Ironroot Harbinger XC (90 Proof)

Nose is pure halloween candy corn which is somewhat fun. This is the bright spot though. Palate is showcasing a lot of youth and a baby spit type of thing that is very distracting from the rest of the flavor which brings forward maple, pear and cinnamon. Finish is abrupt but showcases a little sweetness and some more cinnamon sticks flavor. It just isn't my cup of tea.

Rating: 13/23 This particular bottle has been aged for 32 months. N: Immediately, I get that Texas bourbon sawdust like Garrison Brothers has. It doesn't smell über full, but it does have a nice mild sweetness to it. P: Yep, that sawdust hits with a hint of milk chocolate like hot cocoa, mild baking spices, and some corn sweetness that's kind of like light caramel corn. Although the palate is a not super full, those flavors give it a moderate complexity with a nice balance. There is a light areas where some alcohol comes out though and it has a bit of a bite to it. There's also some more bitterness than Garrison Brothers Small Batch has, unfortunately reminding me a bit more of Kings County at times. F: That sawdust remains. Unfortunately, the strongest remnants of the rest of the profile are the bitter alcohol and bite. - Conclusion - Ironroot has a lot of potential and I really enjoyed the core flavors of this offering, which are quite similar to those of Garrison Brothers Small Batch (13/23). I think that the Garrison Brothers is probably a hair better, so I'm giving this the win. At less than 3 years old, this has a lot going for it and is solid competition for Garrison Brothers Small Batch at less than half of the price. I was considering a 14 to 16 for this, but seeing as I gave the Garrison Brothers Small Batch a 14, I think that this needs to be capped at a 14. I know that earlier bottles of this were released at just 2 years old and I suspect it is still pretty easy to get a younger bottle that may not be as good, so I wouldn't be shocked to go below a 14 on a subsequent tasting from a different bottle.

Very good!