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Any Bourbon drinkers among us?

Melensdad

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Drinking any alcohol 3 nights in a row is setting a record for me. Well maybe in my college days?

Tonight I've got a Tennessee Whiskey, one of only 2 that also qualifies as a Bourbon, but proclaims loudly that it is not a Bourbon. Jack Daniels Single Barrel. I've also got some of the BEER BARREL Bourbon that I had previously sampled.

Right off the bat the colors are different. The Jack Daniels Single Barrel is much darker with more brown in the coloring while the BEER BARREL is more golden/amber colored.

The BEER BARREL smells more complex with an array of scents hitting your nose while the Jack Daniels Single Barrel smells mostly of alcohol.

In the mouth the Jack Daniels Single Barrel goes in smooth but then begins to tingle on the lips. The flavor is over shadowed by the burn as it goes down, then the burn intensifies when it hits bottom.

Switching over to the BEER BARREL Bourbon and the difference are striking as there is virtually no burn at all, just flavor. Not overly sweet. Very pleasant. This is my third try at the bottle of BEER BARREL and I'm really liking this one. Easy to drink, good flavor on the tip of your tongue and good flavor when it moves to the back of your mouth, and virtually no burn.

Adding one cube of ice to each of these the test comparison continues. First the Jack Daniels Single Barrel. The ice really tames this drink! There is still some burn but honestly its much more manageable and not objectionable. The flavor seems to open up and the taste seems to even out from front to back of mouth. With a cube, the Jack Daniels Single Barrel is pretty darn good.

Switching over to the BEER BARREL Bourbon and the ice ruins it. Again. I've tried this test before. I simply don't understand how a pleasant flavor can all of a sudden become unpleasant when its chilled and slightly diluted. Now I still think the BEER BARREL is near the top of my list of bourbons, but I'm still not thrilled with it when you drop an ice cube into the glass.

I know with cigars that what you eat before you smoke, even an hour or two before the cigar, can affect the taste of the cigar. I assume the same is with bourbon. What I believe is that its best to try something several times, just to confirm the test. So with these tests I try to do the same things, repeatedly. Each test has about 1.5oz of each bourbon. 2 bourbons, neat. Same 2 bourbons with a single ice cube.
 

Melensdad

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Hudson_zps340d2b7e.jpg


Scored a bottle of the BABY BOURBON. Its made from 100% corn mash. I've not opened the bottle yet, it sits, with seal intact, in the cabinet for now. Looking forward to the weekend. Its NOT cheap. $41.99 for a 375ml bottle. Most bourbon bottles are 750ml. So this bottle is HALF the size of a 'normal' bottle and yet it costs as much as most medium priced bourbon bottles, making the price per ounce about double the average!

Also pictured is a non-bourbon that qualifies as a bourbon but which JD says is a whiskey. Its their SINGLE BARREL and I find it a bit harsh. Tried it when I bought it a couple months ago. Cut it with some warm apple juice on a cold night. Tried it again this weekend. Not thrilled with it. But a couple posts up is my latest observation of it, from Saturday evening.

Oh, and a special note to BigAl, I've opened that Jack bottle on 3 different nights and you can see that there is still plenty of booze left in the bottle. I'd say I drink about 1.5oz of any given bourbon when I do my comparisons. So no, I don't think I'm going to end up a raging drunk when I'm done testing bourbons!
 

RNE228

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NAPA is for auto parts. El Dorado/Amador is for wine :D

Have not tried Bourbon, but a friend got me trying single malt scotch... those are tasty, especially the peaty ones.

But do you have BOURBON in Napa or is it just for wine drinkers :doh:
 

Melensdad

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NAPA is for auto parts. El Dorado/Amador is for wine :D

Have not tried Bourbon, but a friend got me trying single malt scotch... those are tasty, especially the peaty ones.

When we go to Scotland I always try the various single malts. The peaty once have a very distinct flavor. Can't say I dislike it but I'm not sure that I really like it either. To each his own, I guess that is why they make so many varieties!!!
 

RNE228

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Following this thread, I may have to try one of your finds. For the most part, I only had hard alchohol as ingredient in margaritas. At least till having some nice Scotch.

When we go to Scotland I always try the various single malts. The peaty once have a very distinct flavor. Can't say I dislike it but I'm not sure that I really like it either. To each his own, I guess that is why they make so many varieties!!!
 

Melensdad

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... For the most part, I only had hard alchohol as ingredient in margaritas. ...

For the most part I used to consider myself pretty close to a non-drinker.

A normal year for me might include about 12 drinks a year.

