American whiskey tasting evening, Sydney, 21 September 18. Whiskey #1 Nose: Fragrantly floral, vanilla essence, pine resin, honey and buttery notes, cereal grains and some oaky toffee. Adding water brings out some rather leaden brown sugar and tends to collapse the nose. Palate: A full spicy arrival with some mild sweet ginger and bitter orange marmalade. A fruity note, a little nuttiness and some grassy, minty flavours. Water makes the palate harder rather than softer, amplifying the spicy notes too far and unbalancing the whiskey. Finish: Medium/long. Toasted cereal, bread and some woody notes. Generally speaking it has a soft and approachable character, but it's not as sweet as some comparably priced bourbons can be. The character is dry and it's softer on the nose than the palate, which turns woody as it develops. There's a cantankerous spicy note running through it that is both an asset and a fault. It lends complexity and interest, but it's a simple aroma/flavour that becomes too dominant if water is added. I'd recommend taking this whisky neat. I tasted this as the first whiskey in a flight of six at a liquor store tasting evening, and it was a great starter. I came back to the glass throughout the tasting and it held up pretty well against the following (much better) drams, although by the end of the evening its simplicity was obvious. At the price in Australia this is just barely value for money, but it's definitely worth a try at least once. It rates a solid 3 stars and I might even buy a bottle some day if I find it on special ... but not today. "Good" : 81/100 (3 stars)