Lucky Seven The Hold Up 12 Year

This is batch 5. This will be a brief review. Nose - You'll hate me, but it's bourbon, lol. Vanilla, scorched wood, and pure, clean bourbon aromas. The age is revealed with almost magical effort and glass swirling. This isn't a negative; in fact, wow, we have classic bourbon without significant flaws or bad character, and it has good bourbon notes. Nothing extraordinary, but it's good! Taste - Here, the spice and oak's bite are unrestrained. The finish begins creamy, then thins out, and it's all delicious vanilla, oak, and spice. There's a fruitiness, and while Barton offers apple fruit and cinnamon spice... I can't make those claims here. It's not a distinct flavor. It's sweet and balanced, and the alcohol notes aren't unpleasant. But man, it's rather ordinary. There's smoke, a bit of tobacco. Just somewhat hot alcohol. Yeah, it's, well... final thoughts. This is about as good as average bourbon gets. And that's what this is. This is your benchmark for good bourbon at an average level. I appreciate that this doesn't overtly resemble Barton, but it doesn't deny it either. I enjoy the balance. I simply like this whiskey, but it's pretty average. A score of 2.25 seems appropriate. This is a whiskey to drink and perhaps get intoxicated with. But it's a sipper, not to be taken seriously despite the price. Not one to save or cherish. But it's lovely for its intended purpose.

This is a good serving. It has sweetness, oak notes, and a touch of spice at the end. The aging process significantly mellows it. It costs a bit much, but considering its age, the price isn't too extreme. Finding a bottle older than a decade for under $100 is quite difficult.

Consumed neat. The aroma is fruity and spicy. The taste is sweet initially with a spicy, sweet, oaky finish. I detect notes of brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, oak, and baking spices. It has significant sweetness. I enjoy it.

Fantastic. The aroma and taste are sweet, featuring dark fruits, a hint of bread, and a long finish. It's not overly oaked for a spirit of its age. Definitely worth purchasing.

It's smooth, perhaps too much so. Lacks depth, but it's an easy drink.

Astringent, but not overly hot and not very complex.