Hayner Straight Bourbon

Neat. Opened one week. A gift from relatives who know my interest in whiskey. Honestly, when they mentioned it was from a new distillery in Troy OH, my expectations were not high. I assumed it was a 2-year-old craft spirit. Nope. It’s actually from Bardstown and a Fusion blend of 3, 4, and 13-year-old bourbons. Wow, what a surprise and a fantastic gift! I opened it on the Fourth of July and was eager to try it again. The nose is very rich. Walnuts and vanilla are the dominant notes for me. There's also buttered cinnamon toast. It's very breakfast-like, if that makes sense. A hint of espresso. There's a salty brine too. There's a hint of fruit, I'd say mango. It has some interesting layers, honestly a better impression than the last Fusion batch I tried. The mouthfeel is surprisingly oily, but the flavors seem diluted at first. Faint caramel and oak, but not much else initially. Mid-palate, it's all about nuttiness and chocolate, with creamy vanilla on the finish. Mango on the finish too. I detected a nice, subtle salted caramel on subsequent sips. It's an easy sipper with good character. The proof is somewhat limiting for my preference, but on a hot summer afternoon, this could be perfect. If you're near Troy OH, get a bottle of this.

The aroma is earthy with wheat and rye. On the palate, the wheat and rye are still present, but cinnamon is added. The finish has some sharpness from the rye and cinnamon but remains smooth overall.

I'm not great at identifying specific flavors, but it was smooth and warming. Definitely not top-tier, but better than average. A bit costly at $55, but I wanted to try it. I'm not let down.