Bird Dog Chocolate

I'm genuinely apprehensive about trying this. Truly terrified! This is another bottle my partner brought home from an airport duty-free shop while I was recovering from a leg strain. I have no clue why they did this to me; it must have been a joke. Yes, the person we sometimes get recommendations from at the liquor store suggested it – and I can't fathom why they did that either! Still, I'm not a huge fan of flavored whiskeys, except perhaps in the summer, like a peach CR or Bird Dog peach for peach iced tea. In fact, peach Bird Dog is the only BD I've ever had. Anyway.... sigh... I've put this off long enough. Here we go (please remember me if I die). Appearance: Sticky and oily, clinging to the glass with legs and beads. It must be quite sweet! Nose: A tiny bit of ethanol, milk chocolate, maple syrup, sugar in the raw, a tad bit of smoke or more like charred marshmallows from a campfire. Flavor: (Fear sets in, I can't! It smells good, but it's so dessert-scented I'm scared of tasting! Ugh).... I am fearless! Here I go!.... GAH! It's in my mouth, but I don't want to swallow! Or do I to get it OUT of my mouth? (TWSS) ACK! Too much cloying sweetness! I can't even get past the syrupy sticky glob of sugar overload that will surely put me in a diabetic coma to taste anything other than sweet. Deep breaths... calm down, calm down. The sticky sugar is still on my lips. Aftertaste is horrid! Medicinal, chocolate comes out, but it's horrid Easter candy chocolate – you know, that cheap stuff you buy just to fill the emptiness of the basket with some bright foil colors. NOT the good chocolate you buy less of to put on top of the crappy stuff. Wow, I now know why my kids have issues. Anyway, to be fair, I have to take another sip. YES, I AM a glutton for punishment, but I have to do my due diligence before totally defaming this bourbon. Second sip is not AS bad – either it's aired out some, or my palate has been shocked into submission, or my brain has been fried. But that aftertaste is just nauseating! Others have said that this may be good on ice cream. Perhaps okay in very strong coffee? Maybe mixed with some grain alcohol to hide any of the flavors of it? Or better yet, perhaps this should be tossed directly down a ditch! I have no idea why the guy who usually has decent suggestions at our local liquor store would ever recommend this to me! He knows the types of whiskey I enjoy. He must have been in a fight with his wife that day and simply hated all women! Sorry guys, please don't hate on me – it was a joke! Either way, this is utter crap! NEXT! Ratings have nothing to do with cost – just my impressions.

Absolutely terrible. My wife gave me a gift set at Christmas that included a 750ml bottle of their regular bourbon and several small bottles of other flavored whiskies. Everything else was at least drinkable, if not particularly memorable. I don't understand the trend of flavoring bourbons. Save that nonsense for cheap vodkas. This tasted like chocolate syrup mixed with cough syrup. Fortunately, I had a bottle of Weller available to try and cleanse my palate. It hasn't worked yet.

Purchased a sample for a friend who loves chocolate. The chocolate flavor is prominent, with no burn. She enjoyed it and said she'd like a shot in her morning coffee.

Excessively sweet and the chocolate taste isn't rich. However, it's not bad poured over vanilla ice cream or used to enhance coffee, as others have suggested.

Surprisingly smooth with rich chocolate notes, and it doesn't taste artificial. It would be excellent in coffee in the morning or early afternoon.

Perhaps it would be good poured over vanilla ice cream and a brownie.