Traverse City Whiskey Co. XXX Straight Bourbon

Incredibly smooth with a tasty, classic bourbon mouth. A great sipper, and one of the better small independent Bourbons I've ever had. I always keep a few bottles handy as this impresses all. I tried this a few years back on a wine tasting trip to Traverse City Mi. Upon drinking some outstanding wine I ended up at the traverse city whiskey co, to grab a quick bite to eat and try something besides wine. So glad I stopped by and tried this gem, the cherry whiskey is pretty tasty as well. I instantly had to buy a bottle. This bourbon is the king of smooth. Thankfully I only get a faint taste of rye spice in the initial sip, the rye does linger through each sip though. On initial sip I get a balanced mouth of caramel, toast, vanilla, honey and butterscotch. At first it ends with a long, smooth finish with some slight heat on the way down. After a few sips It ends with a medium length, layered, clean finish. I was simply amazed how well this bourbon was blended at this small whiskey co. Truly a beautiful representation of what a modern Bourbon is and should be.

After the initial punch of ethanol, this bourbon provides a Triple C nose of corn, cedar, and citrus that is pleasant but neither complex nor intriguing. The sip is sweet up front with a crisp, dry mouthfeel that gives just enough of a smooth, oily texture to show that a couple more years in the barrel would make something really special. On the way down, a punch of spice in the back of the throat leads to a smooth, moderate finish with vanilla, caramel, and oak. Go back in for another smell and find raisin, molasses, and apple. It's Michigan autumn in a glass. This bourbon definitely belongs in the category of sipping whiskey but is perhaps only just on the other side of the line from being a cocktail mixer. Overall, a balanced and easy bourbon from a young distillery with a lot of promise.

Nose: fresh, bright, cool. I’m not really getting mint or menthol, but it’s a similar cooling nose you get with high rye bourbons. Youthful ethanol. Baking spices. Grass mixed with cornmeal. Slight honey and caramel are subtle notes underneath everything else. Palate: sweet corn with fresh dill. Charred oak. Development presents youthful ethanol heat, black pepper, and rye spice. Finish is fairly short with oak then fleeting mint oil

Aroma is a standard bourbon that comes through shockingly mature with a nice sense of oak and dark sweetness and a biscuity note that slowly grows as it opens; Palate is a bit brighter than the aroma and brings in some notes of copper and a light fruitiness that I don’t hate – the youth shows here, but not in a foul crafty way; Finish starts dark and oaky but fades out to this interesting spicy-fruity note that’s oddly enjoyable.

Had more going on on the nose than the palate, but the palate started catching up the longer I sat with it and over all ended up being quite nice. The northern cold weather seems to have more influence than the summer heat… had a depth of cherry and cola more so than oak tannin (which was minimal). The rye comes through as a light accent, surprising considering it was 25% of the mash bill.

To me this is classic bourbon, easy to sip, not going to punch your lights out, just right over home plate with vanilla, caramel, and brown sugars. Although I will say for my taste it is lacking a few things. I would like to see a higher proof maybe 100, a bit more of an oily texture she drinks a touch thin. All in all #DAD would be proud