Flatboat Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

This was cool to discover. I've seen my fair share of Flatboat while shopping around, but it just seemed like a cheap mixer bourbon (and bourbon cream so as to encompass everyone), and never sounded good enough to try, even with the very cheap price. However, the single barrel concept itself, the bottle shape, and the fact that I just needed one more bottle to round out my latest trip had me end up with this. Once I got home I remembered that, since it was Liquor Barn's brand, then nobody around me would have any chance of finding or getting it locally, which is always nice, since that encourages my sharing habits. The color is quite light, but I expected this from a cheaper brand with no age statement. The scent is easily detectable vanilla and caramel, but not very strong, which I didn't expect for a 100 proof product. Spice is also detectable, but it's more warm baking spices than traditional rye notes. This also has very minimal burn, as I was able to almost get my whole nose into the glass without notice. The body is light and slightly warm. Sure, it does have some qualities of a cheap whiskey, but I can tell it's the best of the available options, a true nod to the single barrel selection (albeit not having any barrel information on the label). Although the initial taste is weak spice and not much else, this seems to open and develop almost suddenly into powerful vanilla and caramel. The finish is fairly short, and the aforementioned flavors fall off just as quickly, being replaced by rye spice and a bit of proof burn. Although not spectacular, this is tasty, and that's something that a lot of bourbons struggle to meet along their journey. That alone is not enough to justify $40, but for me, not being able to find this bottle at home and having a nice addition to the collection makes me feel better about the purchase. And, even though Liquor Barn is not a paradise as far as being able to find products (which is always astonishing), it's the best consistent option that I know of, and for that, I'm happy to be able to support them with this brand.