Raw barley | Wet stone | Mint | Corn | Brown sugar | Light oak

Sweet corn | Vanilla | Toasted marshmallow | Fig | Grainy

Cinnamon spice | Marzipan | Dried apple | Brown sugar | Nutmeg | Dates

Long Island Spirits was founded in 2007 in Baiting Hollow, New York. The company was the first distillery to be located on Long Island since the 1800s. It’s a farm-to-bottle distillery producing a range of spirits, including vodka, liqueurs, and various types of whiskey.

This Rough Rider Straight Bourbon was finished in ex-French oak that once held Brandy distilled from pinot noir, Chardonnay, and merlot grapes, yet the company’s grain-forward flavor profile persists. Despite being finished, many of the brand’s core characteristics pull through. It begins with an aroma that is raw barley focused, that’s followed by wet stone, mint, and corn. That corn carries through to the palate but is offset by vanilla, toasted marshmallow, and fig notes. The finish pulls things together with cinnamon spice, marzipan, dried apple, brown sugar, and dates.

For being a finished bourbon, its mouthfeel is on the thin side, and the flavors quickly drop off. That said, the bourbon’s finish does improve the overall flavor profile compared to the company’s younger bourbons. The toasted marshmallow, fig, dried apple, and date notes stand out, but the rest of the whiskey does not do enough to fully support them. It’s an OK sipper that has some noticeable flaws that need to be ironed out in order to compete in the highly competitive bourbon finished market.