Beyond Distilling Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskey

Nose is caramel, brown sugar and ethanol. Extra time in the glass doesn’t appreciably change the heat. Palate is sweet, spicy, and hot, starting with a hit of vanilla, rich caramel, and (briefly) plantains, before quickly moving to green peppercorns and finishing with dry, bitter, oak. Alcohol burn is present from start to finish. A generous splash of water barely tames the heat, but does take the richness away from the caramel. Overall, not a good tradeoff. The whisky is obviously young, and has a lot of potential if it could spend another couple years in a cask. This was a whim purchase because this TW has a great history with their barrel picks, and I’m a sucker for a new distiller from somehwere that I once lived. Try it in a bar, but wait for a BiB or a longer age-stated offering before buying a bottle.