8.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

Brewery draught, 7/30/25.
Clear, deep rust-cherry-amber. Little/no head.
Elegant whiskey in the nose with minimal sugars. Light fruitiness, low toast and gentle caramel/toffee. Clean, not boozey, not overdone on the barrel.
Soft, malty, not toasty, with more of a fruit-and-toffee character, not to mention the incredibly well-done bourbon. Bit of breadiness, not too much. Just fantastically-balanced bourbon/whiskey character without too much tannin. Medium-full body with high attenuation. No syrup or sugariness. Excellent lingering mix of acidity, toffee and fruitiness. Very nearly bought a $24 bottle to go, and still may.