2XO The Innkeepers Blend

This is 4th pour in glencairn neat. Bottle been open about week and a half. Nose - subtle, has opened up as its sat. Main things pick up on are vanilla, butterscotch, and smokiness/barrel char. There’s some baking spice lingering in there. Little bit of citrus. Palate - this has been a ride. Sweet, savory, and spicy. This i imagine will drink hotter than 104 proof for a lot of people. Starts off sweet with vanilla, dont get so much butterscotch, but more crème brûlée with marshmallow, cherry coke, and citrus. At times even get a little bit of chocolate and nutiness. On my second pour even had a sweet bbq flavor. There are some underlying earthy tones not bad and not overpowering, but there. The mid palate goes to a spice bomb, legitimately pepper spice, cinnamon, hint of anise. After about the 4th sip that spiciness tames down a little bit. Finish - moderate if not long. This hits several taste points. Definitely pick up on the high rye get citrus and mint, leather, and more of a sweet oak, pepper still hangs around. For me a bourbon that is complex and still tastes good is my jam. Each pour of this 2XO has been unique and even changes as you drink it. I don’t know if this will appeal to every bourbon drinker, but I personally think this bottle is fantastic. I love the spice, love the back and forth sweet and spicy. The road block on this one might be price, its a non aged stated from undisclosed sources, at least we know they’re Kentucky. One is a high rye bourbon the other a low rye. Usually with these blends I have an idea this one is a bit of a stumper. For the high rye bourbon was leaning towards maybe Four Roses and any time I get any type of nutiness I think Heaven Hill or Jim Beam. I did also have something from upstart IJW that had a little bit of nutiness and spice to it. For the age range I’d guess this is probably in the 6-10yr range with the 2nd barreling included. I would 100% buy again and probably will.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Toffee and caramel. Maybe some marshmallow. Sweet. Palate: Strong clove and baking spice. Very strong spice. Finish: Heat fades quickly, but some lingers for a while. Splash: A few drops calm the spiciness, allowing some of the flavors from the nose to return. Overall: 7/10 - This would probably be good on the rocks, but the price makes that a hard sell. Received a sample as a gift.

Dark aromatic penumbra on the nose with an intense woodiness. On the palate, things are very tight and intricately interwoven with an almost chewy mouthfeel. Loads of lively baking spices add vivaciousness to the affair with a lot of bright, high notes dancing on the tongue. The body is medium-heavy with a lot of wood towards the backof the mouth. Everything fades with a quite long finish ending on a note of cinnamon toast. A real pleasure.

I can’t believe I am drinking the same whiskey as Stephanie the reviewer. I get lots of cinnamon throughout. I find one dram is just right at a time. Has a similar taste profile as EH Taylor Small Batch, but more cinnamon and not quite as refined. T

Very sweet with vanilla flavor dominating the taste. Good thickness with the flavor lingering. A tad bit hot but it is 104 proof.

Spicy from the high rye mash bill. Solid pour, but my least favorite among the series.