Blue Run 14 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Neat. Sample. On the nose, my first instinct was toasted marshmallow fluff. There is also chocolate and graham cracker, making a nice s’more. It goes far beyond that though. There is a medley of fruits - raspberries, blueberries and cherries. There is something brighter back there like a mango too. The longer I sit with it the brighter it becomes, strange for something so old. The oak is dense and velvety, always there but not center stage. Getting lots of spices now too, cinnamon, clove, leather. This nose is dynamic! Mouthfeel is syrupy thick, very dense and heavy on the tongue. Immense flavor immediately. Cinnamon, brown sugar, oak and tobacco. Mid-palate is all dessert - caramel, chocolate, butterscotch. The fruits come on the finish. Slight overruled banana, cherry, cream and chocolate. Long finish - mostly vanilla and that banana. This is an impressive pour. Well balanced, dynamic, delicious. It doesn’t have an all out special quality that makes it a more elite pour. I would buy this at retail if I found it but it seems to take a bit more to get it in my area. Without luck, this sample may be the only time I come across this pour.

If you like cherry notes in your bourbon, this one is for you. Well aged with the oaky tannins you'd expect in a 14 year bourbon. It's not going to smack you in the face with oak, but you know it's been in there a while. Maybe more towards brown sugar sweetness with those deep cherry notes and a nice finish that eventually gets to the vanilla range. The price of admission is high with a strong emphasis on marketing but the bourbon itself delivers on this one.

Floral, spicy, sweet palate. Nice strong spicy finish. A little water opens it up. Semi reminds of Basil Hayden, but nicer.

Very good bourbon