Calumet Farm 8 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Drinkable, but but not my favorite. Something is just a little off on the finish. And, a surprising amount of heat on the back end for something that falls pretty flat on the sip.

Smooth easily drinkable not crazy complex or deep but it’s $40

Nose: Vanilla, honey, nutmeg, bread Taste/Finish: Real smooth stuff, sweet....just very mellow & "delicate" Closer to a $30 than a $50 one

The guy at the liquor store said (Try it you'll like it). So I got a bottle. The bar is not set too high since this is an NDP. As I research when I get home, it's Barton's mashbill. I don't care for their young stuff but this is produced from less than 50 barrels of 8yo juice. Nose is pleasant if tight, getting sweet corn, caramel/vanilla and a citrus element but it is really light in color. Palate offers basic bourbon simple and not offensive but nothing to write home about (so why am I writing a review?) It's not bad but I gave $37 and I've seen it for $50. Bottle is now gone so I'll pass at either price in the future!

Calumet Farm 8YR (by all accounts, sourced from Barton) *APP: Pours into my Glencairn surprisingly light in color. I'm almost ashamed to say I purchased this mostly for the new packaging. It looks like the bottle you'd receive if you ordered "Pappy" from Wish. It's going in an easy to spot space in my cabinet. *NOSE: The Nose gets my hopes up! Oak, Cinnamon Discs, Fall Mulling Spice, Cedar, Leather, Pipe Tobacco, and a Hint of New Carpet. *NEAT: ...and the Palate brings my hopes crashing back to Earth. Disappointingly Thin Mouthfeel delivers Leather, Cedar, Salted Butter, Slightly Bitter Tannins, and Cracked Black Pepper. A Warming Finish with a decent KYHug with Cedar and Light Tannins coating the Palate. Somehow this one manages to seem Underproofed and Too Hot at the same time. Also, the Flavors are there, but they seem Thin and Muted. Just not good. *SPLASH: A little water helps some. The Fall Spice note is amplified on both Nose and Palate. The Tannins become a little sweeter. *VERDICT: I knew I was taking a gamble with this one as the Barton Profile is hit or miss (mostly miss) for me. This was probably the most "Fall-like" Barton I've had. I usually get Cinnamon, Apricot/Peach/Prune, and Cherry while this one was more Leather, Tobacco, and Spices. The nose was so bold and promising, but the palate was muted and thin. When will I learn that sometimes you should trust your instincts and leave the pretty bottle where it sits and walk over and get that last $30 bottle of Buck 8 Year. In the battle of the 8's, it's a clear victor.

Maybe I’ve been tasting too many high proof whiskies, but this one fell flat for me. Nose is fruity, some caramel apple and citrus. Hint of honey. I also get some sweet corn as well, which makes sense due to its mash bill. None of that sweetness really comes out for me as I taste it. Getting a lot more spice. Black pepper and rye. And the mouth feel was pretty thin. I picked up some smoky, black cherry flavor after a few more taste. It added some complexity, but not enough for me. It’s not a terrible whiskey by any means. But I’d personally spend my $50 on something else.