And the Valley Drinks: W.H. Harrison Bourbon

This past Christmas, my wife and I picked up a pair of personalized bourbon barrels from UnCommon Goods for our fathers as gifts. Naturally, we figured we needed to include bottles in the package. Both our dads are kind of connoisseurs, so the typical bottle wouldn't do. I was really shooting for something they'd never had before, and for my father-in-law, I came upon W.H. Harrison on a recommendation from a local liquor store. He was not disappointed, and neither was I when I got to try some.

Harrison is out of Brazil, Indiana, which Google Maps tells me is near Terre Haute. The bourbon is named for our ninth -- and most abbreviated -- president, who was also governor of Indiana and, reportedly, enjoyed a little distilling as a hobby.

It's not the cheapest of whiskeys, at around $35 for a fifth, but it's definitely a quality drink. Smooth going down, and with the appropriate 40 percent alcohol-by-volume. The Harrison website advertises it as all-Indiana, from the corn to the oak in the barrels its aged in. But don't let this latent B1G-ness deter you.

Review

The color is very very light, but the bouquet has a strong oakiness of a much darker bourbon. It's a very light, smooth open that goes down right quick, and from there it slides slowly into that oaky, roasted bourbon flavor. There's a slightly sweet bridge, not overpoweringly, that takes you gently into a really complex finish that has a hint of spiciness to it. Nutmeg, almost cinnamon-y. Very interesting. I highly recommend this one for bourbon drinkers looking for something different. With price and all factors considered, I give this a strong 4.5 out of five stars.