I've wondered if there are things that I need to do before I'm too old to do them. So this is just a 'bucket list' sort of thing. To try different stuff. Its not limited to bourbon. But I plan to try all sorts of different things in my life, some of which will be alcohol, some food, some may be hobbies, etc etc.

I'm going to say, I'm enjoying the bourbon. In moderation. Some is interesting in a good way. Some is bad. But I've yet to get myself drunk with any of it. On the other hand, I do sleep well at night :brows:
 

Melensdad

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OK this is getting out of hand. I'm sipping ounces but I've now probably got GALLONS of bourbon and the liquor shelf is bowing under the weight of the golden liquid.

I blame you guys! Mostly BigAl and his "Dr Rum" stories.

Picked up these 2 today. I've had the American Honey from Wild Turkey before. Its not "real" bourbon. Its bourbon that is mixed with a honey liquor, its got a lower alcohol content, about 70-Proof versus 80-to-90 Proof for most burbons. Its also very sweet, very easy to drink. Consider it beginners bourbon? Whatever you call it, its an easy to drink product. I actually should have bought a bottle of SWEET LUCY, which I saw on the shelf for the first time today. Its also not a "real" bourbon in that its a mixed product but it sounds very interesting. Here is a link to SWEET LUCY => http://kevin.prichardsdistillery.pps-dev.com/whiskey/sweet-lucy-bourbon.cfm

The Breckenridge Bourbon was purchased under the advice of the liquor salesman who was in the aisle of the shop when I walked in. Nice guy, pushed this stuff at $44 a bottle, but pointed out that the neck tag of the bottle actually makes a BOLD CLAIM, its ranked as one of the TOP 3 BOURBONS in the world. What the heck, I'll give it a try. Not sure when I'll even get around to opening this bottle? Friday night? Saturday night? Maybe not until next weekend?

I tend to only try these things on nights when we stay home and watch a movie, then I only have a couple ounces. So not only do I have a couple years worth of bourbon but I've got several unopened brands to try too.

imagejpg1_zpsfc15f441.jpg
 

Dargo

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You know what is odd? Now that my son is serving overseas, not only does a six pack of beer last for weeks, but the last bottle of Jack I bought tasted about twice as strong as the last bottle I had. Gee, I wonder how that could be...?
 

Melensdad

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You know what is odd? Now that my son is serving overseas, not only does a six pack of beer last for weeks, but the last bottle of Jack I bought tasted about twice as strong as the last bottle I had. Gee, I wonder how that could be...?

Hmmm :whistling:

Look at it this way, now you can afford to buy the good stuff AND you can enjoy it too!
 

Melensdad

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Well its Friday night and that is movie night at the house, and movie night has become Bourbon night! So its time for another test. There may be another test tomorrow?


For tonight's enjoyment I broke open the bottle of Hudson's Baby Bourbon, which is a 100% Corn Mash bourbon to try against the Colorado's award winning Breckinridge Bourbon, which is reported to be one of the "Top 3 Bourbons" in the world.

Right off the bat the Breckenridge is a medium Amber gold color with a wonderful sweet aroma. The Baby Bourbon is almost brown in color and, at least compared to the Breckenridge, has very little hint of sweetness to the aroma with a touch of sharp spice to the nose.

Taking a sip of the Baby Bourbon is very pleasant, its mildly sweet on the tongue with a bit of tingle in the mouth. The flavor remains fairly consistent as it moves through your mouth and has no burn on the way down, but when it hits bottom you begin to feel the warmth build a bit, not in an unpleasant way, but you certainly feel it.

Switching over to the Breckenridge and the sweetness hits your tongue and changes a bit along the sides of your tongue as it moves to the back. It is very smooth on the first try. You feel a bit of heat on the second sip but not a real burn. The flavor, however, is not really a stand-out. I found it a bit bland and unremarkable. If this is a Top 3 bourbon then I'll stick with some of the lesser brands. I'm not saying its bad, its not. Its just not something that screams out to me.

Dropping a single ice cube into each glass and allowing the ice to swirl around and melt a bit to incorporate some water into the bourbon, I pick up the Baby Bourbon first. Even with the ice cube partially melted its interesting to see how dark brown in color Hudson's Baby Bourbon remains. The aroma seems to open up a bit but the same tones hit your nose, just in more volume. Taking a sip of the slightly diluted Baby Bourbon is a pleasant experience. In my prior testing I seem to favor the bourbon neat, but I think with this brand I think I prefer it over ice. Its fine either neat or over ice, but I'm thinking over ice is a bid better. Its a bit milder on the tongue and milder in the belly. Even with the ice cube completely melted in the glass, the Baby Bourbon is still darker in color, by a wide margin, than the Breckinridge.

