Cleveland Bourbon

So the bottle brags: “We don’t wait for it to slowly age in a warehouse, leaving the art to chance, the craft to fate.” They continue to say that they use science to not only make “quality whiskey faster- but better.” So out the gate, I dislike this distillery based on their philosophy. And I mean a lot. All the feelings. On to the flavors. Nose has zero astringency, and little to no smell. I find this surprising for a 100 proofer. Nose is faint and floral. Body and finish is s single shot of flavor. I get butter and sugar, no change. Very similar to white dog, if you’ve had it. Mouth feel is very tame— too tame for my tastes. Buttery feel, little heat. The lack of complexity in this bourbon is apparent. Sorry science. For value: I have mixed feelings here. As I said, I am against this distillery’s philosophy. I have lots of love for the distilleries that do it the traditional way. Now I get it, they’ve won some innovation award in Berlin or whatever. But the lack of complexity makes this whiskey conspicuously young. The “Pressure Aging” technique has not overcome that. That said, the label says: “Aged a minimum of one (1) month.” That color in that time frame... I can’t help but be somewhat impressed. And it’s only $26. So for flavor, are there other $26+ bottles on my shelf that I prefer this to? Yes. Will I ever buy another one? Unless something changes, no. Give me Buffalo Trace, done the traditional way, same price, more complexity. I’ll take that any day. Speaking of BT, one last thought: a great deal of the cost of the bottle of bourbon comes from the fact that the US government taxes the living hell out of it. AND although all bourbon is subject to the regional rates per gallon, there is a tax for aging, applied yearly. Combine that with the fact that aging reduces the quantity in the barrel, and it’s pretty easy to see why older bourbons should cost more. I include this rant here to point out to everyone that this 1 month aged whiskey costs the same on shelf as a 7-9yr aged Buffalo Trace. Personally, I would like the Cleveland distillery to tell me why.

It's the thought that counts with this one. Since I got it for playing the "organ" for a Greek Orthodox wedding in Cleveland the summer of '14, I am afraid I will always be biased towards tolerance for these good folks. A few great things come out of Cleveland - Lebron, Great Lakes Brewing, wine, Lebron returning - but this was not one of them. This sets my throat on an ether-fed fire like only a city with a burning river could do, and then sweetens the palate with tangy, oxidized pale sucrosy remorse. Props for the creativity, but whiskey is something most often best created with patience. Beyond the oxidized aging, this whiskey is hollow. Yet, simplicity may be it's redemption but for the price. The drink does open up with ice and my locals tell me that it is typically consumed this way.

Nose- Black Cherry and Alcohol Initial taste is alcohol initially but hard to nail down some oily wood I think but is all very fast and straight to the Finish- Burn baby burn with some hint of apples and cherry but mostly burnt wood and Burn. Well I am glad I tried as this is an interesting experiment that maybe with time gets better. At this point I will call it uneven and as others have said unfinished.

Not bad at all. Kind of syrupy with some smoke flavor. I had low expectations but I think it is slightly above average for my pallet. Pretty smooth with a decent finish as well. Had to mark it down 0.25 for being an Ohio bourbon...Go Blue!

This is the worst bourbon I've personally ever had. As a huge Cleveland sports fan, and local resident, I hoped for better. I almost poured it down the drain, but instead gave it to a friend who said he didnt mind it. Will never buy again.

Sad state of affairs. Paul brought it out from Ohio with hopes of technology meeting tried and true methods. They missed the mark. Nose, sweet & fruity. Taste , cheep and burn