Old Bardstown White Label Bourbon 90 Proof

Running low on your Bookers, Bakers and candle waxed Makers? Need a quick bottle off the shelf(no not the top one) that will do the job and NOT dent the wallet too severely? You might want to try Old Bardstown, Willett seems to have gotten something right and put it on the market ready to go for the average buyer. Of course anybody can put a "Kentucky" label on a bottle and claim they are selling something "authentic" yet the folks rebooting the Willett family distillery aren't short changing with this somewhat less than upscale offering. Labeled as "straight bourbon whiskey" you get a spicey and sweet blend of some traditional bourbon along with a hint of oak notes and leather finish. Certainly some similarity to the well known Willett genie bottle of Pot Still Reserve. What might be more notable is the lack of green, un-aged mash bitters so common with anything new on the market. A 90 proofer that gives something not watered down, Old Bardstown is well named, not a bottle I was looking for when I found it, might remind some of an old flame, "I wasn't looking for her when she found me". I'm going on record to call this the "value bourbon release of the year". A nice bourbon worth giving a spin!

cinnamon on the nose and cinnamon and peanut on the palate. The spiciness reminds me of rye. Medium finish. Water tampers down the spice and all the interesting flavor

Caramel. Lots of caramel on the nose right away, and all throughout the taste and finish. Yes, you'll get the vanilla and oak notes that are right out of the barrel, but it's pretty clear that this is a 'no age statement bourbon.' Now, is that a bad thing? No. Sure, it's clearly their entry level bourbon, yet it's more than capable of standing on its own. I feel like that this is Willett's answer to Buffalo Trace - though it's up to the individual drinker if they nailed it or not.

Great $20-25 bottle