Henry McKenna 10 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon

The more I have of this the better I like it. It’s so smooth and tasty. If your doing a taste test against other bourbons at the same time you can lose the flavor in the heat of the other bourbons. Just delicious. Definitely a favorite

Good Old McKenna. I can't believe I have not reviewed this. It used to be more available as recent as even a few years ago. The variation in single barrels can be observed frequently but this one along with Blanton's has the most variation. I've had barrels that were 5's and also had to drain pour a bottle as well. The complexity after being in oak for 10 is usually here. On the nose I get a myriad of different aromas and they increase as the whiskey warms in my snifter glass. I get Cherry Nibs candy, root beer, vanilla, sawdust, butterscotch, earth, cedar, lemongrass, shoe polish, ginger root and carmel candy. On the palate I get a little prickle that is reminiscent of some great Camp Nelson Turkey barrels. The viscosity then turns really oily and mouth coating which is an interesting transition. Palate gives you sweet cherry, vanilla wafer, freshly oiled leather, orange rind, root beer, sassafras and mild oak. Finish is medium in length but for the most part very enjoyable. This barrel is a little dry but they aren't all that way as I've had some creamy finishes from this brand before. Cherry, root beer and pipe tobacco hang out for awhile which makes it interesting. This has a little cinnamon and maybe a little almond but more like an artificial almond as it doesn't get nutty. There is a nice subtle warm hug that appears with a nice 2 oz. pour. It's always a little bit of a lottery when you purchase McKenna and that's why I wouldn't overpay for this but if you get a chance to snag one around retail or close it's a great change of pace bourbon and I've impressed scotch drinkers with the nose on this one for whatever that is worth? Cheers!

Vanilla nose. Smooth caramel with some spice to taste as it finishes