That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC) is a bit of a weird one. I’m very much all for them, as a skeptic.

When their first reveal happened at Maltstock there were some serious issues with the whiskies, which were only solved several years later. All of them tasted like fennel. That’s been solved for quite some time now, and another positive spin was that they started adding age statements, initially in support of Compass Box (they got complaint about being too open about their blends).

However, currently I find their pricing policy utterly ridiculous. Most whiskeys that come out get really good reviews, but then you check what they cost and you soon find yourself closing that browser tab. Especially when considered that you only get a 50cl bottle, while the price is generally higher than their 70cl counterparts.

Anyway, this one then. A 24 year old bourbon was priced quite fairly. Especially last year when it was discounted. You would still have to spend about € 150 for a bottle, but with current bourbon prices, that’s not a bad investment. Let’s see if it warrants the price tag!

Sniff:
Lots of oak and bitterness, a lot of cask influence, which is quite obvious after a quarter century in a barrel. Some dark chocolate and popcorn. Toasted bread, some blackberries.

Sip:
The palate is very light, with quite some dryness from the long time in the cask. The bitterness reminds me of autumn leaves and cigar leaves. Toasted bread, popcorn and cocoa. The intensity builds a little bit after some swimming. It gets more autumnal too.

Swallow:
The finish has some alcohol heat to it, but mellows quickly. It’s slightly more sweet here, with the popcorn becoming more like corn syrup. Still a lot of oak, but the autumnal bitterness is more or less gone.

It has the bitterness of old bourbon, without it having turned into liquid splinters. So that’s a good thing. However, I would have preferred a bit more complexity. It’s a fairly light bourbon, without too many different flavors. Although it’s nice that you get the popcorn flavor. I like that quite a lot.

87/100

Bourbon Whiskey #1, 24 years old, 48%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Currently still available in the UK for £ 200