The Bottle Facts

Distillery : Old Forester Owner : Brown Forman Proof/ABV : 86°/43% Variety : Bourbon Country : USA Region : Kentucky Nose : Sweet and spicy with hints of corn and honey lemon creating an interesting layer. It has enough spice to awaken your senses telling your palate to be ready for something nice.  Nose Score: 3.5 pts Palate : Medium bodied. Flavors of light spices up front followed by notes of caramel and lime. A slight nutty note makes itself present at the back palate.  Palate Score: 3 pts Finish : Short but layered with baking spices,  candied orange and vanilla. The heat stays at the end with a short sourness and bitterness. Finish Score: 3 pts Overall : This is a great entry Bourbon at a great price. It is under $40 (CAD) and there is plenty of it in stock. It can be taken neat easily. The nose was my favorite part about this bourbon while the finish was it's weakest. The finish was too short with very little complexity. The palate c

Distillery : Wild Turkey Owner : Campari Type : Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky Age : 10 yrs Proof/ABV : 90 / 45% Nose : A pleasant explosion of summer fruits that quickly fades into notes of orange peel, lemon zest and hints of spice. The caramel and vanilla profile sit in the background.  Nose Score: 4 pts Palate : Medium bodied. Your palate is greeted by an explosion of caramel candied orange and baking spices. This sweetness is balanced by hints of oak with a slight bitterness in the background. The alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing.  Palate Score: 4 pts Finish : Medium length and feels disconnected. This is where the Bourbon falls apart for me. The oak and and spices fight for attention in the finish. The caramel, vanilla and orange notes disappear completely. It felt like a completely different whisky in the finish.  Finish Score: 2 pts Overall : The nose and the palate were fantastic. The standard Bourbon profile wa

Distillery : Buffalo Trace Owner : Sazerac Type : Straight Bourbon Age : NAS Proof/ ABV : 90 / 45% Nose : Very light notes of caramel and vanilla. A hint of lemon is present but very faint. This whisky smells a little thin. Nose Score: 2 pts Palate : This has very little heat. It feels like water. Very light bodied and flat. You can get a hint of lemon but that's it.  Palate Score: 2 pts Finish : Very short, thin and disgusting. It has a slight hint of caramel mid palate and that's it. Finish Score: 2 pts Overall : This bourbon is flat. The nose has the most to offer in terms of tasting notes. The palate is thin and one dimensional with little to no layers. The finish is short with nothing interesting to offer.  Overall Score: 2 pts Total Score: 8 pts Rating :  Drain Pour.  This whisky is bad. It has very little flavor and anytime you get a hint of something it falls off really quick. The p

Distillery : Old Forester Owner : Brown Forman Proof/ABV : 86°/43% Variety : Bourbon Country : USA Region : Kentucky Nose : Sweet and spicy with hints of corn and honey lemon creating an interesting layer. It has enough spice to awaken your senses telling your palate to be ready for something nice.  Nose Score: 3.5 pts Palate : Medium bodied. Flavors of light spices up front followed by notes of caramel and lime. A slight nutty note makes itself present at the back palate.  Palate Score: 3 pts Finish : Short but layered with baking spices,  candied orange and vanilla. The heat stays at the end with a short sourness and bitterness. Finish Score: 3 pts Overall : This is a great entry Bourbon at a great price. It is under $40 (CAD) and there is plenty of it in stock. It can be taken neat easily. The nose was my favorite part about this bourbon while the finish was it's weakest. The finish was too short with very little complexity. The palate

Distillery : Buffalo Trace Owner : Sazerac Type : Straight Bourbon Age : NAS Proof/ ABV : 90 / 45% Nose : A very pleasant sweet orange note hits you up front. This is followed by the standard Bourbon vanilla and caramel notes. Lots of sweetness in the nose here. Very inviting.  Nose Score: 3.5 pts Palate : A short punch of citrus note greets you up front. This transitions into sweet notes of vanilla and caramel. The sweetness is followed by baking spices ending with a slight nutty note. This has very little body in the palate.  Palate Score: 3 pts Finish : Short but pleasant. The sweetness from the nose and palate continues through the finish. The end of the finish leaves your mouth with a buttery texture. Finish Score: 3 pts Overall : I love this whisky. The sweet notes of caramel and vanilla is the backbone of this whisky. It keeps the entire experience together without making the whisky one dimensional. The balance b

I will be rating the whiskies in 4 categories: Nose, Palate, Finish and Overall.  Nose is how the whisky smells. I look for complexity and balance in the nose. The nose has to be inviting. The flavors should be assertive without giving away everything. Palate is how the whisky tastes and feels in the mouth. I look for complexity and balance in flavor. The flavors have to be layered without causing chaos or confusion. The whisky must also have a body that carries the flavor throughout the palate.  Finish is the experience after swallowing or spitting the whisky. I look for a medium to long finish with the complexity and balance in flavor holding all the way to the end. A little warmth at the end does not hurt.  Overall is how all the phases work together. The flavor and aroma must compliment each other. There should be continuity from nose to palate to finish. The whisky must make sense in all categories. There should be harmony from the first snif