In 2012, the original 50% ABV version of Cleveland Whiskey earned one of the lowest scores I’ve ever given a whisky. At the time, I promised to try it again in the future to give it another chance. The whisky is approximately six-month-old Bourbon spirit distilled at MGP-I in Indiana that is “pressure-aged” using a proprietary process that is claimed to give young whisky the color, aroma, and taste of older whiskies. The label gets marks for transparency, with the language “colored and flavored with wood segments.”

The nose is grainy with notes of sweet corn, linseed oil, furniture polish, soft spices, and a hint of lemon zest. The taste has heavy tannins and lemon zest with a lemon pepper spiciness that kicks in, leaving an astringent, dry, and tart palate with hints of clove and sweet corn in the background. The finish is dry, tart, and lemony.

This whisky is labeled a Bourbon, but one would have to look hard to find any of the usual notes found in a Bourbon. I poured blind samples for colleagues at The Whisky Show in London, and none were prepared to call it a Bourbon based on a blind tasting. It is better than the original Cleveland Whiskey, though…even if that’s faint praise. (October, 2014)