Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon

Mouth feel: oily and thick. Finish: short to non-existent. Little aroma remains in the glass after the last drop.

Lighter, easy drink. Bright

Nose: Ethanol/Paint thinner right off the bat, transitioning into apple and floral notes, and then an overwhelming grass/hay profile. Palate: This is a different bourbon to put it mildly — only note that is significant enough to come through is a strong grassy flavor. Finish: Smooth initially but then an extremely bitter aftertaste takes over. I really wanted to like this bourbon but... ooh boy it’s a rough ride.

Rating: 15/23 The nose is fruity with cardboard. It has that young sweet moonshine smell. There's a bit of something interestingly herbal in here, though the less appealing flavors beat it out. The palate has some interesting toasty richness going on that comes with some nice sweetness and questionably nice oily nuttiness, but it also has those young and mineral notes. It isn't terribly harsh, but it is persistently moderately harsh - for a time well beyond when most other bourbons stop being harsh. The flavors gradually come out more, revealing more complexity and making me appreciate this more. There are some floral hints that are odd for a bourbon but that I find surprisingly nice. This is better than Buffalo Trace and is drinkable enough, but some alcohol flavor does come through more than I'd like and the flavor is generally on the more mineral side. The floral flavor does help to counter that though with some more notion of scotch coming through. It's interesting and is actually pretty drinkable, but you have to be looking for a less traditional bourbon. It's interesting and easy drinking, though it does have some bit of cardboard to it along with the mineral. I enjoy it pretty well, though it isn't my usual style of bourbon. Still, how can I say no to more scotch notes in my bourbon. The moonshine fruitiness reminds me of a less aggressive Old Forester Signature, but that is just one component of this bourbon. I appreciate this after warming up to it. It's kind of like a Japanese whiskey. I keep coming back to St. George B&E American in terms of odd character of the flavor profile. It's sort of good, but odd in ways that keeps it interesting yet also keep it from being terrific.