Hirsch Small Batch Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Nose: immature wood, vanilla, honey, caramel, spice Palate: prominent oak, sweet corn and caramel, maple, cinnamon spice Finish: concludes with a spicy orange citrus As is my preferred method for discovering whisk(e)ys, I randomly selected this bottle of Hirsch Small Batch from the shelf. For the price, I was quite pleased. The ethanol scent on the nose is a bit off-putting initially. However, once you get past that, some delightful notes emerge. Nevertheless, many of these characteristics are quite typical of bourbon. It's the taste and finish that truly elevate the bourbon. The palate starts off bitter but yields to pleasantly sweet flavors. The finish rounds out the experience with a fiery citrus burst originating from deep within the throat. Overall, it's very much worth sampling.

Aroma - Certainly smells like a young bourbon. It has an ethanol scent, reminiscent of very young whiskey aged in a new, green oak barrel. A light hint of mint and eucalyptus, a slight hint of vanilla, burnt sugar, and a faint hint of honey are also present. Taste - It hits the palate with a strong sweet corn flavor, a hint of vanilla, cinnamon spice, and red hots. A faint trace of watered-down honey, and that's all. Finish - It provides a pleasant warming sensation, but then quickly shifts to a "green" oaky bitterness, similar to chewing on a young oak twig. At the very end, there's a slightly sweet yet bitter taste, akin to heavily burnt sugar.

Tastes of vanilla, light cinnamon, and brown sugar initially. At the end, there's a more intense cinnamon and brown sugar with a slow warmth.

Very relaxed, lacking boldness. However, it has an unusual unidentified flavor that makes me favor Willets instead.

The initial taste was potent and sharp. Subsequently, quite enjoyable. Drank it neat. A satisfying warmth at the conclusion.

Aroma: apples, grass. Taste: brown sugar, barrel char, spices. Smooth finish. Very pleasant.