Noah's Mill Bourbon

In the first of many product and bar reviews we select something close to our hearts and even closer to our livers - bourbon. I present to you: Noah’s Mill.

First, from their website:

Noah’s Mill----------------
Aged in wooden barrels, bottled by hand at
57.15% alc./vol. (114.3 proof)

Noah’s Mill Genuine Bourbon Whiskey is handmade in the hills of
Kentucky.

This is a Bourbon of extraordinary character and smoothness not
found among younger whiskies. Its superior taste and flavor characteristics are
made possible only from using the very finest quality ingredients at the outset
along with the long years and patience necessary for nature to mellow everything
to perfection. We bottle this Bourbon at a strength that best compliments its
age, and we’re sure you’ll enjoy it like no other Bourbon.

Okay now our review, but let’s set some guidelines: all spirits are first consumed straight without any mixer – no water, soda, juice or even ice, just the pure product.

I have to admit I had this bottle of bourbon sitting on a shelf at my house for about two weeks before I tried it. I knew it would be a formidable opponent, so after some mild drinking one evening with Lord Von Lord we decided to have a go at it. First reaction: Pure fucking gasoline! No, Rocket Fuel!!

Have you ever had a strong taste of any booze that just takes your breath away? I mean literally, it takes the air out of your lungs, your face turns red, sweat beads on your forehead, you loosen your shirt collar, etc. Well this was one of those. I've had similar experiences with PGA, Absinthe, and some other high volume whiskeys/bourbons. It made me feel like I could breathe fire, something like this: http://members.shaw.ca/legion_roll_call/reserve/subs/fire_lad/

I've never heard of Fire Lad before I did a search to find someone breathing fire, but it seemed appropriate, sorta.

Fire Lad (Staq Mavlen), of the planet Shwar, was endowed
with flame breath when he inhaled weird vapors from a crashed meteor.

Yeah, that's about how I felt. The following weekend I transported this highly flammable substance to our friend Tag's house for a group sampling. This went over much better, as there were women present thus challenging us to behave as men instead of pussies. We also had it over ice which allowed a more drinkable experience. By the time you poured a glass the ice melted so quickly it was like mixing it with water and you could actually taste the smooth flavors the distillers mentioned. Aside from the first near-deadly encounter it really does have some flavor and mellow character if you add ice or water. It went down faster than we expected, so apparently everyone liked it. I can't say I'll be drinking this very often since it costs $50 a bottle, but give it a try if you're looking for a special occasion bourbon to add to your liquor cabinet. Plus you can use it to shut up that asshole friend who always thinks they can drink anything. "Hey buddy, let me pour you a shot of this new bourbon I've got...."