Chris Stapleton's Traveller Whiskey just released a full proof expression, and it's worth paying attention to. The original Traveller was a perfectly drinkable 90-proof whiskey (assuming you actually tasted it before forming an opinion), but this new bottling comes in at a proper cask strength 115 proof.
What makes this interesting isn't just the higher proof - it's the quality underneath. We're talking caramel, vanilla, and baking spice notes that actually hold up when you add water. The mouthfeel is thick and oily in the best way, and the finish lingers with brown sugar and oak.
For Australian buyers, celebrity whiskeys can be hit-or-miss. Some are marketing exercises with mediocre liquid. This one? It's actually a solid whiskey that happens to have a famous name attached. If it makes its way Down Under, expect to pay premium pricing (thanks to excise alone) but at least you're getting proper cask-strength whiskey, not watered-down celebrity juice.
The takeaway: Traveller Full Proof is one of the better celebrity whiskeys out there. Not every release needs to reinvent whiskey. Sometimes just doing it well at a proper proof is enough.
Source: Bourbon Culture
