Laws Centennial Straight Wheat Whiskey

Nose - cherry, vanilla, cereal grain, brown sugar, caramel, floral notes, cinnamon, black pepper, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, cherry, cinnamon, sweet vanilla, nutmeg, orange zest, brown sugar, sour oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing fast with cherry, cinnamon, and caramel flavors. The sample I'm evaluating is not from the bonded release. This one is bottled at 47.5% and is likely younger as well. The nose is quite bright and youthful, but mild cherry notes accompany the typical caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon. It's nothing special. The palate is hot for its proof. There's a bit more complexity here than on the nose, including some oak and citrus zest. As anticipated, the finish is virtually nonexistent, with the flavors rapidly fading to a nondescript sourness. Like the four grain bourbon, this is far too immature for a higher rating. Aging for two years in Denver, Colorado is clearly different from aging in Hye, Texas. I'd be curious to try the bonded version and see if the extra aging makes a significant impact. Overall, this is a very poor value for the price and should be avoided. The quality level here would be acceptable at $20 a bottle, but this costs many times that.

The aroma begins with a young harshness, similar to hand sanitizer where the alcohol is strong at first before fading but stays in the background, featuring notes of frosted shredded wheat cereal, followed by dried tart cherries, apple chips, then light floral hints that transition to black pepper and fresh cedar wood chips with a moderate ethanol burn. The taste has a thin texture, starting with that young harshness that masks any flavors before finally fading to reveal frosted shredded wheat cereal, cherry-flavored cough syrup, apple chips, then light floral notes that transition to black pepper and freshly bagged cedar wood chips with a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is short with cherry-flavored cough syrup, shredded wheat cereal, roasted chestnuts, black pepper, and fresh cedar wood chips. Compared to a certain straight malt, this is slightly better but still immature and unpleasant. I believe the company should consider renaming themselves CRIMES instead of LAWS, as these whiskeys have committed some offenses against my palate so far. Many thanks to a friend for the generous sample.

A refined, grain-to-glass Straight Wheat Whiskey made with 100% Soft White Centennial Spring Wheat, aged for 5 years in new 53-gallon charred oak barrels, and bottled at 50% ABV. It begins with an aromatic profile of grain, fruit, spice, nuts, and flowers; its balanced life adds notes of mountain strawberries, orange marmalade, alpine meadows, and wildflower honey; leading to a dry and warming finish of medium length with notes of oak, Jasmine tea, sage, spruce tips, and pink peppercorn. April 2023

Light on the nose. Grainy. Some orange notes appeared when I added a little water.

Of the four bottles in the pack I bought, this was my favorite.