William Larue Weller Bourbon (Fall 2020)

Surprisingly smooth on the 2nd & 3rd sips, but the first sip had a lot of bite. A little sweet with some vanilla.

Super smooth. Wonderful blended tastes of good orange, oak and vanilla.

There’s not much ethanol on the nose, which is unusual for something so high-proof. Nose starts off floral before notes of leather and oak take over. Slight minty-ness. That alcohol that eluded the nose? It comes back with a vengeance on the palate. Hot hot hot. Apart from the booze, the palate has strong caramel notes, shocking no one, with some subtler cream notes balancing it out. This finish hugs you and won’t let go. Black pepper, rye spice, and something tart I can’t put my finger on there. Note: this is the first BTAC series I’ve had. I know I’ve ranked them all the same so far, but of course I have preferences between them. Of the three I’ve had: Stagg comes in first place, followed by this one in second, and Handy in third. All in all, three excellent bourbons I would all highly recommend.

Nose is sweet and smooth. Caramel and oak which travels to the palate. If you can get past the heat on the palate, there is also a lovely cream candy note in there. The finish is long and hot with a hint of Granny Smith apples.