Devils River Barrel Strength Bourbon

Nose: Weak for a "barrel strength", if I didn't know better would say this might be White Label Beam or Green Label Evan, maybe just a bit more than that but certainly not much. This really reminded me of some of the young bourbons I've tried from some local distilleries. No real age or sign of craftsmanship. Stuff made with the best intentions yet rendered nearly undrinkable by any standard of what constitutes "good whiskey", probably severely under aged and green and with little redeeming qualities. Even though this stuff is priced considerably lower than the average boutique brand, it STILL cannot deliver and thus you would be advised to just grab a bottle of Old Charter, Old Grandad or Ancient Age in it's stead. If you somehow wind up with a bottle of this, just stash it away for that inevitable "company" drinker who is just going to slosh coke and sour mix in it anyway. Two dogs in a row for me and I promise the next review will be something worthy of your time.

So first off this is a barrel proof for $35, so I won’t complain too much. This is honestly some real bang for your buck. It’s clearly young, but fortunately it does have a good flavor. It’s sweet, and has notes of hay, cherry, and a wood I can’t place right now. To me it honestly tastes like quail hunting in the Texas Hill Country. If this whiskey is priced around $35usd near you, I’d recommend giving it a buy.

Since I got Covid my taste for sweetness has been incredibly heightened and I’m enjoying this whiskey probably more than I should. It’s holding up to ice very well (as it should). I maintain that you should not miss on this whiskey for the price point.

Its hard to imagine something worse than this. The liquor store owner warned me when I was about to check out. I though how bad can it be? Very bad it turns out. Steer clear of this one.

Nose: Vanilla and spicy Taste: slightly oiley, buttery vanilla taste. Sweet, spicy finish. Great sipping whiskey, I wouldn’t mix, would taste good with a couple cubes of ice as well.

Kicks like a mule the first few sips but once your mouth adjusts, it's got some amazing caramel and vanilla notes, followed by a semi smooth, very warm finish.