Davidson Reserve Four Grain Tennessee Bourbon

Batch #009 Bottle #1391 At least 3 years old 100 proof / 50% ABV Apologies for a slightly inaccurate submission, score. A friend gave this to me as a gift, much appreciated. I committed to giving an unbiased and honest assessment, as always, and with a young rye/wheat blend bourbon from Tennessee, this is not a promising start. I truly hope this was not filtered with charcoal, a common practice for many Tennessee whiskeys, but since small craft distilleries are reluctant to share product details, we may never know. This also means we're missing other crucial information like mash bill percentages and, even more concerning, the vague "at least" aging statement. Nevertheless, I do appreciate free whiskey, so this should still be a pleasant tasting experience. The color is remarkably dark for only 3 years, offering hope it might be unfiltered or non-chill filtered. My least favorite thing is wheated bourbon, and I dislike bourbon with both wheat and rye even more, as if the makers were indecisive. Even without the mash bill details, neither of these grains are likely present enough to overcome the corn, leading to a muddled nose. I detect intensely sweet corn, almost cloyingly so, with a touch of cinnamon from the rye and some sweetness from the wheat. It initially seems balanced, but there's too much competing for attention, and then there's a distinct tang I associate with charcoal filtering, though it's hard to be certain. To be frank, 3 years isn't exceptionally young for craft American whiskeys today, but the pronounced raw grain flavor upfront suggests the age had little impact. From start to finish, a metallic note, which I suspect is from charcoal, is quite strong, as if I'm drinking this over charcoal briquettes. If this were a standard American whiskey with disclosed charcoal filtering, this flavor, along with a decent ethanol presence for only 100 proof, would be quite good. However, as a bourbon with wheat and rye, this flavor feels very out of place. As noted earlier, though, the proof is quite agreeable, enhancing the existing flavors and preventing a more disappointing, watery 80 proof experience. The rye isn't discernible amidst the chaos, but it does linger on the gums. After a belch, I notice the corn is also prominent but still too raw, clearly needing more time in the barrel. The finish is hot (positive), but also unpleasantly sticky (negative), prompting a look of mild regret after each sip. Today, my commitment to honest reviewing prevailed, as I wouldn't dream of misrepresenting my genuine assessment. Since I haven't seen this in any shops, it's likely a very small distillery with limited or no distribution. Upon further investigation, it seems they actually offer several products, suggesting they should be capable of avoiding poor decisions leading to this bottling. However, I also acknowledge this could have been an experimental batch before they even had a distillery license, and it simply didn't turn out well, as experiments sometimes do. Typically, I advocate for longer barrel aging, but the desire for quick profits often overrides such advice. Given the potent, clashing flavors in this "four grain," I recommend selling as many barrels and bottles as possible now, as I don't anticipate it impressing anyone in the future.

Davidson 4 Grain AROMA: Uh oh...Young, Crafty, and Corny, but it does diminish somewhat, revealing a pleasant underlying note of Melted Butter, Rye Spice, Hay, Brown Sugar, Citrus, and Oak. NEAT: The youthfulness returns. It's a flavor that's difficult to define, but we're all familiar with it. Canned Cream Corn and Wet Cardboard? Bitter Oak Tannins and a Light Vanilla Sweetness. Rye Spice and Raw Grain remain to coat the palate. WITH WATER: A little water improves the aroma by emphasizing the Brown Sugar note. It doesn't help the palate much, but it does slightly reduce the Bitterness. However, that is countered by the fact that the lingering finish has acquired a saccharin sweetness. CONCLUSION: I absolutely do not recommend this. Not only is this some of the worst Whiskey I've encountered recently, the top broke off the cork on BOTH bottles (I regrettably purchased this and the Tennessee Whiskey). Despite two attempts to contact them via their website to inquire about a replacement cork, I have received no response. According to the judges, that results in an automatic quarter-point deduction.

It smells and tastes young. However, the youthful characteristics don't overshadow the other elements. There are some floral notes on the nose. On the palate, there's caramel, dark chocolate, and plenty of spice. Good warmth. It definitely needs more time to mature, but it shows promise. 5/1/19

Nose and palate both taste artificial. Lots of spice that sticks around.

I detect caramel with some salty notes.

A nice rye presence. Quite intense for 100 proof.