Post Thanksgiving, two drops of liquid Americana. One is dirt cheap ($20 in the USA) and the other one a much hyped and sought after Pappy Van Winkle 15 which costs, well a lot, that is if you can buy it (Demand and Supply. and it’s in bloody crazy demand). Those two lovely drams were part of a 3 sample bomb given to me by Shai (@dsappl) who’s a good friend of the blog (and mine) and a lover of all things whisky (and whiskey). Of course those two were blind samples, marked #1, #2, and I had no idea what I was drinking and scoring until he revealed that after I told him I liked #2 better, but #1 was very good too. #2 was the Pappy in case you’re wondering, But I guess it could have well been #1, as both were lovely. I think the idea of the sample bomb was to make a point that Cheap bourbon ( but a good one) and much hyped and expensive Bourbon can both be good, and that pricing and branding is 
much due to PR and advertising and marketing, while the liquid is itself sometimes quite of the same quality….
Ok, enough talk. let’s get down to dramming, shall we?
Corner Creek , 45% ABV , $29 or £34 (UK).
Nose: Tons of vanilla and pencil boxes. Spicy too with hints if cumin and pine needles. Balsamic vinegar, and varnish.
Palate: Spicy entry. Lots of chilly. Sweet sugar and vanilla. Spiced wood. Some acetone.
Finish : vanilla. Pine.
A lovely whiskey, and well worth getting for the silly price of under $30. Just so sad prices take a major hike when stuff are imported into EU.
Score: 85/100
Get Corner creek here (US), or here (TWE)
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon (15 year) , 53.5%
Nose: Feels stronger And not as sweet as the Corner Creek, with lots of acetone, Maple. and pine. It’s quite Sharp do to the high Abv, and needs some time to relax in the glass.
Palate: Hh my god. It’s massive. Sweet avalanche of flavors. Pepper. Rye. Sugar and wood. Cinnamon chilly, some earth, and a note of tobacco leaves.
Finish: Spicy wood. Vanilla. Maple and a whole lot of earth.
This is a massive dram, rich, complex, and requires some time and even water to tame down a bit and reveal its secrets. I can unserstand why people like it so much, but I am not sure I would pay silly money for it. Lovely, however expensive it is, and rare…