What a blast from the past. Many years ago, when I was between jobs and money was tight I had to indulge my whiskey appetite on more affordable bottles like Cedar Ridge. Although the old bottling was at a paltry 80 proof, it actually made for a very easy sipping and inoffensive drink. And then sadly, they killed it off. Fast forward 6 years later and I see a familiar name in a not-so-familiar bottle. Cedar Ridge is back? Well, you know I just had to try it and take a stroll down memory lane. The nose is interesting on this one. Not what I remember, but that was many years and dozens of whiskies later. Smells a bit like saw dust and cherries. The taste is absolutely different than I remember. Gone are the lashings of sweet corn and with that comes a little vanilla and brown sugar riding on a plank of cedar which is a unique aspect for sure. Interesting... I think this whiskey actually does Cedar wood better than Kamiki who make a whiskey specifically aged in Cedar casks. The finish is where this whiskey shines. As the taste goes down that finish blooms beautifully and takes over your mouth. Its sweet and fruity with a bit of corn. Reminds me of a bowl of Apple Jacks, mixed with vanilla soy milk and a dusting of sugar. Its actually quite pleasant, albeit very short. But hey, in this price category did you expect a long oily finish? In the $40 something category this newer Cedar Ridge Straight Bourbon can really hold its own. Quite good and interesting indeed... but I do still miss the old 80 proof stuff I used to get from Grocery Outlet for $28 a bottle.