Hayner Straight Bourbon

Neat. Opened one week. My Aunt and Uncle gave me this because they know how much I am into whiskey. To be frank, when they told me it was from a new distillery in Troy OH, my anticipation wasn’t exactly high. I was thinking it was going to be 2 year craft. Nope. It’s frickin’ Bardstown and a Fusion like blend of 3, 4 and 13 year old bourbons. Hot damn what a surprise and what a fun gift! Opened it on the Fourth of July and was excited to try it again. The nose is very flavorful. Walnuts and vanilla are the leading flavors for me. There is a buttered cinnamon toast as well. Very breakfast-y if that makes sense. Hint of espresso. There is a salty brine too. There is this hint of fruit too, I want to say mango. Some fun layers to this, honestly a better impression than the last Fusion batch I had. The mouthfeel is surprisingly oil but the flavors feel watered down on first approach. Some faint caramel and oak but not much else initially. Mid palate it is all nuttiness and chocolate, creamy vanilla on the finish. Mango on the finish as well. Got a nice, but subtle salted caramel on subsequent sips. It’s an easy sipper with some good character. The proof limits it a bit for my preference but if it were a hot summer afternoon, this could hit the spot. If you are around Troy OH, grab a bottle of this.

On the nose it’s earthy with wheat and rye. On the tongue the wheat and rye are still there but cinnamon joins in. Finish has some bite due to the rye and cinnamon but is still smooth overall.

Not good at picking out individual flavors, but this was smooth and warming. Not top shelf for sure, but not below 2 stars. A little pricey @$55 but wanted ro try. Not disappointed.