Kentucky Gentleman

Appearance: The color of this blended American whiskey resembles caramel syrup. Its trails are thin and semi-viscous; the way they slowly descend the glass reminds me of Russell being dragged across the blimp's windows for an extended period in the movie Up. Nose: While somewhat sharp overall, the aroma reveals notes of creamed corn, wheat grains, Sharpie marker, a touch of caramel, polyurethane, fennel spice reminiscent of rye, and oak. Taste: The palate is quite bland, but the detectable notes included apple peel, cranberry, old candy corn, and Sweet Tarts candies. Finish: Immediately after swallowing, it has a bite that then fades into a medium-length finish. Thoughts: Given that this American blend contains 51% straight whiskey (significantly more than other blends I've tried) and the rest is neutral grain spirit, I'm surprised the experience wasn't enhanced. If anything, this dram was inferior to others in an already low-quality category. I would not purchase it again, except perhaps to persuade an alcoholic to abstain. My apologies if that sounds harsh, but Barton Distilling, I am not impressed. Here's to you and better products! Cheers!

It tasted remarkably unpleasant, like the tail end of a dolphin. Awful. No surprise it cost $7 a bottle at the high-end liquor store. It was akin to pouring horseradish-infused water into my shoe and letting it age for four years before straining it through a hairnet. I did find a bottle of artificial vanilla extract in the baking cupboard to add to this bottle of paint thinner. Adding about 30ml of it helped to salvage the liquid in this bottle of “bourbon”. I’m giving it one star solely because the cap screwed back on. I think after I’m done with this, I’ll remove the label and give the bottle to my child to put a crudely drawn pirate treasure map inside and toss it into the river. That seems like a better use for the bottle than the bourbon itself. I’d rather engage in an inappropriate act with an animal than purchase this again. If this is the drink of a Kentucky Gentleman, I’m heading to Arkansas. Now I need to find some mint or gummy bears or something else to mask the flavor.

Aroma: Sweet corn, vanilla, mild butterscotch, apple, light rye spice, with a mild to moderate alcohol burn. Taste: Sweet caramel, dull corn notes, apple, subtle cinnamon, with a slightly sweet and sour finish accompanied by fading corn and generic sweetness. Not impressive. For a budget bourbon, I favor the Virginia Gentleman option.

Purchased a pint for $4.32 locally. It's acceptable, presenting a swift vanilla frosting taste with no lasting impression, good or bad. The heat isn't nearly as intense as I anticipated; for a few bucks, it's perfectly fine. To be honest, it's about on par with JB white label and costs three dollars less, in my view.

Received complimentary at a hotel in Bowling Green, Ky. Excessively sweet with minimal sharpness, but not flavorful enough to warrant a purchase. Notes of malt, caramel, vanilla. Little mouthfeel and no lingering taste. Not bad for complimentary well liquor, but wouldn't seek it out again.

Even though it's cheap, there are better bourbons available at this price. This particular bourbon is very bland and lacks character. What's worse is that I can't discern any distinct bourbon qualities.