86 proof (43% ABV) Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Aroma: Pleasant aroma - the smell of sweetness and corn
First sip: Taken neat at room temperature. I give the first sip a good swishing (the Kentucky chew) to cover all parts of the mouth. A little heat on the tip of the tongue and roof of the mouth. A normal mouth feel for bourbon - neither thick nor watery. No throat burn when swallowing. Flavor a little sweet, but not complex. Hint of rubbing alcohol in the taste. Leaves my gums feeling warm.
Second sip: The second sip can reveal more about the flavor. Often the first sip is dominated by the heat of the alcohol. The first sip allows you to become accustomed to this heat and it is not as noticeable in the second and subsequent sips. A larger sip - still some alcohol heat. Flavor is not great, certainly not a deep or complex flavor. Still a little bit of rubbing alcohol underlies the taste. This is not a 'sipping' whiskey.
Third+ sips: Now on the rocks - in a glass with a few ice cubes. Picking up a hint of caramel in the aroma. But now the flavor seems just unpleasant. A little heat at the back of the palate. I'm getting some of the flavor that I don't like in scotch whisky - perhaps a something like a smokey or burnt flavor. The malted barley used to make scotch is dried over a peat fire and takes on some flavor from the peat smoke. Many people love that smokey flavor, but I don't, and Old Forester has some of it. If you want a bourbon with a touch of sweetness, a little smoke, and a bit of rubbing alcohol then this is the bourbon for you. It's not for me though.
Recommendation: Pass on this one. It's not a sipping whisky, and there are better tasting, low-cost whiskies for mixing.
No comments:
Post a Comment