Horse Soldier bourbon had been circulating in my local liquor stores for a couple of years but I had resisted buying a bottle as I was under the impression that it was all about branding (if you have seen the 12 Strong movie or read the background story, you will know what I mean) and not a quality product. Well, I was wrong. This is a quality bourbon. I attended a Horse Soldier tasting even last week where I tried the three expressions in the core range and was given the Straight Bourbon expression as part of the package. At 87 proof it won’t blow your socks off or wow your palette with complexity. What it will do is give you a solid bourbon with those usual bourbon notes of vanilla, cinnamon, toffee, honey, and some warming species on the finish. It’s very rounded and easy to drink neat, but it does have a decent amount of rye in the mash bill so I suspect it would also be good with ice or in a cocktail. If you prefer higher proof bourbons, they also have a cask strength (wheated) expression which provides that extra punch and a longer finish. This straight bourbon goes for about $45 where I live, and I think it’s a fair price. 80/100