Boone County Kentucky Pot Still Bourbon

Being from just a couple of miles from where Boone County is distilled I've followed their growth.I've had most of Boone County offerings. The 1833 and Small Batch both of which I enjoyed...the 1833 being my favorite. I know some peeps may have a problem with MGP products (1833) but if I enjoy a bourbon then I enjoy a bourbon. This Pot Still has me on fence. Right after the pour, the nose is very alcohol forward. Let it sit for a while and the salted carmel, vanilla notes come about. The taste...well that's another perplexing thing, while the carmel toffee vanilla flavors are present there is a very alcohol forward hit. For 5 year old bourbon I'd expect this not to be so....it sips kinda of young. I do like this but I don't know if I'll make a return visit...

This was our second tasting in our afternoon bourbon marathon. This is a five year high rye, pot stilled, aged and bottled by Boone County. It's dark in color but very thin almost water like in the glass. This is highly anticipated by me as I am a fan of BC. First whiff: did I just step into the distillery? Not the rick house the distillery. There is a high degree of raw grain and mash on the nose. Not necessarily bad just unexpected. Let it sit a while and some of the barrel starts to come through but not much. When I visited the distillery for a tour a couple years back, I remember that they had a most unconventional rick house. More of a warehouse with wide aisles to facilitate movement of the lift truck. Lots of open doors and ventilation. Made me wonder what impact it would have on the bourbon as temperature swings were more restricted? This is five year juice but it drinks much younger. At 90 proof, the alcohol is tame as expected for 5 year stuff but the barrel flavors leave a lot to be desired for me. One of our crowd stated it's rough but would be great on a cold night around a campfire. Maybe, but I prefer a more refined style. The bottle is set back in the cabinet and will be revisited in a couple months.