Henry McKenna 10 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Balanced with light sweet caramel finished by rye spice and oak. Takes a while for the bottle to open up EDIT: once rested for 30-45 minutes, really becomes a caramel bomb up front. Rest is key

Strong oak flavor with spice. A great fall whiskey.

Pours a very nice golden orange, coppery color, moderate legs. Smells fantastic, lots of oaky sawdust and a beautiful vanilla note, caramel and toffee with a distinct nuttiness and earthy leather, with a bit of the spice box. All of this screams classic, standard bourbon, but with distinct grace notes that separate it from the pack. Taste follows the nose, perhaps a bit less complex, but the pattern of typical bourbon character elevated by grace notes remains. Mouthfeel is rich and full bodied, but relatively dry in the finish. Overall, this is pretty fantastic, and I’m glad I bought the bottle (even if it’s not selling for bargain basement prices anymore - still pretty accessible for these days where double digit age statements are a rarity). Beer Nerd Musings - Lots of stuff aged in Henry McKenna barrels out there. I haven’t had much, and most of what I’ve had has been part of a blend- like Bruery Black Tuesday Blender’s Choice (2022). It’s a great beer, but the McKenna was one of six different barrels in the blend. I have a bottle of Evil Twin’s Great Northern series #44 coming my way shortly, and its a blend of stout aged 35 months in 11 year Henry McKenna barrel (with a barleywine aged in Lairds). Another blend, but I should be able to get good feel for McKenna influence. Regardless, I’d certainly be swayed by a beer aged in these barrels, they seem ideally suited.