1792 Small Batch Bourbon

Aesthetically, I dig the re-branding. On principle, I'm annoyed by the loss of the age statement. But in practice, it's pretty much a wash anyway, because the whiskey itself is still pretty generic. Nose is custard and bananas. Some cinnamon and baking spice, quite a bit more singe on the nostrils than I’d expect from a premium offering. Mint, vanilla. Rye bread. Raw sugar? Barrel char. Faintly medicinal or herbal. Licorice? Light toffee. Slight mango? Almost malty and scotch-like (I’ve heard Barton uses more barley than most US distilleries in its mashbill)? Very similar to what I recall of its precursor. Taste is, again, similar to what I recall: hot, thin, light cherry liqueur, bitter citrus pith (grapefruit). Pretty dry, aside from an initial hit of sweetness right at the beginning of the sip. Custard, a touch of banana. Toasted wood, vanilla, a bit of butterscotch. Dry maple tree sap? Baking spices playing around in the background. Peppery throughout. Orange. Herbal, medicinal. A bit of caraway and clove? Finish is dry, herbal, woody, yeasty. Fine enough, but overpriced for what you're getting and--to be candid--it's not even substantively better than Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond.

Terrific bourbon. Almost oily but full-flavored.