Pursuit United Blended Bourbon

I was skeptical about this one but thanks to some glowing reviews I thought I would gamble on this blend of young Bardstown Bourbon Co and NY + TN in the mix. At $60 I have high expectations, knowing I can get tried and true Russel’s Reserve or OF 1920 for the same price. Make me a believer you (fellow) bourbon nerds… The nose is warm and rich. Initially it had a mixture of what I think of as Beam and Heaven Hill nutty and fruity/woody qualities. With time there is more brown sugar, gram cracker, big cinnamon and nutmeg as well as orange pee and black walnut. Might be some cardamom in there as well. Oh, and heat. Unadulterated, nose hair-scorching heat. Not that it’s a bad thing, just a little intimidating. Viscous with a nice building heat. Sweet and spicy with supporting wood and nutty notes. Solid heat in the chest. We’re in Knob Creek territory here on heat and brown sugar. As the finish goes on, and on… some chalky notes come about. I enjoy them (however the anti “Flinstones vitamins” crowd could be turned off). The black walnut and orange peel bitters are the last to go. Second sip. More vanilla frosting this go and then an absolute blast of spice. Smooth this is not. Big this is. More complex than KC or Bookers but just as hot. There is a strong Dickel influence in the mid palate and finish but I dig that. For the price I’m really quite pleased and would almost put this on par with Rare Breed 116 for price, complexity and heat. If, however, you hate Dickel then perhaps this won’t be your jam. I really don’t know what I’m supposed to be getting from the NY sourced whiskey but whatever it contributes works in the final blend. As far as the Bardstown Co goes there is no hint of youth to this blend (like I get with Bardstown’s first fusion series) Hats off Pursuit team! Excellent blend and makes me wonder what I could pull off at home.

Batch 7CC Nose is Caramel and Maple syrup which is a great start. Then thing develop into peaches and toasted oak. Taking a deep breathe in a hint of spice and baking spice come through. The palate has more of the sweet, burnt caramel and candied nuts. You quickly get hit with the spice that came at the end of the nose. Later it turns more dry and bitter but not off-putting, more like a black tea. After taking a few sips and then taking in some air, you start to get more hints of citrus and peaches. The finish does linger with the tea, spice and fruit flavors. Definitively a great bourbon all the way through. Nothing is crazy amazing, but everything is just slightly above average that makes this a pretty memorable sip.

Overall: I had high expectations for this one. A $70 price point, and some really glowing reviews had me thinking this was gonna be worth a splurge. Being a frugal man, I cant help but feel a little underwhelmed by the value. It is one dimensional as I work through the glass, and while that one dimension is good, I prefer something that morphs more. Nose: Cherry, and honey. The grains of the bourbon are there, but subtle. Flavor: Dark fruits. Dried dates in a delicous syrup infused with almonds. The mouthfeel is full and hangs around. Finish: Medium long. The syrup really carries through along with fair amount of spice.

Appearance- medium amber legs for days should be a bit oily. Nose- light caramel, root beer/cherry cola, vanilla,some sweet tobacco. A bubblegum minty herbalness. A lot going on here. Palate- Sweet juicyfruit cherry vanilla up front. followed by spicy(rye) cola. Some nice wood notes in the mid. Ending with a banana nut bread/ sugared pecan finish. Overall- I could smell this all day. Beautiful. The flavors are delicate, and pleasing. There may be a few flavors clashing at times but this is a bit of a ride. Definitely can pick out each mashbill at different times. Finish is medium. A tad strange.

On the nose there is a wonderfully rich and balanced blend of dried fruits, nuts dipped in honey and wrapped with leather with a sprinkle of allspice and nutmeg. On the palate there is a pleasantly surprising burst of herbal rye and spice notes that jump out immediately. Towards the back of the mouth you get some vanilla and butterscotch. The finish lingers nicely, but the overall mouthfeel is more watery and not as rich as the nose promises. This is definitely a unique profile that hits most of the time and will be looking forward to coming back to this one soon.

Tons of smooth creamy butterscotch at the front. A bit of spiced apple and caramel in the middle. Then interesting, lightly Jasmine note, and then middle of the finish. But I really keep coming back to that initial suite smooth and creamy, with a hint of vanilla, butterscotch at the beginning.