Laws Henry Road Straight Malt Whiskey

Nose - apple juice, floral notes, honey, grass, toffee, with a mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - toffee, sour apple, vanilla, honey, chili pepper, grass, floral notes, cherry, cereal grain, with a moderate alcohol bite. The finish is fast, with cereal grain, toffee, and sour apple flavors. Well, back to average with this last Laws review. The rye from last night was pretty good, but this one doesn't offer much. The nose is almost completely absent. It's not bad, but nothing stands out or makes it unique, apart from a bit of cheap apple juice and a generally sweet, floral quality. The palate is marginally more interesting, and I mean marginally. The apple note is clearer, along with some toffee and the sharp tingle of chili pepper, which is likely due to its youth. As is typical with these young Laws expressions, the finish is disappointingly short and, in this instance, rather grainy. Overall, I'm glad I tried these four whiskies from Laws for the low cost of a sampler pack. However, I'm not motivated to explore their other products, especially considering their prices are completely out of sync with the quality. If I encounter one of their bonded options at a bar, I might try it, but I won't be buying a bottle anytime soon.

The aroma begins with Apple Jacks cereal, then chamomile flowers, followed by a mix of cinnamon red hots and bowling alley shoes with a moderate ethanol burn. The taste has a thin mouthfeel, starting with a blend of sour apple candy and raw vegetal notes, followed by moderate spice and bowling alley shoes with a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is short, with a background of soured apple cider, stale brown bread, and brewed chamomile tea that has steeped too long with bitter orange peel. I'm uncertain who deemed this ready, as it's young and astringent, with light fruit, floral, bitter, and smoky notes. Even worse than bottling young and rough whiskey for sale, I question who thought this was worthy of a $70 price point. For $70, I'd much prefer an OF 1920, JD Single Barrel Barrel Proof, or Wild Turkey Rare Breed. Many thanks to a friend for the generous sample for me to taste.

T8ke: 4.4 Very bright, bittersweet nose with a young pear, peach, and green apple tang. Also, a honeysuckle sweetness with possibly a little brown sugar. Sweet upfront on the palate with a fairly bold unroasted coffee bean flavor around the edges. Some baking spice and toffee emerge, leading to a relatively short finish. This whiskey's youth is quite evident, but it's still well-executed. Unlike most, it lacks that harsh young oak flavor, especially from Colorado. It doesn't provide a Kentucky hug, and I find its unusual flavor profile isn't something I'll reach for.

Aroma: floral, citrus. Taste: orange, cardamom, peppercorn.

Earthy, malty, and funky. Some sweetness on the finish.

I do not enjoy the flavor profile.