohiba or Macanudo, but this is authentic tobacco flavors. Not particularly sweet, there's a bit of anise and a splash of cinnamon...and much like the nose, its interesting, but I would say I find the flavor superior to the nose. Not the longest finish, there's a good burst, but it levels off quickly. TLDR - a unique pour that challenges the senses, but is one I will likely pull down infrequently as there was no quality that truly drew me in, nor was it an easy sipper

First thought on the nose - "Lively". At the core is sweet, caramel-y bourbon, replete with brown sugar, a splash of vanilla, and some dark fruits. However, there are also some tropical fruit notes on the edges, along with some spice that is more than a subtle afterthought. I really dig this nose, which evolves little with water, and I could easily argue it is better without. Flavor is quite delicious with some nutty flavors emerging early before the fruit notes take over late...but again, this is just good, quintessential bourbon at the core, with the sweet caramel beating out the spice at the finish line. Moderate to long finish. Excellent bourbon, and remains a top value in today's whiskey world...if you come across it (even though I did pay $70)

Cleaning off the whiskey shelves, so picked one of my ECBPs that I never got around to rating...C918 was the winner. Nose is warm and inviting. Has a dustiness, not in terms of being 'old', but definitely a sawdust feel like I just strolled through the lumber section at Menards, but to the dry end of the spectrum. That being said, it does nose like something with some age...hints of leather alongside some brown sugar and caramel, and feels rich and luxurious after a few sniffs. a few drops of limestone water takes a bit of the sawdust away, and makes it sweeter, and arguably more approachable, but doesn't usher in anything new. Flavor is both spicy and sweet, with the expected burst of ethanol. I get a splash of fresh cherry juice. Plenty of oakiness, and more of the leather...this drinks like it has plenty of age, but the wood never becomes cumbersome. Finish is quite long, and gets a bit fruity at the close Enjoyable pour...definitely somewhere in the middle to upper end of my ECBP collection.

Batch 22 - found this 'clearanced' for $29.99 (750ml), so figured "why not", realizing this isn't necessarily a 'mixer' if I don't enjoy it neat. Anyway, here we go... Ok, nose is already a huge surprise...I mean, there's some earthy peaty notes, but it is not a smoky nose...a skosh of campfire, but plenty of sweet, maple-like notes, brown sugar, baking spices, caramel, and a splash of vanilla. I mean, I'd be confused if I had this blind, but I certainly wouldn't jump to it being a peated mashbill. Flavor is more smoky, but still, not egregiously so. Its a sweet and smoky ride, but more bourbon-y notes come through...oak, more of the maple and brown sugar, some hay/grassy flavors interspersed, and a bit of spice on the finish. Unique pour Finish is shorter than average...not terribly so, but enough to detract a bit...again, its like the bunny hills on a roller coaster, but the ride is a bit too short. Regardless, exceeded expectations. Would compare this to some Balcones/Garrison Bros products I've had in the past, but better, as the smoky notes compliment, rather than overpower this pour. That being said, I like a good Islay, but if I'm in the mood for an Islay, I'm probably not reaching for a "peated bourbon", so the nuance here is appreciated. Not sure if I'd pay the typical sticker price, but I'll probably back this up if I can get one more for $30, as I doubt I'll run into anything like this again for a while

Bottle I've had unopened on the shelf for a while and was looking for something I hadn't in a while...seemed to fit the bill. Standard pour...plenty of sweet vanilla and light oak notes on the nose...and it is dripping with caramel. Leaning sweet, but quintessential bourbon notes throughout - no surprises. Modest spice at the sip's entry, but turns sweet quickly with a pretty long, caramel/vanilla finish. A bit more oaky on the palate than the nose would suggest. A bit of booziness mid-sip, but otherwise an easy drinker...and while the finish is long, it feels just the slightest bit thin on the late palate. Sweet and tasty...not complex. This is a very nice bourbon, and I recognize that this is a great entry whiskey and also one that could serve as a daily drinker...but the 'can't find it on the shelf' hype is well overdone (and probably a product of how this was a grossly underpriced product about 5 years ago)...

2022 bottling - ran into this at MSRP (maybe a skosh high, but at a total wine in Louisville), so why not... Nose is grainy, but in a pleasant way...cornmeal/cornbread...splash of bonus brown sugar, lighter fruit, some strawberry in particular, but also some spice. Generally light and sweet. Flavor allows a bit more oak and surprisingly a bit of ethanol, but it remains an easy sipper. The finish is the highlight of this whiskey, as it has serious staying power for the ABV, and in a very, very pleasant fashion. This rating is a challenge...as I feel it should be more like a $60/70 a bottle pour, but then it would be really good (based upon the finish) at that price point. Notched it a quarter point higher when all was said and done as the long, oaky finish is worth the price of admission...though I'll treat this bottle with care and let it linger for a few years!