Bourbon Reviews

Delicate, richly sweet. Caramel, cherry, roasted cacao nib, narcissus, a hint of cumin in aroma and cup. Mild, rounded acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. The short but resonant finish consolidates to cocoa and spice tones.

Crisply sweet, spice-toned. Red currant, black peppercorn, magnolia, dark chocolate, grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Round, gentle acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates to cocoa-toned florals and spice notes redolent of black peppercorn.

Sweetly tart, spice-toned. Violet, thyme, honey, hazelnut, cedar in aroma and cup. Juicy, balanced acidity; delicate, silky-smooth mouthfeel. The gently drying finish consolidates to violet and hazelnut in the short with suggestions of rich, aromatic cedar in the long.

Delicate, crisply sweet. Violet candy, hazelnut butter, lemon verbena, molasses, cedar in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy acidity; lightly silky mouthfeel. The quiet finish settles to notes of lemon verbena and molasses.

Deeply sweet, quietly rich. Cashew, butterscotch, oak, freesia-like flowers, grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Round, gentle acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. The crisply dry finish is balanced, resonant and sweetly nut-toned.

Abundantly sweet, deeply rich and savory. Dried apricot, lime zest, nougat, lavender, thyme in aroma and cup. Round, fruit-toned acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish is characterized by savory herb notes, nougat and hints of piquant citrus zest.

Richly sweet, deeply savory. Lime zest, white peppercorn, milk chocolate, sandalwood, dried coconut in aroma and cup. Lively, lyrical acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish is laden with all the notes promised by both aroma and flavor, though the lime zest softens to lime blossom as the finish lengthens and turns resonantly floral.

Delicate; crisply sweet-savory. Lemon blossom, roasted cacao nib, pink peppercorn, fresh fennel, plum in aroma and cup. Brisk, sweet-tart acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The quiet finish consolidates to cocoa-toned citrus notes in the short with suggestions of fresh fennel in the long.

Deeply sweet, invitingly structured. Baker’s chocolate, cedar, brown sugar, pungent berry, bittersweet, bergamot-like citrus in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-tart acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The finish rounds and consolidates around baker’s chocolate and brown sugar.

Delicate, sweet-toned, subtly complex. Rhododendron, date, graham cracker, pink peppercorn, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy, citrus-like acidity; lightly satiny mouthfeel. The gently drying finish consolidates around notes of date and graham cracker in the short, with suggestions of spicy floral tones (pink peppercorn) in the long.

Sweetly and richly enticing. Baker’s chocolate, Graham cracker, dried cranberry, orange blossom, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Crisp, balanced acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The richly drying finish consolidates to baker’s chocolate in the short finish, with aromatic wood notes resurfacing in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Of three reviewers, Ken (93) was most supportive of this crisply chocolaty, silky-bodied espresso, citing its balanced range of baker’s chocolate, flowers and fruit. Jen Apodaca’s (92) descriptors overlapped Ken’s. For John DiRuocco (89), however, the sample was “a bit bipolar,” lacking coherence, although he praised the baker’s chocolate and pleasing mouthfeel. Everyone liked this one in three-parts milk, which help the chocolate sweeten and blossom.

Sweetly fruit-forward. Raspberry, baker’s chocolate, brandy, narcissus-like flowers, cashew in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart acidity; Smooth, lightly velvety mouthfeel. The richly drying finish consolidates to dried raspberry and brandy in the short, baker’s chocolate in the long.

Sweetly and richly pungent. Violet, peach, almond butter, baker’s chocolate, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Round, quietly tart acidity; Smooth, satiny mouthfeel. The rich, flavor-saturated short finish consolidates to violet and baker’s chocolate in the long.

Delicate, sweetly fruit-forward. Brandy, raspberry, honeysuckle, tangerine zest, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Very tart acidity; billowy-smooth mouthfeel. The rich, resonant finish consolidates around cacoa nib and berry.

Delicately rich, subtly intricate. Violet-like flowers, pink peppercorn, almond butter, peach, myrrh in aroma and cup. Juicy, vibrant, balanced acidity; silky, buoyantly levitating mouthfeel. The crisply sweet, flavor-saturated finish is animated by spicy suggestions of myrrh and pink peppercorn.

Big, rich, deeply sweet. Raspberry, tamarind, lilac, butterscotch, a hint of rye whisky in aroma and cup. Sweetly brisk acidity; plump, syrupy mouthfeel. The rich, long, flavor-saturated finish resonates with tamarind, lilac and raspberry notes.

Sweetly and gently pungent, cocoa-toned. Roasted cacao-nib, orange, apricot, freesia-like flowers, a faint whiff of whisky in aroma and cup. Soft, vibrantly lively acidity; plush, velvety mouthfeel. Sweet, balanced, quietly flavor-saturated finish.

Balanced, sweet-toned, classic. Ripe raspberry and orange, citrus blossom, roasted cacao nib, a hint of sage in aroma and cup. Gently and richly nuanced acidity; round, cushiony mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a resonant finish.

Round, resonant. Dark chocolate, gently roasty oak, juicy blackberry, a hint of orange in aroma and cup. Crisp, roast-rounded acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Blackberry, chocolate and oak carry into a rich though drying finish.