Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon

An impulse buy recommended by a local store. Nose: Very floral a la Wild Turkey but a background oaky nuttiness that I find pleasant. A little bit of stewed apple with hints of lemon peel. Flavor: Not as nice as the nose. Some sweetness and more floral notes but this is overpowered by young piney whiskey and everything else gets lost. Finish: Kind of long and drying with some oak and hints of barrel spices but that young piney whiskey note just lingers and kind of blots everything else out. This one has promise but without more time in barrel I'd say it's a pass for me. Shame. New whiskey makers need to determine if they want to put out product too soon and risk turning away future customers for when their bottles are released at the right age.

This is one of those bourbons that hits all of the right spots. Not exceptional but passable. Enjoyable but leaves no lasting impression. At alll. No age statement no information no lingering finish just bourbon. Solid. Memorable only in that you remember you drank it and it was nice and you felt nice . I was expecting a fraud like the actual Duke and the whole western cowboy america scene but in that I was pleasantly disappointed. It’s good. Buy it. Drink it. Nod your head in approval. Carry on with your life and gradually forget about it. It’s the only thing you can do with it.

5 YO Green River distilled… I’ll take a shot for $25. Nose is traditional … sweet, light vanilla and a touch of grain. On the taste, definitely get that spice and the grain notes come through. Finish isn’t very long. Pretty good mouth feel for an 88 proofer. Touch of cinnamon. Not too bad for $25 so OK with the buy. I’ve definitely had a lot worse.

Look: Burnt orange, lacing and heavy alcohol legs. Nose: Get a lot of rye spice and barrel. Slight sweetness but nothing specific. Fairly perfumy Palate: Pepper, rye, oak, pretty typical bourbon notes. Finish: fairly hot, some corn in the finish Overall: not really going nuts with this one. No frills bourbon.

Nose after 20 min rest; Buttery vanilla, chocolate, cherry, black pepper, bubblegum, wintergreen, anise, strawberry Taste: strong blast of pepper spice, butter and caramel, then chocolate, toffee, red hots, minty and caramel toffee finish. Moderate length. Watch for raspberry finish late

N: Light honey and fruit P: Some faint sweetness, very light, no mouthfeel F: Faint char. As if it got close to a candle at one point in its life. The La Croix of bourbon. It's as if this bottle got near bourbon and the label imparted flavor. It's not good.