Collier and McKeel Tennessee Whiskey

I believe this is the Australian bottling called Rollins - Batch 15. The aroma presents green apples and rye, with hints of toasted oak and vanilla. The taste from a glencairn is corn-sweet with a touch of baked apples, then burnt sugar evolving into cinnamon and light oak spice. You don't get the barrel impact like in superior bourbon, but there's a pleasant oak spice and toasted oak character. The overall flavor is balanced and incredibly smooth. It's not overly complex or long on the finish, but there's much to appreciate and nothing to dislike. This is clearly young spirit, but the quality is appropriate. In Australia, it's about $45, and I consider it excellent value. Compare it to Jack Daniels and you'll be amazed that Jack typically costs a bit more yet offers so much less in every regard. It's perfectly enjoyable, though somewhat limited, sipped neat in a glencairn, but shines on the rocks, where the char and toasted notes become more prominent. I suspect it's intended for crafting a fine Old Fashioned. A solid 3 stars, or 88 points. Please note that this is produced in batches and batch variation is evident. (A helpful tip: batch 16 is being released as I write this, and it's not as good as batch 15, which is still available and forms the basis of this review.)

The aroma offered cornflakes and dry roasted salted peanuts. This whiskey is quite sweet, with corn flavors dominating the taste. Subtle notes of sorghum, cashews, honey, black cherry, and a light smokiness were present in the background. The finish exhibited some rye spiciness. The spice in the finish wasn't intense but wasn't as mild as bourbons with lower rye content, suggesting the master distiller was undecided between a high or low rye profile. This leaves the whiskey in an odd middle ground where the spice notes are noticeable but neither powerful and distinct nor mild and complementary. The alcohol burn is typical for the proof. The whiskey is smooth, possibly a bit thinner than ideal, but certainly not as thin as Jack. Adding a touch of water did not reveal additional flavors. Despite these drawbacks, it's the best Tennessee Whiskey I've encountered.

Very enjoyable, with prominent brown sugar and subtle maple notes that avoid being overpowering; adding a drop of water reveals the grain/corn character.

My absolute favorite. Incredibly smooth. Sweet and well-balanced.

Wait a minute before you sip it.

Quite smooth, with minimal rye spice