Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey

Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey - 750ml Nose: The nose is strong and complex. I pick up on sweet notes first and this one has them in abundance. Every sniff reveals something new which is an amazing experience, like the gift that keeps on giving. Scents of cinnamon rolls, maple syrup, and warm baking spices dominate. Fruits such as fresh cut peaches, raspberries and cherries give off that classic Buffalo Trace vibe for being fruit-heavy. The oak smells so different on this one, almost… “velvety” if you can believe it. There are scents of vanilla and blueberry cream(strangely, most dusty bourbons give me a "blueberry” note for fruit. I wonder if this is what I’m experiencing). Warm butterscotch and raisin bread pudding complete all the sensations I can smell before my nose dies from too much happiness. Palate: A flavor explosion of cherry strudel, strawberry licorice, cinnamon spiced honey, and what I perceive to be much more rye notes than the previous Mr. Sam. Maybe there is a stronger Canadian Whisky presence, but I’m finding more mint, floral notes and some pine sap than I was expecting. That’s okay though because it’s just adding that much more complexity. Chocolate covered espresso beans, flat cola and toffee give sweet, complex notes that I’m not sure anyone would dislike. Spicy notes come courtesy of smoldering red pepper flakes while the duality of buttercream frosting and chocolate pie crust fight to see which one pulls more weight. Fruit notes are found often with flavors of candied lemon peel and strawberry and rhubarb pie Finish: The chocolate that was on the palate turns to a fine ganache while sweet, heavy tobacco and complex aged oak notes steal the show. This has some real age on it, but with the lack of an age statement, I guess we’ll never know how old. This finishes like a ridiculously good George T Stagg blended with some of those 16 year old Barton Rye Whiskey barrels. The finish is still very complex but it’s the aged notes that are dominant.