NOSE: Raspberry parfait | black pepper, cream soda, popcorn| nutmeg and plum.

TASTE: Butterscotch and raspberry | vanilla ice cream with black pepper| crème brulée.

FINISH: Medium length with a sweet/spice balance | moderate Kentucky hug | fruit and pepper on the exhale.

SHARE WITH: Pretty much anyone, it's surprisingly approachable and you'll be able to impress newcomers and whiskey aficionados alike with a pour of this.

WORTH THE PRICE: Absolutely, it's tasty and the price is fantastic.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle! If you want an "everyday sipper" this will fit the bill nicely and I'm sure this will become a regular purchase for a lot of people given the crowd-pleasing flavor profile and price point.

OVERALL: I was immediately struck by how fruit-forward this bourbon is, as the raspberry and plum notes are prominent despite it being a relatively young whiskey. Caramelized sugar and a strong black pepper influence makes for a medley of alluring aromas that slightly outperform the palate, but it tastes good too! Led by butterscotch before the fruit and spice develop in the mouth, this is a really well-rounded bourbon for its age.

Bourbon & Banter's editor, Steve Coomes, recently wrote about DSP-10-KY which produces Wheel Horse's bourbon, as well as the recently released Green River Bourbon, and noted that the two bear a similarity. While Green River's bourbon carries a bit more age and comes in a fancier bottle, Wheel Horse has a higher proof point making them companions more than direct competitors. Because of this (and Pops' enthusiastic endorsement of Green River's offering), I recommend getting yourself a bottle and comparing it to other bourbons of similar specs to see which you prefer.

Where it most prominently shows its young age is in the mouthfeel, which isn't thin, per se, but just a little ... unremarkable. Despite this, it has enough punch to make an impact in cocktails and an easy-sipping range of flavors that make it ideal to drink neat as well. In sacrificing complexity for approachability Wheel Horse has produced a bourbon that succeeds in catering to a broad audience without offending either novices or avid enthusiasts.

Wheel Horse Kentucky Straight Bourbon

“This sour mash, small-batch whiskey is made from 70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley. It's distilled in copper stills then matured in hand-selected, 53-gallon, charred American oak barrels for between two and four years. We use a #4 char. Like all of our small batch whiskeys, Wheel Horse Bourbon is bottled at 101 proof and without chill filtration.”