Cinnamon candy | Ginger chew | Lemon peel | Faint grain

Lemon cream | Green peppercorn spice | Vanilla stick | Sticky bun | Creamy mouthfeel

Black peppercorn spice | Charred oak | Prickly heat | Faint creamy caramel | Dry

Finger Lakes Distilling is located on the southeast side of Seneca Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes wine region. The brainchild of Brian McKenzie, the company was one of the earliest craft whiskey distilleries in New York, having started operations in 2007. Finger Lakes Distilling uses locally sourced grains for their products, and produces a variety of different whiskeys and liqueurs, with the McKenzie whiskey brand being what they’re best known for.

Unlike their Bottled in Bond Rye, the company’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon is aged the legally required minimum of 4 years. The bourbon’s youthfulness doesn’t come across though, as McKenzie Bottled in Bond Bourbon is a well-defined sip. Opening with an intriguing aroma, the bourbon presents scents of cinnamon candy and a ginger chew with light lemon peel layered on top. The lemon continues on to the midpoint in the form of lemon cream, and adds in soft vanilla stick and sticky bun, along with a pleasing contrast of green peppercorn spice. The finish is more straight to the point with a focus on black peppercorn spice and charred oak, along with faint creamy caramel that is held down.

McKenzie Bottled in Bond Bourbon is a nice showing from Finger Lakes Distilling. Its slightly nontraditional flavor profile will appeal to those purists who are looking for a break from their typical pours. Additionally, thanks to the inclusion of wheat in its mashbill, its softer flavor profile serves as a nice introduction for those who haven’t had a New York State bourbon before.