July 1, 2020
“I said The Clover Whiskey 10 Year was one of the better noses on a Tennessee whiskey I’d encountered lately. Well, this may be the best I’ve ever come across. It’s thick and rich with intense aromas of worn saddle leather, orange oil, hazelnuts, and Belgian dark chocolate. There are few bourbons, let alone one from Tennessee, that have merited this much nose bobbing in my Glencairn. The palate doesn’t disappoint, either, although it’s surprisingly brighter than the nose suggests with lots of fruit: cocktail cherry, juicy orange, and a bit of lemon peel. It’s syrupy but not heavy on the tongue with a consistent, almost too gentle, heat. The mid-palate reveals Werther’s Originals candies, Almond Joy, pie spice, a bit of barrel char, and soft-edged barrel notes that let you know you’re drinking a well-aged and well-built whiskey. Well done, Marianne. And I guess Payton Manning, too.
The whiskey world has already taken notice of the price tag here, some comparing it unfavorably to the insane value that is George Dickel’s Bottled in Bond 13 Years Old. That whiskey is probably undervalued, but, more importantly, it tastes almost nothing like Sweetens Cove which deserves, in my opinion, to sit a shelf or two above the Dickel. Just sayin’. 101.4 proof.”
