The bourbon sample used for this review was provided at no cost, courtesy of the respective company.
Great Jones Distilling Company is Manhattan’s first and only whiskey distillery since Prohibition has combined art and bourbon.
The company has released Jean-Michel Basquiat’s collection. Basquiat was an American painter known for his raw gestural painting style with graffiti-like images and scrawled text. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, his style was unique for the times and brought him notoriety on the streets of the “Big Apple.”
The distillery has released three bottles in total, which celebrate the artist’s art, culture and individual style.
First off, how can you not love the bottle design? I know it’s not the bottle. It’s what is in it that matters. What’s in the bottle is a 7-year-old bourbon that registers at 91 proof.
Being a 7-year-old bourbon, I expected a little more nose than I received. While I did get the basic caramel and vanilla notes, I was surprised by the lack of baking spices or even a hint of apple that Pineau Des Charentes wines are known for.
The taste was mild and revealed floral notes and an apple jam flavor. It’s very drinkable but a little too sweet for my taste in bourbon. This bourbon could be more of an after-dinner pour or even a nightcap.
The finish does have a heavy dose of the wine cask flavor. The sweetness of white grapes is apparent, but with a touch of oak, if that makes sense. I can see this bourbon as a mixer in Smokey Old Fashioned or a Gold Rush.
This bourbon has so much potential, but the sweetness may be too overpowering for an everyday sipper.
This whiskey receives 3/5 Barrels.
Click here for more Bourbon Reviews.
