I'm staying away from the really cheap stuff
Then you better skip this post...
Next up on the whiskey journey: Mellow Corn
First thought: I don't think I've ever put as much consideration into a whiskey purchase as I did with this bottle. I thought even I had my standards; not only is this not bourbon, it's also 80% corn mash. I can't imagine how it's going to taste, and what's worse, I discovered it has the same ratio of corn, rye and barley that Jack Daniels has. My hope is that it doesn't have the same ethanol punch in the face on the first sip. Still, at $16.50 for 750ml, it's going to be tough to call it a waste of money.
First sniff: Reminds me a little of some of the lower-end bourbons I've had lately, which is better than it smelling like corn syrup.
First sip: Quick flash of heat, but the sweetness of the corn blunted it quickly and gave way to a mix of the mash ingredients, in that I was able to recognize both the rye and the barley. The aftertaste is more bitter than you'd expect from such high corn content, but it's not terrible.
Second sip: Much like the first, but I was able to enjoy the rye and barley together instead of as separate ingredients. It's sweet, but in the right way.
Knee-jerk thoughts: I guess I'm not surprised that I like it more than I was expecting to. It's made by Heaven Hill, who also makes Elijah Craig and the Evan Williams labels that I've enjoyed. In fact, if anything, it's almost a sweeter version of the Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond, which again makes some sense because Mellow Corn is also Bottled-in-Bond, so both are 100 proof. It gets better with each sip, so I think I'll be buying this one again. At this point, the low price is just an added bonus.