Of course, it’s pretty obvious I’m deep diving into American whiskey again. It was never far away, but I didn’t really engage with it properly for a while. I did get some samples from MvZ in the past that I hadn’t tried yet, and this is one of them.

There is at least one even older one that I’ll be reviewing soon, from the original Stitzel-Weller distillery, so that should be something!

This one then, bottled in 1973. Since it’s a straight whiskey without an age statement, it’s at least four years old. That results in this being distilled in the late sixties at the latest. Over fifty years ago.

Sniff:
Very rich and rather light bourbon. It’s a bit more minty and menthol like than contemporary bourbons, in general. There’s corn, and dry oak but not an overload of sweetness. Cigar leaves, for a bit more depth.

Sip:
The palate brings a bit more sweetness, but that is nicely held in check by a surprising amount of bite (for a 43% whiskey), and some cherry stones and almonds. Sour cherries, dry oak and sawdust, and a dry kind of menthol with a hint of cigarette.

Swallow:
The finish mellows quickly and leaves a bit more spicy notes together with the bitterness and sweetness of the palate. The oak is a bit more prominent and therefore, the dryness is too.

There are some things that this whiskey is, and is not. It’s a much more old fashioned whiskey which makes it stand out from the contemporary crowd. It’s a bit lighter than ‘really’ old fashioned whiskeys though. What it’s not is a whiskey that changes your view of bourbon in general.

The menthol and cherry notes are great. A different style of oak and cigarettes is interesting too. I wouldn’t mind having a bottle of this!

88/100

Old Taylor Straight Bourbon, 43%, bottled in 1973