This is different. Day 19 is our first “Spirit Drink,” the Hudson Baby Bourbon, which is 46% alcohol. 

http://www.tuthilltown.com/tuthilltown-spirits/hudson-baby-bourbon/

I get leather and cinnamon from the nose. Christina gets the cinnamon, not so much the leather, and adds cloves. She says it’s got a gin-y quality to the taste, or perhaps vodka – not much mouth feel. I agree. It feels thin in the mouth, not like the smooth rich quality I’m expecting.

I get definite corn. Not unpleasant, nor unfinished, as is sometimes the case, where you feel like you’re drinking moonshine, but definite corn. I see from the Web site that its mash bill is 100% corn, so that explains it. The site claims a “warm finish with notes of marzipan and roasted corn.” Yes on the corn, no on the marzipan.

The corn flavor is more pronounced and less welcome as it warms up, it turns out.

Learning from the Roughstock Montana, I tried adding a few drops of water. No help.

One star.

The updated rankings:

1. Blanton’s Gold Edition
2. Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7
3. Noah’s Mill
4. Bulleit
5. Elijah Craig
6. Evan Williams
7. Four Roses Single Barrel
8. FEW
9. Booker’s 7 Year
10. Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2004
11. Jefferson’s
12. Four Roses
13. Michter’s
14. Eagle Rare
15. 1792 Ridgemont Reserve
16. Roughstock Montana
17. Hudson Baby Bourbon
18. Old Forester
19. Smooth Ambler Contradiction