Brown sugar | Light cinnamon | Faint cornbread | Vanilla | Oak | Classic bourbon scents

Vanilla powder | Cinnamon stick | Slight dry oak | White peppercorn | Light dried spiced apples | Light rye spice

Vanilla syrup | Oak | Light rye spice | Short

Seven Three Distilling was founded in 2016 and is located in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana. The company is named after the 73 neighborhoods that call New Orleans home. Not only is the company’s whiskey aged in the unique hot and humid climate of New Orleans, but since the city is also situated below sea level, this distinctive geographic feature offers a unique aging condition for the bourbon.

The sip opens with a straightforward classic aroma, with brown sugar, light cinnamon, oak, and vanilla forming its backbone. The classic theme continues to the palate with light spice being added in, along with a light dried spice apple note. In line with the rest of the sip, the finish displays vanilla, oak, and light rye spice before quickly wrapping up.

While New Orleans may offer a unique aging environment, the resulting sip of Bywater Four Grain Bourbon doesn’t highlight that to the degree I was hoping for. It could be the ratio of the blend used when it comes to their in-house versus sourced bourbon; however, the resulting sip tastes like a regular Indiana distilled whiskey versus craft-distilled despite the fact that Indiana sourced barrels may have been aged there. This isn’t a negative connotation; more so, it means that Bywater Four Grain Bourbon has a hard time standing out among the sea of average-tasting bourbons on the shelf despite the inclusion of its unique aging attribute.

The bottle in review comes from batch 006.