Shenk's Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey

2022 bottling - ran into this at MSRP (maybe a skosh high, but at a total wine in Louisville), so why not... Nose is grainy, but in a pleasant way...cornmeal/cornbread...splash of bonus brown sugar, lighter fruit, some strawberry in particular, but also some spice. Generally light and sweet. Flavor allows a bit more oak and surprisingly a bit of ethanol, but it remains an easy sipper. The finish is the highlight of this whiskey, as it has serious staying power for the ABV, and in a very, very pleasant fashion. This rating is a challenge...as I feel it should be more like a $60/70 a bottle pour, but then it would be really good (based upon the finish) at that price point. Notched it a quarter point higher when all was said and done as the long, oaky finish is worth the price of admission...though I'll treat this bottle with care and let it linger for a few years!

butter, mild burn, caramel, rolls

Sweet and smooth, some wood, not crazy sharp