It's been the better part of a decade since the SMWS bottled a bourbon (in the UK at least!), so this was a very pleasant surprise...

3 years old, distilled 15th July 2011, 53.9% abv, new charred oak, 238 bottles

The nose is full of vanilla sweetness, along with gummi bears and cherry lips sweets. There's also a hint of cardamom. The body has a surprisingly thin mouth feel, but delivers a solid set of well integrated flavours - cherries, cedar wood, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, and a little liquorice towards the back. The finish is liquorice and vanilla, with a hint of citrus.
Water brings tight but very short lived whorling. The nose has lost the gummi bear note, but gained the cedar wood from the body. The body is now light and slim - vanilla, cedar wood, but less cherries - a hint of lemon. The finish is shorter, but unchanged in flavour.
Water changed this from a tasting dram into a session dram - easy drinking, but less interesting.

4/5, but don't add water