Clyde May's Straight Bourbon

For the price, surprisingly good. I saw this one on IG, and added it to my “try list”. Picked it up on a whim today. Nose: typical vanilla with brown sugar, some ethanol until it sits for a few minutes. First sip: corn and brown sugar. Smooth until it’s gone, when the cinnamon Fireball spice kicks in. I’m trying hard to find those apple pie tasting notes people keep writing about, but they remain elusive. With water: Even sweeter. I actually prefer it. Vanilla and caramel. Starting to get the apple pie on the very last sip, but vaguely. Less apple, more apple pie spice. With ice: Just don’t. It turns it bitter like over-steeped tea. Loses everything that’s good about it. Finish: short and spicy. You don’t realize that this will have a kick until after you’ve swallowed it- and then the spice overtakes your mouth like fireworks, and disappears just as quickly. When the spice is gone, it’s oak and smoke with a bit of residual brown sugar. A good, approachable bourbon that I’d mix for a cocktail or feel fine drinking neat. (So fine that I tried drinking it neat three times this evening, just to re-examine the tasting notes. Maybe I should change my rating.)

easy to drink, has a complex palette, loved this drink

Pre-Distiller tasting.