51.5% ABV; No Age Statement; $25
The nose is nice with classic bourbon notes - sweet vanilla/caramel wood sugars and some dried fruits. Spice is the dominant note in the front palate. Not having a lot of experience with Wild Turkey it’s a different kind of spice than I am used to. It’s not a pickled dill rye like MGPI nor is it like the mint/cinnamon of Four Roses. It’s a bit more polished, sweet, and subtle but still very forward. The finish starts with a spike of bitter barrel char and then some hot sharp spice. Once that subsides more pleasant flavors come in full and thick. It has lots of body and I suspect that is the 101 proof talking. The finish is so thick and sweet it reminds me of a nice warm chunky chocolate cookie. Intermingled in the finish are some nice dried fruity flavors like apricots from the nose that come lingering back. I have to say the finish is the best part of this one.
Thoughts: For the money I feel it’s very respectable. In this price range I’d reach for OWA 107 first but this is a solid whiskey. I did have a few ups and downs with this bottle which has lowered my opinion of it slightly. Most days I would visit it and think it’s good. A couple of days though it just didn’t sit well with me. The bitter barrel char could be a little overbearing at times. Even on those bad days though I found you can’t go wrong with this one as a mixer. It has plenty of umph in the proof and enough bite with spice to make for a good classic cocktail. I found it’s a quite a bit sweeter in a cocktail than I get from my usual Rittenhouse base which was a nice change of pace.
Rating: B-
No comments:
Post a Comment