Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey, Award-Winning Alcohol-Free Spirit for Cocktails, 700ml Bottle

Ok, so I love my bourbon... perhaps a bit too much! So, as I enjoy the flavor and the "feel" of drinking bourbon, I'm not trying to get "drunk". By "feel" I mean the mouth feel or a good bourbon as well as the "burn" as it goes down. But, since I do enjoy it, I sometimes have a tendency to overindulge. Not by intent, mind you... just as a consequence of enjoying my bourbon in the evenings. So, what I longed for was a good bourbon, with all the sensations of drinking a good bourbon, but with a lower alcohol content. All the pluses without the consequences, so to speak. Too good to be true? Yep, such things usually are... But then a little google and I discovered that there actually WAS a such thing as non-alcoholic bourbon! I researched the subject quite a bit, read a bunch of reviews here and elsewhere, and decided to give this a try just to see.Yep, it WAS too good to be true! This is NOTHING like bourbon! I'm not sure what to compare it to, actually. Maybe a thin colored watery liquid with a strange mouthfeel and a strong medicinal odor and taste? But it is NOT bourbon by any stretch of the imagination, alcoholic or otherwise.Now, to be fair to the product, all of the positive reviews were for use in cocktails, and there were reviews saying it wasn't good neat. So, taking the chance is one me, and I'm not disparaging the product due to my own hardheadedness. I wanted it to be something it simply isn't. But, I rarely drink cocktails so really had no interest in that application. I'm not a reformed alcoholic looking for a substitute for social cocktails. Perhaps it IS the ticket for that application, IDK. But for a neat bourbon drinking substitute, forgetaboutit! It's REALLY BAD in that application. And I don't mean bad bourbon bad, I just mean bad, as in nothing like bourbon AT ALL. If looking for a cocktail mixer to replace alcohol then ignore my review and concentrate on those reviews that discuss that use. But, if looking for a straight bourbon substitute, this just ain't gonna make you happy.

All of the reviews seem to be from people who drink alcohol and compare this to the real thing. I haven't had a drink of alcohol in over 37 years so my level of comparison is a vague memory. This review is for people who don't drink who want to find something fun and social they can add to their beverage choices.I like this stuff. It has a nice odor and a nice flavor. What is that flavor? You taste a smokiness and a fruitiness but not much sweet. When you take your first sip you may think, meh, but then on the backend the flavors open up. What I really like is that an interesting, almost plumb taste remains. There is a bit of a burn if you take a shot rather than sip. This burn is not on the tongue, but on the back and sides of the throat. It tends to come in the middle.The label says this is good for a year once open. That's pretty cool and means you could decant it if you want. I did and the amber liquid looks beautiful in my Lenox crystal decanter.I put 3 stars for value for money because this stuff is not cheap. If the price point were $10 less then I would say it was high value. $5 less would be okay. The price as it is, quite a bit. However, if you are looking to showoff for special occasion but don't drink alcohol then you will splurge and enjoy.Since getting it I've shared it with a few people. On their first drink they were meh but came back for more once it settled in. Some reviews say this is better mixed than neat. I like it both ways but for me I enjoy sipping it.On the rocks is best by far and changing so much about the way the flavor occupies the mouth.

I read reviews--positive and negative--about this faux whisky. But it seemed worth a try. Still, I wasn't prepared for the horror. As soon as I opened the bottle, the room was filled with a smell that was uncomfortably close to the odor of a countertop cleaner we use in our home. A little taste didn't dispel that initial impression. There was nothing at all reminiscent of any sort of whisky. But that's not the way we're supposed to use it. It's a mixer. So I made a 50/50 mix with 74 and Maker's Mark. This turned a decent bourbon into rotgut. I waited a couple of days and gave it another go. It didn't get better.One of the things we cherish in a good whisky is the finish. As the taste dies away, there's an evolving bit of oak, cherry, smoke and other hints that might last for a minute or two. 74 doesn't have a finish, but it sure as heck has an aftertaste. That aftertaste is pretty unpleasant and it lasts for a very long time. That was the end of my experiment. As I poured it down the drain, it occurred to me that the drain was cleaner than it had ever been.It took a long time for NA beer to go from tolerable to good. Much of the current offering is pretty tasty. I fear it will take longer for NA spirits to get to that point. I think that the mistake the makers of 74 made is to go for the "fire". There's really only one way to get that fire and that's with alcohol. The faux fire of 74 is just plain nasty. I think that instead they should have gone for the undertones--the stuff that comes into whisky from the barrel. That's what makes a whisky savory.I wish the distillers of 74 (I suppose I shouldn't even use that term) better luck on their next efforts. They--or someone else--will eventually crack this nut. But 74 is a miss. A really bad miss.