Traverse City Whiskey Co. - Straight Bourbon XXX Whiskey

Nose: Very mild. A little bit of corn and a little bit of alcohol. Palate: It has a pleasant, if youngish, corn flavor. It isn’t really very moonshiney at all. A second sip brought out some other, non-corn, sweetness, but I’m having trouble putting my finger on it today….maybe more fruity?. The mouthfeel is on the light to medium side. There’s a pretty short, non-harsh, non-burning finish that has a hint of burnt or toasted….something. Again, I’m having trouble identifying it. A third sip brought out some more sweetness, but this time at the back of the throat. I’m not picking up any spice again today…..so let’s hope I don’t this one wrong too….I’m guessing not much if any rye in the mash bill. Comment: I kinda like this one. It is a mild 86 proof and only aged “two years or more”. But, although it isn’t very complex and you might guess it was youngish in a blind taste test, it really is pretty satisfying….as long as you aren’t looking for a life-changing bourbon experience. It is a very easy sipper. So…this stuff comes from Michigan. Normally, I wouldn’t even think to buy something from a place like that, but I’m pretty sure that I tried this somewhere and liked it enough to get a bottle. Now the interesting thing is, the weather in Michigan is actually very conducive to making bourbon, so it actually makes a lot more sense than it does to make bourbon in Texas (which is most certainly NOT suited to making bourbon). Interestingly, this company sourced its bourbon before their’s was “of age”. I don’t know if THIS bottle is their’s or something sourced. Newer bottles of this now have a label which states, “….aged three years or more”. Lastly….ARGH….it seems the mash bill is 71% corn, 25% rye and 4% barley. So, yes, there IS rye in the mash bill…..maybe it is just me, but I am just not picking up on it. I think this cost somewhere in the low-mid $30’s range. You can certainly do worse in that price range. If you want something a little different, from some PLACE different, this is probably a decent choice. As I’ve often said, at a dollar days (I’m guessing mid-$20’s) price, it would not be a bad pick. Will it replace one of your favorites? I doubt it, but it is still definitely worth a sip. These guys put out some other products that might warrant investigation, including a rye, a barrel strength, a port-barrel finish and a cherry bourbon (oooh….I LIKE cherries and Michigan is know for them, so this might be pretty good?) OK….here’s a late sip addition. STILL very nice. I like it. Try it, you might too.