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.

I read a ton of reviews that say this is terrible. I am here to tell you that they were wrong.So hear me out: I've been sober for some time and thought to myself "Self, odouls is a thing so why not try the odouls of liquor?"That was my motivation here and I am here to tell you that when I received this item, it blew my mind a tiny little bit.After I had recovered from the small melon explosion, I checked the bottle again because when I smelled this, it smelled exactly like whiskey. I checked the bottle and sure enough this was 0.1% alcohol.Does it taste like a tasty whiskey? Of course not. If you can drink real whiskey, why are you buying NA?Does it have the same burning in the mouth? No it's made of water and whiskey mash that has not fermented or something.This is NOT whiskey.It's a whiskey like beverage.If you are looking to sip something straight, you will probably be disappointed because it tastes worse warm.If you do use an ice cube, it does taste much better.I didn't mix it, but I imagine it isn't terrible. I seriously think people who write these bad reviews can drink real whiskey, so of course compared to that it's terrible.The smell is seriously similar to the point where I did actually check the bottle a few times after smelling.I'm twelve years sober and it seriously spooked me.Then again, I haven't had real whiskey in 12 years...so take that how you will.I was impressed with the box that it came in, and the care that came with the bottle. It seriously looks legit. My only real complaint is the wood bit that attaches to the cork did pop off, so I couldnt properly reseal it when I got to the bottom of the bottle.I would say if you are thinking about this, get a small bottle.If you are expecting whiskey, this ain't it.If you are expecting to grow your beverage options to an oddly whiskey smelling and looking beverage, then this may just be for you!

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.