Burnside Bourbon

Today we are featuring a straight bourbon whiskey from Eastside Distilling, an up and coming producer located in Southeast Portland's Distillery Row. They have been producing a variety of small batch rums, vodkas, and whiskey since 2009. For this review, we are drinking Burnside Bourbon, "put some sideburns on your face"! 

Details:
96 proof
4 years old 
Mashbill: Spoke with a team member on the phone, he said that Burnside bourbon was at least 75% corn, and that the rye and barley vary (interesting).

Color: Bright amber 

Nose: Sweetness in the form of fluffy vanilla icing and sweet corn. Fruity and floral notes express themselves with apples and rose pedals. 

Taste: A light mouthfeel with a dry, subtle sweetness. Tart maple, sour applesauce, and cherry syrup. On the mid palate there is Captain Crunch cereal with a bit of cream corn, cinnamon, and bitter oak. 

Finish: Moderately quick in length. Heavy ethanol reminiscent of a shot of vodka with sharp rye spice and slight oak.

Conclusion: Right out of the glass you get the sense of a young, hot bourbon. The subtle sweetness, dominant ethanol and bitter oak may indeed just leave some sideburns  on your face. At 4 years old, the $30 price tag on burnside bourbon is a bit more than I'm willing to pay. I hope that in the future, they age this bourbon for a few more years to give it that boldness it currently lacks. For now, I recommend trying this at a bar before picking up a bottle.

My Rating: C (Decent)