Wilderness Trail Family Reserve Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon (Wheated Bourbon)

Nice light fruit nose, candy on the palate, finish is short. Some sweetness fading to bitterness and quickly dissipating.

21 Degrees Cigar Bar store pick Scottsdale, AZ. Barrel # 15G29-17, 115 proof. Healthy aroma of peanut, cashew, cola, black cherry, barrel spices, char, and ethanol but the ethanol is mild and more of an undertone. Palate matches the nose precisely with cashew nut being the dominant flavor, but for the sake of not being repetitive simply see above for tasting notes. Flavors are full and rich and being a fan of nutty bourbons I did find the palate enjoyable. Nose is good, palate is good, so far so good, right? Sadly, the finish goes totally and completely of the rails. Harsh and abrasive, with charcoal briquette and astringent oak in full effect. Even the enjoyable nut from the palate turns to a bitter almond. It’s decently long, but given the characteristics it’s more of a bug than a feature. Perceivable Kentucky Hug. Mouthfeel is grainy as sandpaper, which does NOT help at all. Given that I am a fan of the 100 proof small batch I wanted to like this more than I did. I wanted greatness. I did not get greatness. At $57, it’s far from a rebuy for me. Not sure to blame the taster or the distillery, but this was ultimately a disappointment.

Store pick, “Orange Creamsicle”, 110 proof.

A very interesting whiskey, with heavier malt leaning towards a thick mouth-coating texture and unique flavor. Interested to try their other bottlings and in keeping a high-malt in the arsenal for variety