Tastes

Ok, so everyone says Jack Daniels is loaded with banana notes, and now that I'm looking for it, I do pick it up on the nose and a little on the palette. But, it's more like the banana flavoring of a laffy taffy than the bananas I keep in my fruit bowl. It has more than it's fair share of ethanol taste for an 80 proof. I pick up some tea leaves, oak, and a pretty strong char profile. There's a bit of a lingering bitter sweet aftertaste too. This Tennessee whiskey is not offensive but it's a tad harsh and not a regular sipper for me.

Early Times bib is not widely distributed in Alabama, but I managed to track down a bottle and I'm ready to see if it's worth the effort. Things get off to a good start by serving up a 1 liter 100 proof bottled in bond bourbon just under $25. Classic sour mash nose with a good whiff of ethanol. It has a some bite, but it's much smoother than expected. There's not a lot of complexity here, but there's also nothing offensive or harsh either. The sweetness is not overpowering, and neither is the hint of rye spice. There's just enough oak and a strong leather taste that clings to the roof of your mouth. The finish is fairly short with little bitterness. After my first pour I'm ready to investigate this one further. This might be good enough for an any day sipper.

At long last I'm having my first pour of the much hyped and hard to find Eagle Rare. There's a good bit of alcohol on the nose, but that doesn't come through on the palette, making it a smooth, easy drinker. Sweet caramel, apples, and vanilla on the tongue, with just a bit of mild oak flavor. There's a medium finish of leather, also mild, and just a hint of bitter aftertaste. This is good bourbon that I'll definitely want to revisit soon. I only hope it doesn't end up being a favorite, as it takes a little work to lay hands on a bottle here in Alabama.

Finally getting around to trying Old Grand Dad 114, big brother to one of my favorites OGD BiB. This has big flavor and some bite. Mellow sweetness on the front end, with some salted peanuts on the tongue. Cinnamon and plenty of rye spice. Oak and leather are there, but not prominent. There's some ethanol at 114 proof, but it's not nearly as noticable as many lesser proofs I've tasted. The finish is long, with hardly any bitterness.

This bourbon has a fairly strong initial bite of spice, with a just a little taste of honey like sweetness that disapates quickly giving way to the most notable flavor for me, which I would describe as charred corn. There is a noticable taste of ethonal but it's not overpowering and being a lower proof it's still smooth. It has a finish that is still dominated by the corn taste, but the rye spice is there as well. Hints of oak and leather linger in the palette after a each sip. This is a great step above the bottom shelf bourbon for mixing, as it has enough boldness not to get lost in a cocktail and is affordable. It's also fine for an everyday sipper.

Not sure what flavors non-chill filtering add, or I guess leave in Old Tub, but the end product is fairly tasty. The sweetness is subtle, molasses like. There's strong notes of cinnamon and just a bit of mint, maybe a little bitter dark chocolate. Going down there is plenty of oak and char, with only a little bitter aftertaste. Not sure I'm ready to call this a favorite after my first pour, but I could see it growing on me.

This bourbon is looked down upon by many bourbon aficionados, but I think it's unfairly put upon. Is it the best, most complex bourbon out there? No, not by a long shot, but it's a reliable, consistent workhorse. It has the classic bourbon flavors, sweet caramel and vanilla and just a very mild hint of oak. It's mild, and not offensive to the palette in any way. It's the best selling bourbon in the world for a reason. It's a bourbon anyone can enjoy.

I found Old Forester 100 to be a bit richer than Old Forester 86, but it too has a fairly strong alcohol bite. It has the classic bourbon flavor, but isn't very complex. To me there is very little sweetness and maybe a bit of cinnamon and baking spice. There's a definite woody ethanol flavor with some warm rye spice on the finish. Not too bitter, and not a lot of aftertaste. This is definitely one best enjoyed with a little water to mellow it out.

This is my first taste of a true wheat whiskey, not surprising since there are only a handful of whiskeys using wheat as the main mashbill component. Bernheim is smooth and sweet. It's easy drinking with tastes of vanilla, cinnamon, and baking spices. There's honeyed granola and cereal there too. Not too much in the way of spiciness, but that's to be expected. It goes down with a pleasing warmth and not much ethanol burn. This probably isn't the best choice for cocktails, but it makes a very smooth sipper.

It starts off with that sour mash sweet corn smell that a good bourbon should have. It hits the tongue with a caramel sweetness. On the palette the flavor is toasted corn and oak. Not overly complex but fairly smooth. There is a little spice and leather, but also some ethanol heat. The finish is medium in length with a little bitter oak charr after taste. A good mixer and not a bad sipper for the low price point.