Tom Sims - 6 Year Old

Nose: Light and not intrusive. Not strong enough to make any particular impression, scent-wise, but quite frankly, I hardly ever find that the nose influences the taste anyway and often is radically different than the taste. Palate: The extra 2 years of this version of Tom Sims adds a little more substance to this example. It is still smooth and easy drinking, but with a touch more “oomph” (more “chewy?). The 6 year old has a bit more wood to it and a little meatier on the vanilla. This one also has that smoke on the tail end. It goes down just as easily as the 4 year old, very easily, (not harsh and no burn with just a tad bit more “warmth” at the end). Comments: This is another “cheaper” example I picked up on a trip to Florida. Unfortunately, it isn’t available everywhere. I don’t remember the price difference between this and the 4 year old, but in this case, the extra 2 years DOES add value for the $. I like that both this and the 4 year old have a nice “oily” quality and a very nice, not-watered-down mouth feel. If this was available around here, I might use it as an “introduction” bourbon for people who aren’t well versed in bourbon, instead of the much more expensive Basil Hayden I usually offer. It has been a while since I’ve had this and I think I may have to do some research to determine what the equivalent Heaven Hill product is that gets sold around these parts. If you travel to Florida and need something cheap to drink while there, I’d highly recommend this. The Skinny: Like the 4 year old version of Tom Sims, the label says “Thomas W. Sims Distillery, Bardstown, KY”. Agains, there is no such animal. But savvy internet geeks say that the UPC code indicates it is made by Heaven Hill. This clocks in at 86 proof.