Mayor Pingree Red Label Bourbon

Served neat. First pour from the bottle. Batch 12. Eager to sample their whiskey. I have several bottles of Mayor Pingree made with MGP mash bills, but this is my first from them. The aroma is purely sweet. Caramel, butterscotch, and vanilla. A hint of oak holding it together. A touch of salt accompanies the caramel. Some apple is also becoming apparent. It's a very pleasant aroma. The texture is average, but it immediately excites the palate with peanut brittle. Wow, that's packed with flavor just on the tongue. It transitions to salted caramel and vanilla. A bit of apple on the medium to short finish. This is a solid introduction to their whiskey. The aroma is fantastic. It was a bit underwhelming initially on the taste, somewhat generic. However, with some air, it opened up a bit. I'm most intrigued by that initial burst of peanut brittle. This gives me excitement and hope as their stock matures further.

Upon pouring, my initial thought is this will be sweet and rich. The aroma carries notes of sweet cream and candy nougat. The color is a beautiful polished walnut. After letting it rest for about 10 minutes, I tasted it neat in a glencairn. The first taste is very impressive! It's sweet and smooth with a beautiful finish. The mouthfeel is great. The 94 proof is noticeable with its bite, but there are no "ethanol" elements to detract. It's very suave. The barrel's contribution is far more complex and complete than nearly anything I've sampled in a 4-year-old bourbon. There is no age statement on the bottle. This is a blended straight bourbon, but the base components are all 4 years old, as I understand it. This is an OUTSTANDING bottle! I am eager to try their single barrel offerings!

Wow, this Mayor Pingree bourbon (batch 14) from Valentine has such a wonderfully sweet aroma. It's caramelly sweet with perhaps a hint of cherry and even a little creme brulee. On the palate, there are more sweet, creamy cherry notes. The rye spice appears late and is faint. It's surprisingly oily for a 94 proof bottle. I really enjoy this one... I kind of wish I hadn't waited so long to try it.

Initial pour- Nose: Caramel, oak, dark fruits, some cherry After sitting for 10 minutes- Nose: Fruit, primarily cherry and vanilla, some oak and light caramel. Palate: Mostly cherry, oak, dark fruits, light spice Finish: Medium, caramel, oak, and dark fruits, cherry This is surprising and impressive for being only four years old. Worth keeping on hand. Would recommend

Wow, this thing is pretty damn good!!! I've been exploring and trying new things recently, and I'm kind of over the overhyped and overpriced items and have been quite pleased. I wish the proof was higher; I think it would be absolutely delicious at barrel strength. But overall, well done!!

A fantastic bourbon! I wish it were 100 proof, but even so, I haven't found a bourbon at 100 proof or under in my collection that surpasses this. It's a bit pricey for an everyday drink, but if you can find it, I'd say it's worth adding to your collection.