Raspberry | Butterscotch | Toasted oak | Cola | Waffle cone

Cinnamon | Nutmeg | Vanilla pudding | Rye spice

Toasted pecan | Toasted oak | Cola

Buzzard’s Roost was created and started by Judy Hollis Jone and Jason Brauner, the latter being the owner of the influential Bourbons Bistro in Louisville, KY. As Buzzard’s Roost typically does, they put their own unique twist on how they release a particular style of whiskey. For their American Whiskey, they took 3 year old Indiana-made bourbon and subjected it to a second maturation period within the proprietary barrels they helped develop. According to Buzzard’s Roost’s website, “Extensive research revealed that heavy toasting, varying the time and temperature, creates diverse flavor profiles, from sweet and spicy to smoky. These barrels are then lightly charred to a #1 level, chosen to preserve caramelized wood sugars.”

It’s surprising Buzzard’s Roost went with the American whiskey designation where everyone else simply slaps on “Bourbon finished in toasted barrels," (of course there could be things behind the scene that dictated this). The company also puts a strong emphasis on using this release in cocktails, which I don’t doubt in the right hands, could make a delicate-tasting whiskey cocktail due to the toasted oak notes, but for most amateur mixologists, this would probably get lost. This is due to a lot of Buzzard’s Roost American Whiskey flavors coming out when you sip it slowly. Toasted oak runs throughout, but it's delicate, and the whiskey’s other notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla pudding, toasted pecan, and cola have ample room to be showcased. This isn't a whiskey that will wow you with one quick sip, but one that reveals its nuances in time.