Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Five-Malt Stouted Mash

The most unique bourbon in my collection. Having it tonight after a Bourbon County Stout and the two are great together.

Nose is banana bread and hay, palate is english breakfast tea, coffe rinds, dry dark chocolate

As I said previously on my 5/19/22 note, this is a polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it whiskey. One of my best bourbon-drinking friends is in the latter camp, while I'm unabashedly in the former. One of the first rules of tasting, whether wine or whisk(e)y, is to ascertain typicity: something is what it is in part because of the similarities it shares with others of its clan, as well as its differences with others. Bourbon should taste like bourbon. But bourbon this ain't. This is hedonistic, ostentatious, noncomformist whiskey. On the uniqueness spectrum, this one is way out on the tails of the distribution. A lot of similarities with my previous note: its description as the love child of a frozen Mudslide cocktail and a Russian Imperial Stout is apt. But there's also a certain 70s-style ambrosia-like fruitiness, with maraschino cherry, grated coconut, a little tangerine, and canned pineapple. Espresso. And some cooling spearmint. This is a whiskey that can be discussed over an entire evening. More of the same in the mouth. A lot of lingering Swiss Miss instant cocoa on the long finish (and I mean that in the most complimentary way). I could drink this all day long. This is one of those whiskies that must be tried if you ever get the chance. Aside from the whiskey itself, you've never had, nor will you ever have, anything quite like it. A strong 4.5 on the Distiller scale. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Although there is a lovely sons of dried apricot, this is a rather bland whiskey with a very flat flavor profile. This might be good for first timers who don't normally care for whiskey. There is very little heat but what there is comes in during the transition to the mid notes and then fades off. Really nothing more to the flavor profile in my humble opinion

Tastes like whiskey filtered through spent Guinness grains….very distinct and not bourbon like. Pass