Hudson New York Corn Whiskey (Discontinued)

This is an unusual spirit, being a 100% corn new-make white "whiskey." On the nose... I was initially put off. It smells sour and sweet. Without the barrel's influence, I'm left with what I'd describe as cotton candy and hospital hand sanitizer. It also smells thick and syrupy. On the palate... it tastes slightly better than it smells. There's a muted sweetness beneath a more prominent sweet tone. With nothing to obscure it, there's definitely an alcohol flavor. It's thin with a minimal finish. I added a bit of water, and the alcohol burn seemed to intensify but didn't reveal any new flavors to me. This is an interesting whiskey to try simply to understand how to identify corn influences in bourbon and to experience whiskey without barrel influence. I believe it also confirms that wood truly enhances whiskey.