Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Aged 7 years
53.5% ABV (107 proof)
~$45 (sample provided)
Color: medium/dark brown with red tinge. Note that it looks really dark red in the bottle, but the black label and black wax top seem to be influencing that somewhat.
Smell: very traditional bourbon smell, albeit it on the racy side of things. Vanilla and caramel sweetness with a backbone of barrel char and Red Hots cinnamon candy.
Taste: all about the vanilla and caramel upon entry. Smooth mouthfeel with a lot of rich sweetness. The transition and finish is where the cinnamon and oak come into play. Upon swallowing, there's a unique and almost creamy latex element...weird, but that's what I thought of. Plenty of cheek-stinging cinnamon candy flavors after swallowing, and then there's some pure oakiness (barrel char) on the aftertaste.Overall: really solid bourbon that hits all of the classic notes. If you like bourbon, you will like Baker's. My only criticism is that the oak plays a little too big of a role for my palate. Nowhere close to as oaky as its brother (Booker's), but the finish in particular is predominantly oaky, and it throws everything slightly out of balance for me. Recommended, but take your preferences into consideration.
