Conviction Small Batch Bourbon

Conviction: Barrel Proof 97.16 (Not a single barrel, but each batch is made from about 4-5 uncut barrels, so your experience may differ.) I'm going to review first, and then share some of my thoughts on this product at the end for those not interested. Pours into the Glencairn a pale orange with fast-moving thin legs. NOSE: Dry Dusty Corn. My grandparents had a farm and kept dried corn to feed the livestock in an old wooden shed. This aroma took me back 40 years to being a child and playing in and around the "Corn Crib". There are also light floral and citrus notes with a hint of unripened berries. After a few moments, a sour note (think vinegary BBQ sauce) emerges. A little surprising, but not unpleasant. NEAT: YOUNG! The first aroma is Varnished Oak. Dried Corn. Light Vanilla. No burn, but a nice delayed, mild warmth. I'm surprised by how much wood you get, but it's like freshly cut lumber. Almost "Piney". You get smoke, but again it's like the smoke from burning green wood. An almost grassy flavor mixes with sweet oak to coat and linger. SPLASH: A few drops of water helps to bring out a malty chocolate note with some honey. A sniff of the empty glass gives off notes of a seasoned smoked pork shoulder. Weird...but again, I like it! What is more North Carolina than smoked pork with a vinegar-based BBQ sauce? VERDICT: Unique. An experience. Not a typical bourbon drinking experience, but an experience nonetheless. I really liked it. Now...on to my thoughts on this product. I like the packaging/labeling. Everything that a whiskey enthusiast needs to know is right there on the bottle. Heavy, textured industrial-style label on square glass. My bottle (#21) came from a mix of barrels #221-#225. It was bottled on 09-25-18 after aging for 11.4 months. The barrels were aged in "Solitary". That's right, Solitary. This distillery is located in a facility that belonged to the NC Dept of Corrections and housed inmates as recently as 2011. I like what this distillery is doing. Aging their own distillate in full-size 53-gallon barrels, being transparent with age, and trying something different with a mash bill that really has no secondary grain (88% Corn and 12% Barley). I had hesitated to buy it at $44/bottle, even after seeing and reading many positive reviews (including one from a guy with a huge gold medallion and his whiskey-mooching companion). My last trip to the ABC store I discovered the new 375ml sizes, so I decided to finally give it a try. Glad I did. I look forward to trying their straight bourbon when it is released in a couple of years.

I appreciate supporting a local producer and their innovative approach, like sonic aging barrels within a former prison. I also enjoy the occasional burst of juicy red apple flavor. However, after trying two bottles, one aged for a year and the second for two years, my overall impression is one of disappointment. I will refrain from purchasing it for some time.

Varies by barrel, but generally presents a sweet candy corn flavor. It's easy to tell it's a high corn content whiskey and fairly young, but that's not a negative. It could benefit from added wood flavor with some aging, but it's a new distillery. Extremely delicious sweet caramel and candy corn with some alcohol burn.

Great owner and distillery just east of Charlotte. The bourbon ages with the help of loud music, much like what several other distilleries are doing. My bottle was aged one year and bottled at 100.6 proof. This is a cherished micro distillery in N.C. but, I’m just not enjoying my bottle.

Nose: sweetness, with hints of candy corn and hay bales. Taste: a decent amount of burn, strong candy corn notes, very one-dimensional. Overall: It's not bad, but it won't provide the richness or fullness of other bourbons at this price point. It is interesting and definitely worth trying.

This bourbon leans towards the sweeter end of the profile with minimal spice. Vanilla and caramel are the most prominent tastes. I was surprised that for a young bourbon with a high corn content, the flavor isn't very grain-forward.