This is my second tasting of Belle Meade Sour Mash Whiskey Straight Bourbon, and once again, I am not getting much on the nose. Maybe a mild rye spice, clove, black pepper, but that’s it. All of these notes are very mild initially. After sitting in the glass for a while, they start to open up a little bit, but none of the notes are overwhelming. The caramel only reveals itself after the initial nosing and after being in the glass for a while. You have to put forth some effort to get the traditional bourbon notes on the nose with Belle Meade Bourbon.
The taste is surprisingly aggressive for a 90.4 proof bourbon. There’s a lot of black pepper and ethanol on the palate. Although the palate is initially assertive after a while, it almost seems like this bourbon is watered down. On the front of the tongue, there’s nothing.
The finish is relatively uneventful. Although the spice lingers on the tongue, there’s no warmth as it goes down the esophagus.