Honeycomb | Ripe honeydew melon | Allspice | Light & unusual

Allspice | Cinnamon | Herbal/floral undertone | Dandelion | Grassy | Allspice on the backend | Gentle

Allspice amplifies | Honeycomb | Honeydew melon | Brown sugar | Lingering spice

Blue Run Reflection II follows the brand’s acquisition by Molson Coors in August 2023, and represents their second release in the series. Reflection II comes about a year and a half after Reflection I, and adds 5 proof points to bring it to an even 100 proof. According to the company’s press release, Reflection II contains less rye and “features older whiskey stocks” than Reflection I.

Reflection II is noticeably light in color, and that lightness translates to its gentle flavor profile. While it features older whiskey stocks than its predecessor, you would not guess this by taste, as Reflection II leans more heavily towards floral and bright fruit notes with just slight hints of allspice and brown sugar, alluding to more time in oak. Its gentle flavor profile is characteristic of Blue Run, but the degree to which Reflection II leans into its floral/herbal/fruit notes is uncharacteristic of Kentucky bourbons. As a result, it will be polarizing among drinkers, satisfying those who enjoy lighter floral notes but not those seeking more traditional caramel/vanilla/wood flavors. Considering the price point and my experience with other Blue Run releases, Reflection II is a bit disappointing as it doesn’t reach the level other Blue Run releases have attained.

The bottle in review is bottle number 0782 has a date of 6/8/2023 and code 1200-T2.