Burnside Oregon Oaked Small Batch Bourbon

As an Oregon resident, I wanted to start a collection of Oregon based bourbons and whiskeys. This Portland spirit was seventh in "trying them all."I will talk about those at another time. Burnside is a major avenue that runs through Portland. Years ago, (and may still be) the street was the area where the down and outer's slept on the sidewalks,doorways and alleys. When I was young...it was called "skid row" There is also a major bridge crossing the Willamette River by the same name. I don't know if this spirit is a tribute to the folks who lived on the street of just the bridge. The bottle's label is a teal color with a reddish 1920s font, (decent for saving) with a nice wood stopper. The taste,( I'm a novice... so don't put too much into this), was better then some young bourbons I've tasted. The first sip seemed wheated and a slightly oak prominence. The best I can offer at this time is: This spirit would be a fair addition to anyone collecting bourbon from other states. The price was, a few dollars over what I would pay for a daily sipper (I usually drink alone), but...to share with others...This bottle would be a good conversation bottle. I hope this helps.

Burnside bourbon is made by East Side Distilling in Portland, Oregon. It’s named after Burnside street which separates north and south Portland and runs the length of the city. I had a chance to try this garryana-finished small batch at the Rose Festival during a recent trip. (Garryana is Oregon White Oak) As a former OR resident, I love exploring OR spirits and this impressed me. On the nose, I get cinnamon & sugar toast, caramel, tangerine and whiffs of oak. It’s much softer and smoother on the palate than I was expecting. They don’t give an age but on their site they say it’s a mix of straight bourbon and whiskies ranging in age and mashbill. Whatever the combo is, it works. I get rich butterscotch and caramel, orange, cooked down raspberries, and that beautiful OR oak hangs softly on the tongue. I just heard they just released a 10 year old (that juice is sourced and finished in the same Oregon oak) - I’ll definitely be checking that out.

Blind tasted alongside the Burnside West End. This one has far less alcohol on the nose even though it is higher in alcohol content. Definitely smoother and more refined than the West End. I would choose to drink this neat over the Orange Label. Slight oily mouthfeel. A bit sweet. A hint of the blackberry and raspberry candies. A great value at $33.

Simple nose with butterscotch and maybe some caramel. Palate is thin without much going on. There’s oak and more butterscotch. An overpriced light boring bourbon with no bad flavor notes.

Every day drink with a pleasant twist. Typical notes of butterscotch, red fruit and toast with a spicy punch. Good representation of a blended whiskey.

Certainly good, so don’t let the 3.75 fool you, but a bit harsher than preferred