Jefferson's 18 Year Old Presidential Select

The dominant flavours on the palate for me were toffee, cinnamon and oak. A long, satisfying finish too which lingers beautifully. This got me really switched onto bourbons as up until I tried this, it had been Buffalo Trace and Jim Beam. The difference in quality is stark - but it costs!

I use Johnny Walker Gold Label and The Macallan 18 (sherry oak) as a reference points. This was somewhere inbetween taste wise. Complex and lean, but with some kind of unpleasant taint. (I bought a sample, not a bottle) /Joakim

JW and macallan are completely different from this (superb) 18 year bourbon

This is a superb BOURBON indeed. Comparing it to a blend like JW is a joke and Macallan, though quite good, is a totally different drink. If you like sherried barley whiskey, drink a Macallan (or Glendronach, Glenfarclas, Aberlour, etc). If you are naive and only swear by Scotch, then stay away. However, if you are a more experienced whiskey drinker or just a bourbon fan, this is just about the best you can find on a frequent basis (in other words, if you can't wait for the one day a year you can buy a Pappy Van Winkle or George T. Stagg, etc). My brother and I have stocked up on quite a few bottles of this, in case of an emergency, until the Stitzel-Weller distillery starts spitting out more of their reserves. Buying in the states though is better. Only 60% of the UK price. Still grab it if you can.

Pour a lowball and give it 10 minutes and this is the richest bourbon I have had. This is the wheated whiskey King, I would take Jefferson 18 over any year Pappy any day! Stock up if you can. And yeah, not sure if you can rate it next to Mac or JW. I would compare it to Very Very Old Fitzgerald or Pappy 15 but better than both.

For the reviewer above who compared the Jefferson 18 Year Presidential Select to a Macallan 18 and Johnnie Walker Gold (which I really like), this is a bourbon and those are fine Scotches, you really can't compare them. As a bourbon this is awesome, apparently using bourbon from Stitzer Weller casks, same as some older Pappy Van Winkle bottles. Great stuff, gentle sipping bourbon whiskey that needs no ice or water. A luxurious bourbon experience and one that I will gladly enjoy again. I hope to find more than the 3 bottles I purchased, but it doesn't look like there are any more :(