MW03 said:
I've never been able to try W12, so I appreciated the review. Everyone always says "x bourbon is great" but never really explains why they think so. Posts like this definitely add value to the thread, even if the part at the end about it being difficult to find is a little bit humorous.
To be fair, yes tastings add value and are a welcome change of pace to the conversation, but the pretension that I find in bourbon reviews these days is also quite humorous.
It ranges from mild snobbiness all the way to curled up mustache, flannel scarf wearing hipster.
This is not a shot at Marathon, but I roll my eyes when people (especially people new to bourbon) write a review about the 20 different tasting notes they got from a 90 proof bourbon like it's a fine wine. I know everyone is just trying to accurately describe what they taste, but let's ease up a bit. I liked that Marathon kept his simple.
A perfect example is when reviewers try to sound fancy with terms of tastes they've likely never even tasted before (a few I saw and laughed at were "moldy sponge" or "gunpowder"). A good excerpt:
Quote:
Nose: Honeysuckle and layers of vanilla toffee. Soft woody spice appears from underneath with creamy lemon posset, fluffy apples, ripe pears and almonds. Sweet butter, brioche and pain aux raisins develop.
This is another one of my favorites. Somehow manages to link Blanton's with (among other things) "rain-wet slate", "pickle brine", "soot", and not just vanilla, but "vanilla fondant".
https://www.reddit.com/r/bourbon/comments/mecw0n/review_87_blantons_single_barrel_bourbon_bottled/
