Tastes

Smells like antiques, like wood cleaner, but pleasant. Some roasted grain and caramel too. Tastes like organ meats, dried fruit, nuts, but it somehow works. Spice on the front, dissappears, then shows up again at the back if the throat. Bold and smooth at the same time. 2/3/17

Salted caramel and hazelnut coffee on the nose. Chocolate, even. One of the best smelling whiskies. Can taste the wine influence. Nice spice and warmth. Interesting. 2/3/17

Nose of honey; not standard honey, but honey from a unique region with aromatic flowers. Also, a hint of something that's reminiscent of a hospital. Heavier mouthfeel than I expected. Sweet and... salty? Not too much more. Maybe a flash of burnt pecans at the very end. Cuts off fairly quickly. Decent but seems pricey for what you get. 2/3/17

Surprising floral note in the nose, along with butterscotch and turpentine. Palate is the same, plus a bit of orange potpourri and cinnamon. Not as much burn as you would expect from the proof. Kind of like chewing on treated leather at your great aunt's country house in the fall. Could use some more vanilla sweetness to round it out. Okay, but I much prefer Booker's; if you're going to experience the distinct Beam yeast, might as well go all the way. 2/1/17

Silky, silky, silky. A little bit of fruit, some cough medicine. Not as sweet as I expected. 1/26/17

Pleasant smell, hints of ice, honey, citrus, and cake. On the palate it's sweet at first, then numbing spice. Bitter chocolate on the backend. A weird cardboard note as well. Definitely spicy, but the alcohol heat is not as much as I expected it to be. You can taste the corn and the rye notes separately, almost like you're drinking two different whiskies. Adding a limestone water ice cube seems to heighten the vanilla on the palate, but also bring out more of the cardboard notes. I imagine there's some variability since this is a single barrel product. 1/23/17 Tried a different bottle with the older label. Definitely complex with lots of good flavors. Still has a cardboard note that I don't care for, if not for that I would rate this higher. 4/2/17

Sweet, pleasant nose, vanilla. Smooth on the palate, light and silky mouthfeel. Light Holiday spice and dark chocolate on the backend, lingering warmth. Adding lime water ice cube seems to heighten the sweetness and toffee notes. Great value for $40, but $80 seems like a stretch. 1/22/17. Much more butterscotch, and seemingly more warmth, as this bottle has opened up. 3/4/17. Perhaps the best bourbon in the $40 range. Lots of great bourbons for less, or more, but the $40 tier seems to have fewer winners. This one would be a good buy even if it cost more. Great product. 9/25/17

Smells of honey with a hint of Juicy Fruit (the gum). Smooth and sweet, with pleasant cinnamon and warmth on the backend. 1/18/17

Can actually smell port and chocolate on the nose. Very smooth and light, general sweetness, a bit of spice. Surprisingly warm in the chest. Slightly bitter aftertaste in the back of the throat. Not as sweet as I thought it would be, but reminiscent of a candy cane during the holidays. Pleasant and accessible. 1/17/17

Honey, toffee, winter potpourri, and smelling salts on the nose. Palate is smooth and slightly sweet at first, cardboard in the middle, cough medicine at the end. Lingering aftertaste is numbing, spicy, bitter. Adding an ice cube mellows it out, brings out more caramel, but remains bitter in back of throat. 1/16/17. A month later, and my review is exactly the same. 2/17/17