Colonel Lee Kentucky Straight Bourbon

This has some tartness and spice on the nose. It may not have a lot, but after drinking bad Canadian whiskey, it sure is a nice relief. The nose has notes of apple and cherry as well. It doesn't smell like much special, but is smells at least thoroughly mixable. The palate has a classic bourbon profile with a bit much brown sugar. There are the usual spices with a bit of a boss toward the light, tart side there's some vanilla, though there's an odd popcorn jelly belly along with it and the two are a bit strong. Interesting though. This isn't particularly good whiskey, but it is mixable. It gradually gets muddled with some ugly elements and isn't quite sippable though. It does taste a bit young, though it's probabaly older tasting than the various entry-level bourbons (e.g. Jim beam White, Hayes Parker). It isn't as rich as Woodford Reserve, though it's flaws aren't as obvious either I suppose. I prefer the Woodford by a clear margin though. Yeah, this is too light and it still shows some of it's sugary youth. Woodford is better. This is more in the league of Evan Williams Black. Compared with Evan Williams Black, this is sweeter and richer. It tastes like it could be younger, but it has a richer flavor. The caramel has a bit of that sickly sweetness, but not too much. It's less dry and light, but it lacks some of the more complex elements. I would place these two on about the same level. Evan Williams Black is more dry and numbing, with and emptier middle to its palate with a bit of minerality. Colonel Lee is sweeter with quite a bit of spice as well. There's less going on here at first, bit some of that scotch barrel presence does come out at points. It needs work, but this would be a great choice for mixing and possibly as a base layer in a blended whiskey. It's great to finally find a drinkable cheap bourbon. This is far from the quality of Jim Beam Black, but it is competitive with Evan Williams Black. Compared with Evan Williams Black, this is sweeter and richer. It tastes like it could be younger, but it has a richer flavor. The caramel has a bit of that sickly sweetness, but not too much. It's less dry and light, but it lacks some of the more complex elements. I would place these two on about the same level. Evan Williams Black is more dry and numbing, with and emptier middle to its palate with a bit of minerality. Colonel Lee is sweeter with quite a bit of spice as well. There's less going on here at first, bit some of that scotch barrel presence does come out at points. It needs work, but this would be a great choice for mixing and possibly as a base layer in a blended whiskey. It's great to finally find a drinkable cheap bourbon. This is far from the quality of Jim Beam Black, but it is competitive with Evan Williams Black. There are some notes of red hots in here, but none of that more aged sweetness. I wonder whether throwing some wood chips in it for a couple of days would cure it of its youth. There's a bit of sulfur too, but it's under control. In some situations, that youth does become a bit overwhelming, but on the whole it is quite manageable. A high proof version of this aged for a while longer could be really good. This doesn't have the interesting fruity notes of Woodford Reserve and it isn't as spicy either, but it is also less harsh and has less alcohol. The Woodford Reserve is better though.

A subtle sweetness I can't find anywhere else.

Fantastic for the price! An all around favorite for budget bourbon.