Proof: 100
Age: NAS
Distillery: Lux Row
Mashbill: 68/20/12
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Nose: Almond, Apricot, Butterscotch, Burnt Toast, Caramel, Cinnamon, Cherry, Cornbread, Ethanol, Wheat Grain, Musty oak, Nutmeg, Vanilla
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Taste: Thin/Silky mouthfeel. Apricot, Brown Butter, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Fig, Honey, Vanilla, Fruity, Cinnamon, Slight Nuttiness.
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Finish: Medium Length. This finish is quite the wild ride. Up front you get a delicious red fruit and bready note that reminds me of waffles and fruit, then it goes right into a nice – but too light, cinnamon/nutmeg combo, before ending with a nice vanilla and brown sugar note.
The entire finish has a decent, underlying note of fruit and light spice, but goes back and forth on flavor.
There is a nice rich, vanilla note at the end of the palate that I wish was there the entire time! The one main issue with the finish on this whiskey is that you feel that slight hug, but the flavor dissipates very quickly.
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Overall: This is not a bad whiskey. It is very thin on the mouthfeel, but seeing it is Heaven Hill sourced wheated bourbon, that makes sense.
Heaven Hill puts their wheated juice in the barrel at 125 proof to maximize yield and profits. Places like Buffalo Trace and Makers do 114 and 110 respectively.
This allows for the wheated bourbon to retain an oilier texture, which feels thicker overall – creating that nice bready mouthfeel people like in brands like Weller and Maker’s.
The price point on this bottle is fantastic, that is its one saving grace. For an average of $20-$30 in my area, it is an easy buy. Lux Row is distilling themselves now and it seems like they are going to be doing things the same way as the brands they source from.
If anyone from Lux Co. reads this, please drop the entry proof point on this product. It will benefit from it and fans will be happy that you did so!
You can’t have a wheated bourbon of this proof point feel as if it is a 90 proof from another brand based on texture and mouthfeel. Those were big detractors for me and one reason why it came in at the score it did. That being said, I encourage everyone to try this bottle, because it is priced so damn well, and let me know your thoughts on it!
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Rating:6.5/10
Value Rating:8/10
Total Score:7.25/10
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