Kentucky cream pull candy | Sweet corn | Dab of peanut brittle | Damp oak | Overall faint scents

Light vanilla | Sweet oak | Gently rye spice | Faint candy corn | Dab of peanut brittle | Nice mix of sweet & spice

Quick burst of rye spice | Vanilla powder | Oak | Leather | Short

Saint Cloud positions their products to have an upscale feel with their tall sleek and distinctive bottle that stands out on the shelf. Adorned with cork that displays a copper colored Icarus holding a fleur-de-lis, it’s a nice nod to the fact that it’s a Kentucky sourced bourbon at heart.

The sip features a wealth of flavors, however, they come across as faint and lacking complexity. Opening on sweet notes with a touch of damp oak, the whiskey has a sweet aroma, but one that makes you work to pick it apart. The midpoint of the sip rises above the rest with a nice mix of sweet and spicy notes, along with a faint candy corn note which helps explain the bourbon's given “Candy Corn” moniker. Ending on a quick burst of rye spice along with more traditional notes of oak and leather, the finish is short overall and caps off the sip with a distinct abruptness.

For those expecting the same experience out of this 100 proof single barrel version that they may have experienced with the higher proof Saint Cloud’s 7 Year Single Barrel Bourbon, they will walk away disappointed. While each single barrel by definition will be unique, the barrel being reviewed delivers a bourbon that is flavorful but also makes you work too hard to appreciate those flavors. Factor in its high price tag, and the end result is that this whiskey is hard to justify in today’s market.

The bourbon being reviewed comes from the barrel named “Candy Corn” and is bottle number 83.