Tastes

Strong fruit and pleasant spice, both on the nose and palate. Signature Crown Royal smoothness, but the flavor is not tame. Good level of sweetness, an acidic kick that fits well with the fruit, and a slight smokiness that rounds out the profile. Decent warmth going down. This is a great pour. 5/27/17

Smells like sweet succulent rye. Not as stinging considering the proof. So sweet, very intense flavor, this is rye on steroids. Flowers, fennel, caramel, dark chocolate, even a bit of cream. Flavor takes a while to leave your mouth. Warm spice going down. 5/20/17

Smells of wet cloth, some cloves, and honey. Sharp on the tongue, almost carbonated. Leather and mint, with sweetness and some bitterness on the backend. Very long, spicy finish. 5/20/17

Lighter in color than I expected given that this was finished in cabernet barrels. Fruit forward, grainy on the nose. A bit of honey as well. On the tongue it's spicy immmediately, followed by sweetness. There are some hints of wine, if you really think about it. Woody notes at the end, with a surprisingly dry finish. Didn't get as much of the vanilla notes, and for those who are expecting a bourbon-like experience given the profile, you'll need to temper your expectations, but it stands on its own as a nice Irish whiskey. 5/12/17 Sticks to the side of the glass. Grain and honey on the nose, a hint of nutmeg. Velvety texture, some mellow spice up front, then a turn of vanilla ice cream; this has more vanilla than the first time I tried it. Finishes with some wood notes and a bit of cough medicine. It's still hard to get too much of any wine influence. 6/21/17

Smooth, lightly peated, feels a bit thin. Perfectly pleasant, but nothing to overly get excited about. Great intro to peat. 5/11/17

Smooth for a 110-proof. Great nose; burnt sugar, vanilla, floral notes. Those notes as well as leather on the palate. Bitterness on the finish. 5/11/17.

This is what got me into bourbon a few years ago. Burnt sugar and apples on the nose. Tart on the palate, sweet, buttery yet sharp. Just enough vanilla and spice towards the end, and some warmth going down. Medium finish. What a great wheater, a fantastic bourbon especially for the price. 5/8/17

Vanilla and caramel on the nose. Some floral notes. Viscous, very. Coats your mouth. It's thick, sweet notes, and a rush of spiced walnut. Pleasant bitterness at the end, a bit of leather and turpentine. Another winner in the Nicholson line. 5/5/17

Strong nose, rich full of toffee, sugar, orchard fruit, soap, some vanilla. On the palate, sharp on the tip of your tongue, sweetness envelops followed by wood notes, warm spice and leather notes at the end. Medium finish, some lingering cacao nibs. Just the right amount of heat. Towards the end of my glass I started to detect some nuttiness, a flavor profile I greatly enjoy. Nicely done. I can see how for some, this will be right in their wheelhouse. For now, I think I prefer the relative smoothness of the regular Single Barrel, or the intense explosion of the SFTB; the Gold, while a great pour, seems to have some strengths of both but not quite fully, so in a way it's neither here nor there. Don't get me wrong, this is worth seeking out, but I strongly prefer the SFTB and I think the regular Single Barrel is solid on its own right. 5/3/17 Still delicious. 6/14/17

You can smell the fortified wine, the sweet notes are there. The nose smells rich, if that makes sense. Wood, vanilla, honey. The palate follows suit. Strong flavors, sweet and spicy. Great kick and warmth all the way down to the stomach. Long lingering notes. Great pour. 5/1/17