James E. Pepper 1776 Straight Bourbon (100 Proof) Brown Label

A rich, darkly sweet nose is balanced with plenty of spice and some punchy ethanol. Molasses, dark cherries in syrup, chocolate, white pepper, baking spices, bay leaf, dried mint, charred oak, and vanilla buttercream all combine for a truly pleasing aroma. The palate is initially bittersweet, with an almost sour note, and really brings the “Pepper” with notes of cracked peppercorns and cayenne alike. The bitterness quickly fades and brown sugar, crème de menthe, and cherry vanilla cola take over while the heat remains. The mouthfeel is satiny and full. The whiskey clings to the glass tenaciously, forming a skirt that beads fairly quickly but bleeds slowly. While tears drop and thin yet uniform legs appear, it holds the line nearly perfectly unbroken like stalwart soldiers. The finish shows a bit of orange peel, mild oak, more vanilla, subtle lingering herbal notes, cigar papers, some pomegranate, rose petal, and a little toasted coconut. Great straight or over ice. Nose: 10 Taste: 8 Body: 9 Finish: 9

Honey and floral on the nose. Oak and leather with a continued light floral. Decent burn throughout. The finish has a nice linger with a char and the slightest hint of Roses. Ice cube doesn’t change anything. Not bad for the price.

Picked this up for about $25. Punches above it’s weight. Some heat on the nose, with a blend of old spice and RC cola. Taste of Vanilla Coke and nice pleasant burn at the end.

Not super complex but the mouth feel being un filtered is great. The word smooth is overused but any heat on this doesn’t show itself till way past the chest.

Smooth for its abv. Very strong rye notes in the finish, but still sweet and smooth to start. A solid rye centric bourbon.

Great sweet flavor but a really harsh finish. Honestly if it was aged longer it might mellow out into something amazing.