Chattanooga Whiskey Co. 1816 Reserve

Review of the Reserve Solera finish: The scent is rich with wood shavings, faint dusty corn, astringency, and just a touch of citrus. The taste begins light with a pleasant powdered sugar, immediately followed by vanilla and some caramel, with the citrus reappearing. It evolves into vanilla cream and brown sugar, with a light hint of barrel char and oak. There's just a trace of rye spice and baking spices like cinnamon and clove. The finish has vanilla, barrel char, and a strong presence of rye character. It fades with a bit of rye spice on the back of the tongue, spreading to the tip, and lingers with slight bitterness and a maple-like flavor. Would have preferred to rate this 3.5 stars, but it's fine. Overall, a decent drink. Would appreciate seeing this a bit older.

I had hoped to enjoy this more, especially since it's made in my hometown, but it carries an overly strong rubbing alcohol taste. The initial bite is intense but fades quickly. There's also an underlying sweetness reminiscent of honey and vanilla.

A potent cinnamon finish accompanied by a hint of vanilla. Oak flavors are prominent initially. Adding a bit of water enhanced its character. It's clearly a bourbon sourced from MGP with a high rye content. While not outstanding, I would consider it again.

Batch 15265, from 9/2015. Very pleasant spicy flavor, sweet with notes of caramel and vanilla. It absolutely requires ice. An excellent price at $23, so the cost alone warrants four stars.

A very easy-drinking spirit with no significant drawbacks. The malt content makes it more accessible than many others. I will definitely try another of their offerings.

Nose: Corn, sugary sweetness, caramel. Palate: Predominantly corn, sweet yet also grainy. Finish: The rye comes through, offering a spicy finish.