TX Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof

This is my initial experience with any TX bourbon, and I'm starting with the Barrel Proof version. The aroma is intense with a touch of vanilla and caramel. I tasted it neat and then on ice. It offers more spice and oak when consumed neat. You truly sense the 118 proof drinking it straight from the glass. Pouring it over ice in a rocks glass reveals its sweetness. You detect rich caramel notes and a cinnamon kick. I also perceive a good amount of sweet corn. The finish is pleasant, with no offensive aftertaste. This is a respectable craft bourbon; not overly intricate, but very smooth for drinking.

The aroma is sweet, with caramel and woody oak. It smells similar to the standard TX, and the taste is somewhat comparable but amplified. It still has the sweet vanilla and caramel notes, but at 127.4 proof, it grabs your attention quickly. However, it remains very drinkable. It improved with the addition of a bourbon cube. I like it considerably more than the first iteration of TX Bourbon I tried a few years ago. Well executed.

My sample indicated 118.8 proof, not 130. The nose presents classic bourbon characteristics: burnt sugar with a slight hint of grassy vanilla and oak. The palate mirrors this with a burst of ethanol and a subtle note of dark dried fruit. The finish is moderately long. This significantly surpasses the regular bourbon and the blended whiskey.

For 65% ABV, this was smoother than I anticipated. It still has a strong kick, but it comes from the very high proof, not any acrid smell. That said, it's very warming with a pleasant charred wood character and notes of pecan. A hint of caramelized pecan on the finish, maybe honey.

Nose: Aged, cream cheese icing, delicate pie crust. Returning after a sip, a danish with berries and cream cheese. Palate: Vanilla cream and silky spiced caramel pudding. It has the characteristics of a wheated bourbon, though it is not, indicating excellent balance.

The nose presents rich caramel, vanilla, sweet orange, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and weathered oak at maximum intensity. The taste mirrors this with added notes of raisin, fig, and a brown sugar glaze. Rich and oily... tastes like a winner.