Traverse City Whiskey Co "Harvest Cream" Bourbon Cream Review & Tasting Notes

 

Sometimes, it is unnecessary to provide much background on what I review. Today is one such case.

 

Traverse City Whiskey Company just released its Harvest Cream, a Bourbon Cream liqueur. Generally speaking, I enjoy whiskey-based cream liqueurs. They remind me a lot of eggnog, which I’m a massive fan of and look forward to sipping every winter.

 

Harvest Cream begins with Traverse City’s XXX Straight Bourbon. That’s a four-year whiskey made from 71% corn, 25% rye, and 4% malted barley. The liqueur is packaged at 17% ABV (34°).

 

If you are in Michigan and can’t find this on the store shelf (or outside the state), head to Traverse City’s website and pick it up for $27.99.

 

I will do the #DrinkCurious thing momentarily; first, I must thank Traverse City Whiskey for sending me a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

I highly recommend chilling this or pouring it over ice. Warm cream liqueurs tend not to be tasty. You can use it in a cocktail or add it to your coffee.

 

Appearance: I used a rocks glass to drink Harvest Cream and sipped it neat. Usually, I’d use a Glencairn, but with a cream liqueur, the Glencairn really adds nothing to the tasting experience. As I poured it, it seemed thin and possessed a creamy white color.

 

Nose: The aroma gave me a massive blast of butterscotch. Clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon were also easy to pluck. Inhaling the air through my lips was pure vanilla.

 

Palate: Harvest Cream’s mouthfeel was super creamy and much thicker than it looked. The front was vanilla and cinnamon. The middle offered caramel and maple syrup. The back had a mild oakiness and nutmeg.

 

Finish: The finish was surprising. It consisted of a smoky quality, as if barrel char influenced it. Nutmeg, oak, and vanilla held on. It was a medium-long duration, with the smoke hanging on the longest.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: This Bourbon cream liqueur was unique. I don’t recall any I’ve tasted previously having this many layers. It is nothing at all like what the legacy distillers put out. It is weird in an awesome way. This one’s worth every penny; it takes my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.