Traveller Whiskey

You're curious, right? Is Harlen Wheatley's natural skill stronger, or the idea that whiskies from famous people are always bad? He's the master distiller at Buffalo Trace and blended this bottle. The other? It's like a fundamental law of the universe. Smells like grain and cedar. A touch of lemon. Feels like oats. Salty. A hint of tangerine if you pay attention. Ends with peanut shells. Still salty. Is it salt? The first sniff has a startling perfume scent. Seriously. It was unnerving at first. Nobody can just make a decent celebrity whiskey. Not even with tons of master distillers. It's pointless. It's basically a mediocre, high-quality whiskey. I've started to enjoy this more as the bottle emptied, but it's unremarkable. Some interesting parts, very rough elsewhere. Harlen tried hard, but celebrities... The prize for the most disappointing celebrity whiskey still goes to Matthew McConaughey.

Tasting neat. Light brown copper color with average coating legs in the glass. The nose is light: grain, caramel, and stone fruit with a little vanilla oak in the background. Caramel corn, cherry, tannic oak, and leather on the palate. Rich, mouth-coating feel with little ethanol. Flavors are bright rather than bold. Grassy rye, pepper, and mint appear as we move to the finish, which is sweet, spicy, and long. Clean dry finish, not sour, which was surprising considering the distinct cherry notes. Great mouth feel--oily and a mint tingle on the lips. Perhaps not the most complex bourbon, but it hits the classic high notes without any real flaws. Well made and blended. I'm not drawn by the Country Music artist associated with it, but by the blending of whiskies from a top distillery and master. Maybe a little pricey at $40, but it sips well and at 45 ABV should hold up well in a cocktail. I also like the look/shape of the bottle and labeling.

Initial flavors of vanilla and oak are present, followed by some spice. Adding a bit of water enhances it a little. I bought this with the assumption it was Buffalo Trace Whiskey. To my surprise, it's a blend featuring Barton distillery and Sazerac's Canadian Ryes. Personally, I find the Barton spirit inferior to Buffalo Trace. The statement "Proudly Blended and Bottled by Buffalo Trace Distillery" isn't factually incorrect, but it's certainly deceptive. My expectation was Buffalo Trace whiskey. If a fine whiskey is akin to a great tune, this one is slightly out of tune. It's not unpleasant and serves well in cocktails, but other bourbons in the same price range appeal to me more for sipping straight: Tincup ($24), Jim Beam Black ($29), Buffalo Trace ($34), Bernheim Original ($34), and Maker's Mark ($33). I won't be buying this again.

The aroma presents notes of stiff butterscotch sweets with a touch of tartness. The taste begins with caramel/butterscotch sweetness upfront, lingering only a moment before shifting to cinnamon and mint further back. As the palate reaches this zesty end, it flows into a moderately acidic finish where orange zest and leather linger on the tongue for about 15-20 seconds.

The aroma is quite malty and barley-forward, almost like a scotch, with a hint of chocolate. The palate is somewhat thin and not particularly engaging, though not unpleasant. The finish has an odd bitter note that I'm not fond of. I'm not a huge fan, but it's not bad. Just not very flavorful or intriguing.

Nose: Leather, Sharpie marker, black cherry. Palate: Harsh alcohol, Twizzlers cherry, mild oak. Finish: Dry, rotten apple. Overall: Harsh. It has some sweetness mixed in, but the flavors are all overwhelmed by a very hot/dry start/middle, finishing with sour fruits. Hopefully, it tastes great in cola...