Single Barrel
Aged 12 years
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Barrel Number 588, Bottled 1/15
49.5% ABV (99 proof)
~$40 (sample provided)
Color: medium brown, nectarine tint
Smell: lovely. This reminds me a lot of Blanton's, except on steroids - tons of honeyed sweetness, and dialed way down on the spice. Despite 12 years in oak, this doesn't present with a lot of overt woodiness. There is vanilla, caramel, and honey in spades - very approachable and sweet.
Taste: lovely. Very in keeping with the nose: soft, layered, and creamy sweetness. The age seems to hide the corn influence altogether...there are instead waves of honey, caramel, and vanilla in sweet, sweet harmony. Some bourbons have lots of cinnamon spice, racy oak, and tobacco notes; this has a bunch of balanced sweetness. There is a little bit of toasty oak on the midpalate transition, but this quickly dissipates back into caramel cream candies on the medium/short finish.Overall: this is great stuff, very solid B+/A-, and highly recommended. Keep in mind the style of whiskey you enjoy when considering your purchase, however. This isn't overly complex bourbon; it's delicious, but it's fresh and sweet, not racy and oaky. Again, I'd put it into the same stylistic category as Blanton's or Evan Williams Single Barrel. BTW, I just quickly head-to-headed this versus Blanton's for reference, and I prefer Ezra B. If you can find it, snatch it up - it's a great value, to boot!
