McFarlane's Reserve Select Cask Strength

Wow, this is really good. I tried a sample at a tasting bar at Total wine while traveling for work in the Louisville area. The server gave me a few recommendations and this one totally stood out and for the price i grabbed one . My Bottle at 56.2% proof is special . Nose has a lemony vanilla note ( Pledge wood cleaner ,but not too chemical for distraction ) and wonderful soft oak. The flavor is a rootbeer vanilla float. Notes of crisp apricot and cherry fruits and Big Red gum flavor mixed in. Holy cow. I have 80 open bottles in my bar and i keep coming back to this bottle since i got it. If i didnt live a few hours away i would drive back and grab this $40 bottle by the case. So

54.8%. Kinda boring, not showing complexity or age. Lemon peel, vanilla pudding, heavy oak tannins but not very astringent, animal cracker, McIntosh apple, cheap butterscotch syrup & candy corn lingers. Seems more breadlike than other bourbons, maybe high wheat content. Not as sweet as a typical bourbon either. Independent bottler but no idea which Kentucky source.

This was the biggest surprise at the 2023 Birthday Boy Bourbon Tasting – which was blind. It placed 2nd. My rank was 3rd. No one had ever had this or knew much about it. But for a relatively strong whisky, you have a fairly wide array of flavors. It’s not harsh. I’ll be buying this if I ever see it.

Being cask strength the first sip is strong and spicy. This whiskey definitely needs ice or a little water diluting. The mouth feel is full body and creamy. I get notes of cereal, baking spices and cinnamon. It is just a good whiskey at its price point.

Grains nothing but grains I will try again as I bought a bottle but my opinion big time skip this get the Jim Beam or Woodford or anything else. Ugh

Way better than the basic one. Pleasant smoothveasy drinkig - feels very wheaty. A little harsh finish but not much