Hard Truth Distillery in Nashville, Indiana makes excellent sweet mash whiskey. This Bourbon is a wheat recipe Bourbon finished in Mizunara barrels. It is a very sweet flavored Bourbon with lots of chocolate and fruit, but it is not overly sweet. Matt and I sat down to taste this Bourbon the other day and here are our tasting notes.

Hard Truth Mizunara Barrel Finished Reserve

Proof: 116

Age: No Age Statement

Nose:

  • Mike: Chocolate, vanilla, caramel, wild berries, baking spices and oak wood.
  • Matt: Caramel, chocolate, nutmeg, toasted nuts and oak wood.

Taste

  • Mike: Chocolate, vanilla, cherries, allspice and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the chocolate and caramel are enhanced and cinnamon spice comes forward. Tasted with a pecan and raspberry and nutmeg join the party.
  • Matt: Caramel, chocolate, peanuts, blackberry and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the caramel. The pecan added a note of coffee.

Finish:

  • Mike: Long with oak wood, chocolate and allspice. The dried cranberry added cinnamon to the finish. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood, cinnamon and lingering raspberry.
  • Matt: Long with oak and chocolate. The dried cranberry added toasted peanuts to the finish. The pecan added coffee to the finish.

I would pair this fine whiskey with a My Father The Judge cigar. The vanilla and chocolate in the smoke would enhance the chocolate in the whiskey.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller