Old Beezer - 10 Year Old

Nose: A little alcohol, a little corn, a little caramel and maybe a hint of spice and raisin. Palate: The heat, though not overwhelming, hits you right away and then quickly fades, before picking up again in the finish. It has some spiciness to it and for once, I think I’m actually getting that “dried fruit” that other reviewers talk about. I also get some corn/grainy flavors. On the second sip, the rye-like spiciness hits the back of your throat. The mouthfeel isn’t as thick as I would expect for a 10 year old. The finish is warming without being burning and continues with the spice. On the third sip, I picked up some chocolate flavor, both up front and on the finish. Comments: This is 90 proof and it seems to be right where you’d expect a 90 proof to be, heat-wise. For a 10 year old, though, I would have hoped for a little more complexity. It isn’t bad, but it doesn’t scream, “have some more sips, you’ll love me”. I didn’t mind it, but it didn’t leave me wanting more. I got this in PA and don’t remember what I paid for it. If someone poured it for me, I wouldn’t complain, but I wouldn’t run out to get a bottle of it either (well, unless it was really cheap…..I LOVE really cheap whiskey that is drinkable!). This is one of those odd ducks that is made in KY, but bottled in California. For the life of me, I don’t get how that is economically feasible. Whether you ship the barrels or dump them in a big train tanker car, I don’t see how it makes sense to send it to CA just to bottle it. Oh well, one of those mysteries I’m not supposed to understand, I guess. In any case, the back label of this bottle indicates that this is the “first in a series of Small Batch Limited Edition Bottlings. Old Beezer celebrates the importance of the master distillers nose (his beezer) in selecting the wheat, rye and corn mash bill to produce the worlds finest bourbon whiskey. Bottled at 90 proof after 10 long years to produce a full bodied nose, with notes of vanilla,, banana and almonds. Dried fruits, spice and toast on the palate lead to a long sweet finish.” I’d recommend trying this one at the Flying Aces….it is one of those that you may like, even though I’m indifferent about it.