Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
"Frontier Whiskey"
Aged 10 Years
45.6% ABV (91.6 proof)
~$50 (sample provided)
I really enjoyed (and recommended) the basic Bulleit Bourbon, so I'm eager to taste the older stuff.
Color: light brown, slight orange tint, and very clear.
Smell: typical bourbon nose. Plenty of caramel and corn sweetness is the first thing I notice, but there's also a lot of pepper spice and some alcohol fumes. It's an interesting mix of sweet and kick, but not the most complex package.
Taste: typical bourbon delivery of caramel and corn sweetness upfront, but then there's more heft starting on the midpalate. A toasted oak flavor accompanies pepper spice as I swallow, and this continues on the medium finish. Also a bit of an alcoholic kick in the form of a pleasing warmness going down.
Overall: I am surprised to find that I actually prefer the basic Bulleit Bourbon, which is half the price. This isn't bad whiskey at all, but for me it's a B/B+ and hard to recommend at $50. With more age, I was expecting more complexity, but for me this just dials up the oak tannins and pepper spice slightly. Worth tasting, but in my opinion you're not missing much - if anything - by sticking with the baseline model.
