Over the years, we've had some great discussions here about whiskey and I've long thought it would be a good idea to have a regular discussion.  Here is my attempt!!!!   I figured this is the perfect time to start for 2 reasons.  One, I have about 90 bottles of whiskey in the basement and 2 we have 68 painful days of offseason left.  Wouldn't that time go by a lot faster if we all had a buzz on?  

I will go ahead and apologize now to those who like Scotch, Irish, and Canadian whiskeys, as my collection is very American and will mostly be Bourbon and Rye.  I'm not a snob, and I'll try just about any whiskey, I just really enjoy the punch in the face American whiskey provides. 

Without further ado, the first whiskey I would like to review is Henry McKenna 10 year Single Barrel.  It seems that recently this bourbon has really become quite popular and in some places getting harder to find.  Since I've been reading and hearing a lot about it, I decided to pick a bottle up and see for myself. 

The Facts: 

Distiller:  Heaven Hill

Price:  $30 bucks

Proof:  100

Color:  Deep Amber

Nose:  Caramel, Vanilla, and Oak

Palate:  Caramel and Butterscotch up front, heat/burn on the back end with oak.  I liked the mouthfeel and finish of this bourbon.  It coated my tongue and stayed with me a little. 

I've really come to enjoy a lot of the labels Heaven Hill releases.  It's not my favorite distillery but when they get it right, they nail it.  I drank this neat (is there any other way?) and honestly believe it's smooth enough for a beginner to sip with enough character for an old pro to find it interesting.  At 30 dollars per bottle, I think it's still a value.  I know it has become harder to find in some places, but you should be able to find it.  If you live near Northern Kentucky, you can find it all over at our liquor stores.  It's the newest addition to my collection, but one that I would replace for sure.  I have a feeling this could become the new "wise guy" bottle that will become the worst kept secret in bourbon like Weller 12 used to be.  My advice, if you are shopping in the 30 dollar range and want something tasty, this is one of the better options you could go with.  It's also not the run of the mill bottle everyone has tried.  You could break this out with the average bourbon fan, and it would be the first time they've tried it.  When they are surprised by how great it is you'll look like a genius!  At any rate, this one won't break the bank, and is very good.  Pick up a bottle, you won't be disappointed. 

I hope next time to include a picture.  I tried to insert one in here, but it was giagantic.