Calumet Farm 16 Year Single Rack Black Bourbon (Citation)

I was excited when I found this for $139 at TW. Many strong reviews here hopes were high as this was 3rd most I ever spent on a bourbon(Cowboy/Balmo higher).The nose on this is wonderful with smoky vanilla, overcooked caramel and a bouquet of sweet seasoned antique wood. I would surmise this is what walking down the staircase on the Titanic smelled like. A drop of water can coax out a hint of grassy dill from the rye content. The mouthfeel is thinner than expected leading palate of rich baking spice and scorched caramel with some vanilla coconut milk. Then it hits you....the oak. This is an oak bomb crashing down on you like Lucille on poor Glen. Some cinnamon and stacks of old newspaper settle in there at some point too but the barrel keeps on rolling. Finish is of course massive oak fade with a nice buttermilk surround and some lingering smoky caramel. If you enjoy STRONG oak influence in your bourbon do not pass go just buy it now. I feel a bit overwhelmed by it but really like some parts of the experience. I let this breathe for a while after I opened before review to see if it would mellow and it did a smidge. There is no denying the quality here and overall refinement. If that pushes your buttons you will probably love this. Im realizing I prefer younger heavy flavor bomb bourbons aka Cowboy/Bookers/1920(or do I). Still I cannot give this too low a score as I have enjoyed my bottle and appreciate what it offers but at $150ish probably wouldnt rebuy.......88/100......YMWV

Whoa, lots going on in the nose; banana bread, light citrus, vanilla, custard, celery (wtf?), bubblegum, nutmeg, and a heavy but sweet oak. Can’t say ethanol is non-existent, but it’s very mild. Mouth watering. On the palate, let’s say you better like oak because it’s the star of the show here. Sweet and soft, the oak is balanced well with caramel, vanilla, baking spices, and pistachio. Flavors are punchy. Not the most complex bourbon, but what’s here presents extremely well. Finish offers a hint of anise, clove, cinnamon, and more of that sweet oak present in the nose and palate. Medium bodied mouthfeel is soft and caresses the tongue. I saw people singing its praises and decided to pull the trigger and I am glad I did as this offers an increasingly more rare experience of high aged bourbon. At $150, the price is pretty obscene so I can’t see myself rebuying it anytime soon but it is indeed a damn good whiskey.

Nose: smells sweet, dark cherry with vanilla, there’s a whiff of a cherry pie but with like brown sugar or something. Then there’s also this tobacco note too, man, it’s a good nose! Pallet: does not disappoint, tobacco, sweet oak, dark caramel, aged vanilla, cherry, chocolate. It’s good, the mouth feel is good not crazy but good. Sweetness is great, not too sweet but definitely there with some spice mid to back pallet. Finish: good and long, I almost feel like I just smoked a pipe. That tobacco/smoke and oak is there and really good and balanced with vanilla and baking spice.

Up front, I bought this for $70, much lower than retail, so I'm sure my enjoyment of this is colored by the lower price of entry than most. Drop an antique wood chair into a bass-o-matic, along with overcooked caramel, vanilla, cherry, pinch of citrus, cinnamon, and cacao nibs. Some might say this is over-oaked, but I think it's just short of too much oak. I'm not drinking much bourbon lately, but this is lovely and I wish I could've gotten several bottles at the price.

3.5 stars - Very good, 750 ml bottle What is the difference between a good whiskey and a great whiskey? This whiskey is very similar to Remus Repeal Batch II, a total oak and cherry bomb. It is very good, clearly old, and unique. But is it legendary? I feel this is a two note wonder, but I need at least three or four major notes to be complex enough to climb into “great” territory. At half the age, I would give the advantage to Bookers for that reason.

It's not often I say I'm pleasantly surprised by a $150 bottle of bourbon. These have been fairy good but unspectacular in the past. The nose is the star here. Salty and sweet caramel and floral at the same time. The palate brings the salty caramel and adds cocoa bitters. The finish is the week link. Heat lingers but not much flavor impression, slightly piney. I'm not saying this is a top notch whiskey but it is better than it's predicessors.