Virginia Gentleman Bourbon

It's my usual for mixing and a very dependable option for drinks. In my view, it makes the best bourbon and cokes or whiskey sours. I like some of my favorite cocktails. I'll drink it straight sometimes, but it's a bit harsh, and there are better choices for that. So, considering the price, it's a reliable mixer that's always available where I am. It usually comes in a plastic bottle, but they also offer a glass 750ml version, which is classier. I proudly display it in my collection. And I'm a bit biased since it was the only bourbon I kept on hand for years until I started exploring others because of the recent bourbon trend.

Nose - potent ethanol, corn sweetness, vanilla, subtle caramel barrel notes. Taste - sweet corn, honey, vanilla, strong young ethanol flavor, with a thin, quick finish and dry alcohol notes. Slightly better than anticipated, but still quite rough. Perhaps for mixing, but you can find much better spirits than this for under $20 a bottle.

It possesses some of the buttery and corn character of bourbon, along with an ethanol kick, but it mostly tastes and feels like diluted bourbon flavor. It's certainly not suited for sipping straight, and superior options for mixers are available for only a few dollars more.

A small sample from a store poured neat into a tasting glass at home. The aroma is ethanol, corn, and peanut shells. A hint of caramel and oak. The taste is harsh, artificial, and burnt. Quite weak, bitter, thin, and unpleasant. Absolutely not. 6/8/19

An excellent secondary or tertiary option from the liquor cabinet, after trying the top-shelf choices first. Also great on the golf course. Enjoy it as a slow sipper while contemplating the origins of those folks from Kentucky... yes, Virginia....

My initial bourbon experience. Not the finest, but not the worst either. It surpasses some significantly pricier pours. In fact, for the cost, it's quite drinkable. Better suited for mixing than sipping straight.