Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon

This was my 2017 KY Derby bottle. I may not have picked the horse, but I had a winning bourbon!

Classic BT nose plus a bit of almond and toffee. Good nose. Smooth and light. A bit of spice at the end. And what you've read about the finish is right... it's loooooong. Sweet mild nutty. Intriguing. 9/25/17

Aroma of sweet vanilla, oak and grain. Flavor is sweet grain with more vanilla and solid oak presence. Hints of cherry. Noticeable alcohol heat, but not unwelcome.

9-21-17. Good stuff 4.3. Smooth but complex. Drink it all day

This bourbon gets its name from its unconventional mash bill, which includes both wheat and rye (almost all bourbons opt for either corn-rye-barley or corn-wheat-barley combinations). Rye tends to produce spicy flavors, and wheat tends to produce lighter, fruitier, sweeter flavors, so it's a wonder that more brands don't try this type of experiment. While I applaud the inventive attitude, however, this drink struck me as a little weak. The nose features some unusual flavors, including hoisin sauce, cereal grains, and musty wet oak and leather. The palate surprisingly hits a strong rye chord, has a bread-like yeast flavor, and is quite tannic, which indicates a decent amount of aging. The combination of tannins and sweeter fruit notes in the midpalate are reminiscent of a Burgundy wine. The tannins somewhat obscure the fact that the mouthfeel is not very oily and may even be watery on some sips. This finishes like a rye-based bourbon, with an herbal and spicy kick. Overall, the wheat did not express itself as strongly as I anticipated. Not what I was expecting, and not (to my tastes) worth the hype.