Tom Sims

Nose: Very light and slightly antiseptic. Inoffensive. Palate: Smooth and easy drinking, but not much going on. Quite frankly, I couldn’t pinpoint any particular flavor that stood out. So, as much as I’d like to say something like, “leathery, like the inside of someone’s shoe”, I can’t really find anything noteworthy. That said, there is a tiny hint of smoke at the tail end and maybe a touch of vanilla somewhere in there. It goes down very easily, with no burn (which, at 80 proof, isn’t all that surprising), and has just a nice bourbon “warmth” at the end. Comments: I shouldn’t have (and won’t in the future), but I looked at the label before I tried this one. And saw that is was from Bardstown, KY. Now, anyone who knows my whiskey taste knows that I have a secret (well, not really all that secret) love-affair with ANYTHING made in Bardstown. Well, this is no exception. Is it the best or even top 10? Nope. But, I believe this pint bottle, which I purchased in Florida only cost something like $5 (maybe less?). Worth it? Yep, if for no other reason that it is odd and obscure and doesn’t taste awful. The label states it is 4 years old. If I lived in FL and didn’t already have a big inventory, this could be an easy daily drinker. There appears to be a 6 year old version of this and I may actually have it…..I’ll look and if so, I’ll put it on the review list. The Skinny: Well, the label says “Thomas W. Sims Distillery, Bardstown, KY”. There is no such animal. But savvy internet geeks say that the UPC code indicates it is made by Heaven Hill. Not surprising, since they make a huge amount of stuff at the lower end and label the same stuff under different names for different markets. Some on-line speculation thinks this might be the same thing that is labeled Fighting Cock in other places. It looks like Tom Sims is marketed in FL and TX.