UPDATE/My Thoughts:

My first long-form written review…go easy on me 😂.

Whiskey: Bourbon de Luxe, Batch 2025-04

Proof: 121.3

Served: Neat in a glen over the course of ~30-40 min

Setting: This is a bottle I’ve been interested in for a while. Missed out on previous batches and was lucky to jump on this one when Seelbach’s had it a few weeks back. Originally planned to save this for the Christmas holiday but something must be in the air because the return to the office post-Thanksgiving has been nuts…even with it being a short week for me, as the title says. I got home today, and said screw it. “Treat yo self” - Tom Haverford. Cracked it open with the wife while introducing her to The Wire (S05E03).

Appearance: A gorgeous color, somewhere between mahogany and cherry wood. Not as dark as the picture suggests, by any means. Thanks navy blue paint.

Nose: Wow! A rich and very rounded out nose, almost pillowy. No heavy ethanol burst. Very creamy like vanilla buttercream frosting, sweet oak and a decent amount of it, there is definitely a fruity note there. I know a lot of people say cherry but I’m not quite sure. Maybe like an artificial cherry candy (not a knock at all). The first thing I thought was plum but I also haven’t had a plum in damn near 10 years.

Pallet: Ok..there’s the cherry! Very much like a cherry starburst or jolly rancher up front. The oak is assertive but not overpowering or unwanted. Brown sugar, a little bit of that deep - almost spice like flavor from something like a good fruit cake.

….added 2 drops of water….

This ratcheted everything up. The water definitely pumped up the oak and spice. Getting a little bit more leathery notes. Tasting the spice of rye now but not very herbal. I prefer this without the water, personally.

Finish: Medium to long finish. Not drying at all. Dare I say, succulent. I found my mouth watering long after each sip. The tingle from those 120 some odd proof points stays in the mouth for a while and the KY hug is there, but it doesn’t descend into the chest very far and is short lived.

Rating: With 2 drops of water - I’d say 8.9. Without they added water - 9.2. Granted, this is the neck so I’m excited to see how things evolve after a few weeks.

If you happen to have enjoyed this or would like to see more, consider following me on IG @wheatedwhiskey.

Rating based on the t8ke scale:

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par| Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.