Old Forester Statesman

A gimmick surely--and overpriced at that--but a gimmick that *almost* works, resulting in a solid straight bourbon. And, I mean, I bought a bottle of it, so what does that say about me? Nose is tart cherry, maple syrup, earthy, spicy. Peanut butter (and yes, as the Distiller tasting notes suggest, peanut brittle too) and caramel. Oatmeal cookies and baking spice. Taste is initially quite sweet--lots of caramel, maple, vanilla, but there's a lingering sour off-ness that I find infests a lot of Old Forester bottles, something a bit "green," if that makes sense. Quite hot at full proof, a drop of water or two helps, though it also quicks up the sweetness even more. Peanut and leather on the finish, almost approaching the territory of Beam funk, and some prickly sour-bitter lumber lingering in the mouth. Not bad, but certainly not worth the price, even if I'm not mad I did pick up a bottle.

Spicy yet sweet.