Virgin Bourbon 7 Year 101

This is a strange bourbon. Most people have never heard of or even seen because it was mainly a exported bourbon. Now you can find this only in a few states, Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, and North Carolina. This is a 7 year old bourbon that clocks in at 101 proof and is about $15 dollars. The color is a dark amber with a reddish hint. The nose is brown sugar, vanilla, corn, and oak. The taste is the same as the nose but has a very strong oak flavor. The finish is medium to long with the oak and some spiciness lingering. This is a Heaven Hill product and now that the Heaven Hills 6 year bottled in bond has been discontinued, this might just be a great replacement.

Light nose. One note on the palate, short finish. 6/21/19

Bold and spicy. A bit of cherries and oak. The finish is not long, but its a nice one. Good color. The smell is stronger than the taste will be. Solid for the price.

Virgin 101 7 Year Sampled in a Glencairn, the color is amber tending toward orange. A quick swirl yields skinny, oily and slow-moving legs. *Nose: Dusty Corn, Orange Peel, a Musty/Dusty Oak note with a little alcohol sting. *Neat: Hot and Slightly Bitter on entry with Vanilla Sweetness showing up mid-palate. The Orange Peel note dominates the slightly hot finish with a healthy dose of Cinnamon for good measure. Fairly thick and chewy mouthfeel with a decent Kentucky Hug. Slightly Bitter Oak and Cinnamon coat the palate after a medium length finish. *Splash: Adds an unidentifiable sweetness and a grassy note to the nose. Really helps the palate by making the Vanilla and Cinnamon notes a little more dominant start to finish. Also adds a touch of Chocolate. As an interesting side note, the nose on the empty glass was a dead ringer for Big Red Gum. *Verdict: 7 Year Old, 101 Proof Heaven Hill Whiskey for around $13-$15? Enjoy it while (and if) you can, folks. Put this in a pretty bottle and it could easily pass for a $30-$40 Bourbon. Instead, it's the best $13 Bourbon on the market, by a long shot. Not available everywhere, but if you can find it you will not be disappointed.

@Damon_Elliot gave me a pour of this and if he’d told me this was a $40 or $50 bottle, I wouldn’t have questioned it. It has a fantastic smoky heartiness to it while still being very smooth and sippable. I’m a fan, especially for the value!