Picking up the Breckinridge with the 1/2 melted ice cube and the flavor has sharpened up considerably. You pick up some peppery spice which works well with the sweetness of the bourbon. Its a much better drink on the rocks. This is the first bourbon that is A LOT BETTER over ice, its easy to drink and the bit of sharpness ads some character. What was unremarkable and easily forgettable neat is now a pleasant drink with ice.

Honestly I like both of these bourbons.

I'm not convinced that the Hudson Baby Bourbon is worth the price. In fact I don't believe that it is a good value. its interesting, its worth a try if you want to pay the money, but if its not in your budget then you shouldn't think you are missing out on something amazing. Its good. Its not amazing. I like it. I don't love it. I'll sip on it some more and come back to it another day, and enjoy it.

The Breckinridge Bourbon is about average if you are drinking it neat, honestly I can't see it as one of the great bourbons of the world if you simply pour it out of the bottle. But pour it over ice and its a very good drink. Its not cheap, but not too expensive, and its a better value than the Baby Bourbon by any measure. I'm not looking for 'values' with my bourbon testing, but given the price of the Hudson Baby Bourbon, which translates to over $82 for a 750ml bottle, I'm not sure its easy to justify the price.
 

Melensdad

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I've made my selection for sipping during tonights movie.

Going back to the Beer Barrel Bourbon, I think that may be my favorite so far. Comparing it to the inexpensive Evan Williams 1783. Both are the same color, in fact so close to each other that you can't tell them apart if they are sitting in glasses on the table.

The aroma from each is also very similar???

I'm beginning to think tonight is going to be a bad comparison. I know with cigars that the food you eat before smoking a cigar will affect the taste of the cigar. Well we just a big dinner of garlic marinated BBQ Leg of Lamb with mint jelly, Caesar Salad, creamed potatoes, and sautéed mushrooms & onions. Followed that with a couple freshly baked Heath Bar/Chocolate Chip cookies. So I'm thinking my taste buds are on overload tonight and my comparison is not going to be very discerning.

The first few sips of the Beer Barrel Bourbon don't disappoint. Nice and smooth. Switching over to the Evan Williams 1783 and that hits the mouth nice and sweet but its neither as interesting nor as smooth as the Beer Barrel Bourbon. Not saying I don't like it, just saying that when you have two bourbons that you like, there are still differences that can be discerned.

Dropping in a single cube seems like a mistake because both of these bourbons are just fine to drink straight.

Evan's 1783 is simply not as good over ice. It tastes watered down and given that its good, but not very complex to begin with, the lack of complexity simply gives you a watered down simple flavor as the ice melts.

Ice in the Beer Barrel Bourbon changes it pretty dramatically, which I had noticed in prior tasting. And not really in a good way. This stuff is so good straight there is little reason to water it down and plenty of reason NOT to pour it over ice.

Tonight's winner remains the Beer Barrel Bourbon, which pretty much cements its place at the top of my list (so far & subject to change).

And I have to say, with the heavy dinner of strong flavors, the food has definitely influenced tonights testing. Honestly don't think I could pick up much of the subtleties in the bourbons tonight because of the influence of the food.
NOTE TO SELF: Wait an hour or two after dinner or eat a meal without such strong flavors before next week's bourbon testing.
 

Melensdad

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Did some yard work today, set some fence posts out along the farm field, pruned some trees, knocked down and hauled a bunch of deadfall to the burn piles, generally wore out my body so I figured I needed a reward.

Took a small glass, added a few ice cubes and poured about an ounce, maybe ounce-and-a-half of JOURNEYMAN's Bourbon.

This is my second try of this bourbon and it confirms the first try, I just don't much like this brand. Its somewhat harsh, somewhat astringent in the mouth and has somewhat of a burn, even when the ice is fully melted. Can you say MIXER? This bourbon is not something that I want to drink straight, not something I want to drink over ice. Cover up the harsh bits of flavor with something else and it might be an appropriate way to drink this bourbon?

Honestly I can't say that I can find anything good about this one. Not anything. If you like it then please chime in with whatever I am missing, but I can't seem to find a way to compliment this product.

Bottom of the heap, by a wide margin: JOURNEYMAN'S BOURBON





Kirk, you trying to kill me? Expand my test to Rye?

I'm sticking, for now, to Bourbon, which is a subset of Whiskey that should make you very happy as it is made with a minimum of 51% corn!

Or have you switched your fields to Rye?
 

