Peach | Ripe pear | Apricot | Graham cracker | Fresh baked bread | Slight heat

Big raisin note | Ripe pear | Fig | Caramel chews | Vanilla custard | Sweet overall

Summer fruits | Peach | Apricot | Light baking spices develop and fade quickly | Short & crisp

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Crux Distillery is a veteran owned distillery. According to the company’s website, “Southern Cross Bourbon’s name was inspired and rooted after The Southern Cross constellation superimposed on the dagger. It represents the historic achievements of the Marines serving during the Pacific campaign of WWII, specifically those actions on Guadalcanal. The Southern Cross remains a part of the legacy of the modern-day Marine Corps Raider units.” The website goes on to say, “the company has four owners, Danny Draher a Marine Recon-Raider, Destiny Flynn a Gold Star wife and Mother and Army Veteran, Holly Smith an Emergency Room Nurse and Allan Smith a Firefighter-Paramedic and Marine Corps Veteran.”

Strangely, this bourbon evolved quite a bit from the initial pour to the review pour a few weeks later. Initially, it came across fairly grainy and ethanol-punchy, but after the bottle was opened for some time, it became quite a bit sweeter and more fruit-forward than it was originally, with the ethanol punch almost completely dissipated. The whiskey leans heavily into its sweet notes, which are driven not only by its 45% wheat mashbill, but also by the specific barrels selected for the blend. Peach, ripe pear, and apricot weave their way through the sip to various degrees and combine with graham cracker, baking bread, caramel chews, vanilla custard, and finally a light and quick baking spice note in the finish. It’s laser-focused on the sweet fruit-forward flavor vein which some will find extremely enjoyable, while others will find more one-dimensional. Overall it’s difficult to dislike, and what it lacks in complexity it makes up for with drinkability.