101
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
50.5% ABV
Approximately $20-25/bottle
Color: light gold, slight orange tint. Not cloudy.
Smell: pretty complex. For me, it's defined by a spiciness. I'm thinking of cinnamon candies and pumpernickel bread. It's also got a weird little menthol thing going on. Nice overall.
Taste: definitely in keeping with the nose. Tingly from the get-go, with that rye spiciness doing cartwheels in my mouth. Lots of cinnamon and spice, but it's not harsh at all, especially considering its proof. There is a mild sweetness upon entry, but the cinnamon/spice takes over pretty quickly. Also worth noting that it's not cinnamon as in the powder in your kitchen cabinet as much as it is cinnamon and spice in the sense of Big Red gum or Red Hots (i.e., mouth on fire and body temperature rising, resulting in sweating). Delightful nonetheless. The aftertaste for me brings back the pumpernickel again, along with a strange cooling and yet creamy mint.Overall: I like this a lot. It's not the most complex whiskey in the world, but it's a smooth sipper in its own right and a great value for cocktails. This would make one hell of a Manhattan, not to mention the obvious Julep.