300 H and H

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Oh there is corn in there as well, just maybe not enough to be called bourbon. Locals around here do call it as a bourbon...
 

Melensdad

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Oh there is corn in there as well, just maybe not enough to be called bourbon. Locals around here do call it as a bourbon...
A Rye Whiskey has a minimum of 51% Rye in the mash. Typically it will also have corn, malted barley and/or wheat in the mash as well.

A Bourbon Whiskey has a minimum of 51% Corn in the mash. Typically it will have some wheat, malted barley and/or rye in the mash as well.

Both have to be aged in new oak barrels that have been fire charred.

So they are technically very similar.

Would a rose be as sweet by any other name?
 

Melensdad

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I'm not from the "South" but now that Melen goes to college in North Carolina I'm learning more about the culture. In the south there is a drink called a SWEET LUCY, which has no real recipe, but instead has 1000 different recipes as families tended to alter the recipe to suite their own tastes.

Basically you take a nice bourbon and mix it with something like Peach Brandy, Apricot Brandy or some other fruit liqueur or a blend of several fruit liqueurs. Commonly found in duck blinds and deer camps and used as a celebratory after(?) hunt drink.

There is now a commercially made Bourbon Liqueur named SWEET LUCY, its a little lower in alcohol than regular Bourbon, bottled at only 70 Proof. I'll be trying it tonight, probably comparing it to Wild Turkey's American Honey, which is also 70 Proof and therefore not a true Bourbon, which must be a minimum of 80 Proof and consequently is labeled a Bourbon Liqueur.

Picked this bottle up on my way home today:
imagejpg1_zps409fbef1.jpg


Nice to see the purchase also supports charity:
imagejpg2_zps78caf9d6.jpg
 

Melensdad

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Can you guess which is the honey liqueur/bourbon and which is the fruit liqueur/bourbon?

Wild Turkey American Honey on the left with the light golden honey color, and the Sweet Lucy on the right.

imagejpg1_zps70898c5b.jpg



Aroma of the American Honey is sweet and the scent of honey is detected. The SWEET LUCY has a bit more of a traditional bourbon aroma but its also sweet to the nose.

Trying both of them at room temperature, the SWEET LUCY is interesting, its sweet but not too sweet, and I can't really pin down what the fruit flavor is? Apricot maybe? Not really sure. But its very smooth, no tingle, no burn. In comparison the AMERICAN HONEY is a bit too sweet, and it is very 'syrupy' feeling in your mouth, but its also not as smooth as the SWEET LUCY as it has a touch of spice to it and a bit of burn, but nothing objectionable. Neither of these is as serious as regular bourbons. My favorite way to drink the Wild Turkey AMERICAN HONEY is to add a shot of it to a bit of warmed apple juice. The ratio would be 2 oz apple juice to 1 oz American Honey. But today, for this comparison, the warmed apple juice is omitted because I want compare these drinks the same way as I compare and test regular bourbons.

I dropped some ice into each glass and both of these drinks are better chilled. Either would probably would be a great summer drink on the rocks while outdoor grilling some meat. I think I prefer the SWEET LUCY over ice, but honestly I really enjoy the AMERICAN HONEY mixed into some warmed apple juice; it is a wonderful late evening drink while you are sitting and relaxing, reading a book or before bedtime.

Just to try something a bit different, and only because this is not "real" bourbon, I also added some Ginger Ale to each of these. The mix was about 50%-50%. The SWEET LUCY + Ginger Ale was excellent together. Again in the summer heat this would be a great drink by the BBQ. Switching over to the AMERICAN HONEY + Ginger Ale and I was a bit disappointed. The syrupy AMERICAN HONEY didn't really mix too well with the Ginger Ale. It was still very sweet, in fact it might have actually gotten sweeter? And it seemed to feel more syrupy to the mouth after the addition of the Ginger Ale.

I have to say that when Iced, or when mixed with Ginger Ale, I'd favor the SWEET LUCY as a drink.

But I've got a soft spot in my heart for warm apple juice + AMERICAN HONEY.
 

Melensdad

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Tonight is movie night at the house and the choice of movies is 12 Years A Slave. I have no desire to watch the move. But I'm also not really wanting to do a Bourbon comparison test either so I'm opting for a simple single Bourbon review.

Poured about 1.5 ounces of pride of Indianapolis "SPRING MILL" Bourbon into a glass. Maybe if I simply tip the whole thing back and down it in one swallow I won't stay awake to watch the movie that is about to start?

Took a sip and it definitely tingles in the mouth and has a distinct alcohol burn all the way down. I didn't recall it being THIS harsh the first time I tried it. This is only my second nip at the bottle.

