Hotel Tango Bravo Bourbon

I’ve been sitting on this review for awhile, and this is the second bottle I’ve been through. I really wanted to make sure this was as good as I thought it was. And it really is. To quote a wiser and far less endowed friend of mine: “It’s a one-trick pony, but I really dig the trick.” The nose is the first place the watermelon kicks in. I’ve never smelled a bourbon quite like it. It’s sweet and fresh, like I just cut into a melon. Delicious. Body has more watermelon. Mouth feel is honestly a bit buttery and grainy, but I don’t mind. Hint of leather and caramel bitterness here too, but I’d say the predominant vibe is sweet. Finish is more watermelon, and a bit of cherry. Technically not breaking my rule of thumb that all Hoosier bourbon north of Indianapolis blows, this distillery IN Indianapolis officially has my attention. I mean this: this bourbon is the best hidden gem I have ever found in the bourbon world. It’s not my favorite bourbon ever, but given the reasonably low expectations I had from an unknown entity (not to mention the fact that I can find it on every shelf in my area—looking at you, Buffalo Trace portfolio) the quality that I’ve found for about $60 will make this a permanent resident on my bourbon shelf. I genuinely don’t understand the low marks on this app. Not everyone will find this a 5/5 bourbon. I do, because that’s my way of tagging a personal favorite. But 3s? Look, if watermelon doesn’t eek you out, don’t let the score deter you. Super underrated, and a new top 10 (possibly top 5) whiskey for me.

nose is virtually nil. had to basically put my nose in the liquid. a hint of orange and melted butter. taste is bitter up front. some melted butter but a touch rancid. slight tannic note drying the palate. too much oak throughout. finish is non-existent. bitter oak fades into a tasteless oily coating. I ordered Ardbeg 10 to get the taste out of my mouth. I cannot justify $50 for a bottle. Bear Wallow is a much better Indiana Craft choice. I'll try it again in a year to see if the batches improve.

Oily with a lot of oak upfront and butterscotch tones mixed with spice and heat with a buttery but hot finish

Nose: citrus. Apple. Taste: Very smooth. Drinkable. Syrupy. Spices. Hits the top of my mouth.

Nice body. Very smooth. At this point had to detect specific flavors. But extremely smooth!

Briny and unfortunately not great for a 7yr old bourbon.... a mixer not a sipper