McFarlane's Reserve Select Cask Strength

Wow, this is really good. I tried a sample at a tasting bar at Total wine while traveling for work in the Louisville area. The server gave me a few recommendations and this one totally stood out and for the price i grabbed one . My Bottle at 56.2% proof is special . Nose has a lemony vanilla note ( Pledge wood cleaner ,but not too chemical for distraction ) and wonderful soft oak. The flavor is a rootbeer vanilla float. Notes of crisp apricot and cherry fruits and worm flavor mixed in. Holy cow. I have 80 open bottles in my bar and i keep coming back to this bottle since i got it. If i didnt live a few hours away i would drive back and grab this $40 bottle by the case.

Being cask strength the first sip is strong and spicy. This whiskey definitely needs ice or a little water diluting. The mouth feel is full body and creamy. I get notes of cereal, baking spices and cinnamon. It is just a good whiskey at its price point.

So smooth that its almost too smooth. Short finish.

Smooth. Unique taste. Reminds me of carrots lol

54.8%. Kinda boring, not showing complexity or age. Lemon peel, vanilla pudding, heavy oak tannins but not very astringent, animal cracker, McIntosh apple, cheap butterscotch syrup & candy corn lingers. Seems more breadlike than other bourbons, maybe high wheat content. Not as sweet as a typical bourbon either. Independent bottler but no idea which Kentucky source.

Way better than the basic one. Pleasant smoothveasy drinkig - feels very wheaty. A little harsh finish but not much

To me this tastes like butterscotch and wheat. It’s slightly sweet and very smooth. Very good!

This was the biggest surprise at the 2023 Birthday Boy Bourbon Tasting – which was blind. It placed 2nd. My rank was 3rd. No one had ever had this or knew much about it. But for a relatively strong whisky, you have a fairly wide array of flavors. It’s not harsh. I’ll be buying this if I ever see it.