Traveller Whiskey

I know what you’re wondering… Which force of nature is more potent: the raw talent of Harlen Wheatley or the fact that celebrity whiskeys always suck? One is the master distiller at Buffalo Trace and blender of this bottle, and I’m pretty sure that the other is the 4th law of thermodynamics. Nose is grain, cedar. Bit of lemon. Body is oats. Brine. Bit of tangerine if you look. Finish is peanut shells. Brine continues. Salt? There is an alarming perfume note on your first breath. I mean that. It freaked me out at first. One does not simply make a good celebrity whiskey. Not with ten thousand master distillers could you do this. It is folly. At its core, it is a high-end mediocre whiskey. I’ve grown to like this more and more over the course of the bottle, but it’s not special. A bit of interest in some places, very rough elsewhere. Harlen put up a good fight, but celebrities… The award for most disappointing celebrity whiskey remains in the possession of Matthew McConaughey.

Tasting neat. Light brown copper color and average coating legs in the glass. Nose is light: grain, caramel, and stone fruit with a little vanilla oak in the background. Caramel corn, cherry, tannic oak, and leather in the mouth. Rich mouth-coating feel and little ethanol. Bright rather than bold flavors. Grassy rye, pepper, and mint come on as we head to the finish, which is sweet, spicy, and long. Clean dry finish, not sour, which surprised me given the distinct cherry notes. Great mouth feel--oily and mint tingle on the lips. Maybe not the most complex bourbon, but hits the classic high notes with no real flaws. Well made and blended. I'm not attracted by the Country Music artist associated with it, but by the blending of whiskies from a top distillery and master. Maybe a little pricy at $40, but sips well and at 45 ABV should hold up well in a cocktail. I like the look/shape of the bottle and labeling also.

Tasting Notes: Vanilla sweetness, with a touch of oak. Followed by spice. A little water opens it up slightly. I purchased this bottle with the thought that it contained Buffalo Trace Whiskey. Imagine my surprise to learn that it is a Barton distillery, along with Sazerac's Canadian Ryes, that form the blend. In my view, the Barton distillate is not as good as the Buffalo Trace distillate. The phrase "Proudly Blended and Bottled by Buffalo Trace Distillery" is not technically wrong, but it is misleading. I was expecting Buffalo Trace whiskey. If a good whiskey is like a good song, this whiskey is a little off-key. It is not offensive and works best as part of a mixer, but there are other bourbons at the same price point that I like better when drinking neat: Tincup ($24), Jim Beam Black ($29), Buffalo Trace ($34), Bernheim Original ($34), and Maker's Mark ($33). I don't plan on purchasing this one again.

The nose drops aromas of hard butterscotch candies with a hint of astringency. The Palate has a caramel/butterscotch sweetness on the front end which only lasts a couple seconds until it transitions to cinnamon and mint on the back end. As the Palate works into this spicy conclusion, it then bleeds into a medium acidic Finish with orange peel and leather biting the tongue for 15-20 seconds.

Nose is rather malty and barley-forward — almost like a scotch. Hint of chocolate. Palate is a bit thin and not all that interesting, to be honest, but I wouldn’t call it bad. Finish has an unusual bitter note I’m not much of a fan of. I’m not super keen on this, but it’s not offensive. Just not super flavorful or intriguing.

N- leather, sharpie marker, black cherry. P- harsh alchohol, twizzlers cherry, mild oak. Finish is dry rotten apple, Overall- harsh, has some sweetness in the mix but the flavors are all on fire from a super hot/dry start/mid, finishes with sour fruits. Hope it tastes great in cola....