Over the last couple months I had heard there was a re-release of this spirit, but it didn’t seem like it was going to be in Canada.. much to my delight I found a bottle and had to give it a try. The nose is right down the middle of bourbon territory with corn, cherry, caramel and a little nuttiness. Familiar but delicious nonetheless. The palate is where the namesake really comes to light. The first sip explodes with more grain, leather and tobacco with just the slightest bit of sweetness. And when I say explode I mean it literally.. the flavours are jagged shards that are rough and unbalanced. Maybe it’s the marketing, but if I close my eyes I can picture myself drinking this from a communal wash basin behind an old brothel, hiding from the coppers in 1926. The #4 char shows up in the finish, as the rough and tumble palate gives way to some dry and bitter barrel notes. The decent proof does make it stay medium long which is nice as well. This is an absolute guilty pleasure bourbon. There are so many that are better, but after a long day at work sometimes you just want something unapologetic and unrefined.