This year for the holidays I’m going to try a brand new whiskey every day in December. #lifegoals Dec. 14 I didn’t have a 14 year I could bear to pop. So I’m drinking twice my intended amount of a 7. I used to teach algebra. This checks out. It doesn’t surprise me that this is from the same group (Preservation Distillery) that brought me that Rare Perfection nonsense and Very Olde St. Nick, which so far I like very much. In both cases, the labels were confusing to misleading. There is little to nothing about them online, and I am one of the first rating them on distiller. And I’ve seen with this group a wide range of outcomes, from 0.25 stars to 5. So I have literally no idea what to expect here. Nose has caramel and oats. I’m expecting a nutty one. Minor citrus, but the oat is the star here. Interesting. The body doesn’t present very much. To be honest, It tastes like a supremely watered down bourbon, which is surprising for 47%. There’s a bit of almond and leather, but it’s really more on the finish. After drinking a ton of it, I could pick out some powdered sugar and brine, but this body really is fascinatingly vacant of flavor. Finish carries on that leather and almond, and it transitions nicely into some cinnamon. Decent amount of heat on the finish. Upper mouth buzz. Summary before finishing glass: I don’t know what to do with this. It doesn’t taste like bad juice, just underdeveloped. For seven years I was expecting more flavor, and it’s genuinely strange how blank this tastes. I honestly want to throw it back in a barrel. Could I boil it for a bit? I think I’d be interested to see what else these guys have to offer, maybe a single barrel or a 9+ year, but this small batch is just too plain to cost more than $20. I won’t buy again. Summary after finishing glass: I don’t fully understand why, but I think I like this. Initially the flavors are so muted, there’s not much to say. As you drink more and more, you start to pick out more things, and it’s mellow throughout. It’s an easy drinker, and after my 4 fingers, I’m having a good time with it. I will probably pour another. My advice: this is the exact opposite of Dickel Tobasco. For maximum pleasure, do not drink in quantities less than 3 fingers. I probably still won’t buy again, but I’m going to enjoy this bottle when the mood is right. ‘Tis the season. I don’t know if I actually have 17 more new whiskeys lined up, so if you’re reading this and there’s something readily available out there you’d like me to enjoy/suffer through this holiday season, leave it in the comments.