pappy van winkle's 15 YO family reserve

First review in quite a while for me and what a way to get back into it!! Most of you who know me will know that bourbon for me is a type of whisky I enjoy for the sense of adventure and the individual journeys that can be taken through their great variety of taste.

I have been searching for this particular bourbon for a long time and finally found a barely touched bottle sitting neglected in a pub in Farringdon (London) run by the Old Cask Company. I would definitely recommend this particular pub to anyone in the area ... with over 37 beers on tap including 15 real cask ales. ... anyway back to the tasting .....

Nose, I'm a bit disappointed. I get caramel ... but then I almost always get caramel on the nose of bourbons like this. As the smell matures I get ... bananas? Can't wait to taste.

Palate. Wow, first thing I get on my tongue is bananas. I've never tasted this effect of oak on whisky before. the bourbon itself is smooth with a bitter twang of raspberry. Time has a very real effect on the palate swell as the nose. Suddenly I am no longer met with banana. But a very strong taste of sugar cane is very well received. I've given taste a 25 .....

Finish. A slightly sour twang of raspberry makes my lips pucker for just a moment. The finish is long and sweet, caramel lingering on the tip of my tongue.

I'm impressed. It's the best bourbon I have ever tasted. I can almost hear the chopping of sickles as raw sugar is harvested from the field. The warm southern sun beating on my face as I take another sip of this exceptional whiskey.