Lazy River Kentucky Straight Bourbon: MINI

Nose: This combines light “classic bourbon” scents with a bit of fruitiness that smells cherry-based. Overall, the nose isn’t very strong. Palate: The first sip gives the impression of rich chewiness. It is a bit on the sweet side, with some earthy tones. There was also a bit of dark molasses. The mouthfeel is right in the middle of the spectrum. There was a short burst of heat that was slightly harsh, but it didn’t last very long before turning into a classic warming down the throat. On later sips, I started picking up on some rye spiciness and suspect there is probably a decent amount in the mashbill. I also started getting some oakiness that appeared in the finish, which was about medium in length. On much later sips, I picked up a nice vanilla flavor in the finish. Comments: This surprised me a bit because I had never heard of it. Although I liked this, I didn’t fall in love with it. It is perfectly serviceable and didn’t really have anything that detracted from it but it also didn’t have anything that stood out to make it a “must have”. I almost feel bad for bourbons like this because they aren’t bad but they have to compete with everyone’s favorites that they’ve been drinking for a while. And, unless something is much better or different, why change? The saloon has so many different bourbons that there’s no need to add to the inventory unless there is something really noteworthy and different in a selection. The result is, good, middle-of-the-road selections like this will get overlooked. Well, unless you just like mixing it up once in a while….which isn’t a bad thing. That said, this is a good choice for a “mini, when you need a mini”. I’d happily sip this on a plane ride or other places that call for a mini. I’d also happily recommend it as a “mini try”….to see if maybe there was something about it that appeals to YOUR palate. This clocks in at a nice 90 proof. The bottle label indicates that this is “distilled in Kentucky” and “bottled by Distillers Products, Fairfield, CA”. This is available from Total Wine, but I’m not sure that’s where I got it. They sell a 750ml for a reasonable but not great $29.99 and a 50ml for $1.99. The company that bottles this obviously sources it from SOMEBODY in Kentucky, but there’s almost no information on the Internet about this one. This looks like it is put out by the same folks (Frank-Lin Distillers) who put out the Medley and Wathen brands….both of which are good and show that whoever is sourcing this is choosing well. Interestingly, Frank-Lin does not claim credit for this brand on their website, but it is possible that that is because it is a “contract” distilling.