Blade and Bow Bourbon

(boro)

I'm trying to work my way through a backlog of tasting notes, so you may see a few extra from me in the coming days. First up is Blade & Bow. My wife and daughters got me this for my birthday last September. It was a couple days before Hurricane Florence decided to drop 35" of rain on my small town, so even though I had opened it, I only recently sat down to review it. Here goes... NOSE: Leather, Vanilla, Cloves and Cinnamon, Oak, and Hints of Fresh Cut Cedar. There is a little alcohol sting that dissipates with some time in the glass. Excellent. NEAT: Heavy Mouthfeel. Lots of Oak and Leather up front. Slightly Bitter, but notes of Vanilla, Salted Caramel, and Cola also develop. Nice Kentucky Hug on the medium length finish. Leaves a slightly bitter oak and vanilla coating on the palate. SPLASH: A few drops of water added a grassy note to the nose. Reduced the astringent note somewhat and put the Vanilla front and center on the palate. Turned it almost buttery in taste and texture. VERDICT: I always considered this one a little gimmicky and it was just out of my desired price range, so I never picked it up. When my wife went in looking, it was recommended by one of the clerks, and obviously her bourbon budget is a little higher than mine. Lucky me. I really enjoy this one and consider it a solid pour on special occasions.