Horse Soldier Reserve Barrel Strength Bourbon

If you are reading this before you try the Bourbon. Do Not add water!! Bottle notes 120 proof. Lots of oak in the Aroma with some cedar notes, young corn and a moment of butter, cooking cinnamon and sugar and butter in fact. Cherry appears as well. Caramel popcorn, that's what the Aroma is.. Yep. Burst of sweetness, heat from the abv and a hit of spice mid palate. Finish is fruity with oak notes and spice and pepper in the finish. BTW, nice finish. Very oily & rich mouth feel. Lays on your tongue for a good while. Some cherry notes down deep. Hard candy with spice finish lasts nicely Few drops of water muted the Aroma vs helped. The flavor now has some menthol notes, more spice and mutes the other flavor. Pine note? It's official, DO NOT add water. (I'll score on pre-water flavor) all wood forward now. Abv heat accentuated as well. One of the worst water additions ever. Have I mentioned you should NOT add water? Yikes

Nose is light and sweet with surprisingly no ethanol burn despite the proof. Palate is thin with sweet notes mixed with light wood finishing with a bit of caramel. Not a bad pour, but disappointing given that I expected more from it. Blind I would score it slightly higher, but it's dragged down due to price leading to higher expectations. I've seen some reviews absolutely killing this bottle. While I don't think it's anywhere near worth the cost, it's not a terrible pour. For the price I'd expect something more complex. But it is what it is. Of the lineup my preference was premium >> reserve >> signature. Strange how the "entry level" offering was the best and most complex of the lot.

My bottle of Horse Soldier Reserve Barrel Strenght was a 117.2 proof, so a little higher than their standard. It is a very rich, smooth, unchilled filtered whisky that brings a lot of sugar notes in it. On the nose there’s a lot of caramel, vanilla and anise or ginger to it. I also felt a fig jam coming. The palate comes with strong notes of butterscotch, a spicy bite and the sweetness lingers for a while. Caramel and vanilla will last a bit longer. Great bourbon! Cheers!

Scent: Strong smoke, slightly sweet, and has a slight ethanol burn on the nose. Taste: Suprisingly smooth, considering the aroma of ethanol on the nose. Sharp notes of spice to start and hint of sweetness and warm notes to finish. Value: For many, the higher price may turn them away. It is slightly underwhelming for the price as well. I would definitely recommend trying at least once before purchasing a full bottle.

Neat. Sample. Last time I tried this I was not impressed. Time to see if this second sample is any different. On the nose, bit hot with alcohol. Nail polish and Playdoh. It’s not off putting. Vanilla frosting. Just not a nose I enjoy. Geez, nail polish again on the tongue. Fresh cut grass. Caramel apple, but the apple isn’t ripe. Just not a fan of this one.

Abundant chocolate, cherries and vanilla. Sweet and creamy like Cherry Bordeaux ice cream. Next wave comes with a heavy yet smooth dose of spicy oak. The tannins and barrel spices are most prevalent on the mid-palate. Runs hot on the finish with a subtle burnt sugar quality. Not overly complex but what it does, it does well.