Well the flavor of SPRING MILL is very good but with that said I find the experience of drinking it neat is unpleasant. Too bad, this really tastes good but the alcohol burn that starts at the front of the mouth and travels all the way through until it hits your stomach ruins the experience. If only it was smoother. I find myself alternating between sipping water and sipping from the small glass of SPRING MILL, needing the water to calm down the sharpness of this Bourbon.

I'm really torn in this little taste test. Do I like it? Or not?

Well I like the flavor!!! This is a good tasting bourbon.

But I dislike the harshness of this bourbon, its simply not smooth enough to sip neat. Probably should have dropped an ice cube into the glass to re-test it with some ice, or may just poured a bit of my water into the glass. I'm too lazy to cross the house to the kitchen to get the cube and my wife will be upset if I spill the water, so I'm going to have to judge this Bourbon as a good, but not great Bourbon. Its far superior to the Journeyman's bourbon, for which I can't really find anything good to say. But it could be better.


EDIT:

About 35 minutes have passed since I wrote the above notes about the Spring Mill and a movie that I don't want to watch is playing in my living room. Hey, I'm a "comedy" and/or "action/adventure" guy. If its a Sci-Fi "action/adventure" that is even better. Oh I even enjoy a good historical documentary about Ancient Rome or English monarchs. But 12 Years A Slave is a drama. Just not a genre I care to watch.

So I poured a single shot of from the bottle of WILLETT POT STILL to try to numb my mind. Probably should have poured more -a whole lot more, that, or shot myself in the head. There is simply no way I will make it through the end of this movie. I don't care if it won an Oscar, its just too boring for me.

The WILLETT POT STILL is a moderately smooth bourbon, one that is often rated well on the interwebs, but it still has a bite too it. I find it smoother than the SPRING MILL, but not as flavorful as the SPRING MILL. It tingles in the mouth but is not too sharp. And it burns a bit on the way down, but not as much as some others. That said, it simply doesn't have the wonderful flavor of the SPRING MILL. I'd clearly say that I prefer the lesser known Indianapolis made Bourbon to this nationally known brand.

And now to try to enjoy the rest of the movie. Maybe I should try another shot of bourbon to ease the pain that this movie imparts? Or maybe there is a Gilligan's Island re-run on TV that I can find in another room of the house, certainly that would be better than enduring this drama flick.

. . . can't take it anymore, I'm off to find some old Gilligan's Island re-runs, or some other suitable substitute.​
 

Melensdad

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Paid my property tax bills today. Thankfully the tax reform has LOWERED my property taxes. So I have a little bit left over. Stopped off and bought 2 new bottles.

The Jim Beam is a limited run item. Probably won't get a chance to crack one open until Saturday.

beam_zps32080bd9.jpg
 

Melensdad

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Curiosity got the best of me.

I'll say that I had a sip, literally just a sip or two of the new Jim Beam Signature Craft and it is peppery and spiced in the mouth but without much trace of burn or tingle in the mouth. By comparison to some of the other brands you will either love the spicy flavors or you will dislike the Signature Craft offering. Going down it is also smooth, much smoother than Woodford or many of the brands that I've tested in this thread. I'd honestly have to do a side-by-side test to see what is smoother on the way down with less alcohol burn, but I'd guess that this is in the top 3 bourbons with 'least burn'. But again, that is based on just a couple slight sips. Perhaps when I do a real test we'll find something a bit different.

Anyone familiar with Woodford Reserve already knows that it does taste good if you like a very mild tasting bourbon, I think that mild flavor is its standout quality. It makes it easy to drink because there is nothing to offend. But that mild flavor also means there is little to remember about the brand. Still, it should be a 'standard' in your liquor cabinet. That said, I think it also has more 'alcohol burn' than it should. For something that is so mild to the taste, the Woodford Reserve is betrayed by a burn as it goes down.

I'll try to do a real test of the new Jim Beam Signature Craft this weekend and might crack open the Woodford while I'm at it, just to see if it has changed any one the years.
 

Dargo

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Paid my property tax bills today. Thankfully the tax reform has LOWERED my property taxes.[/IMG]

How so? I had 6 houses and one 200 acre parcel go WAAAAAY up! :mad: It had some fricking comment about a voter approved increase over the previously implemented legislated cap. So, on all but one piece of property, I'm paying OVER the supposed state cap!!

Looks like rent is going UP at my rental properties whenever each comes up for renewal.
 

Melensdad

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How so? I had. . .

Apparently it varies by county. All my properties are in Lake County. 5 parcels currently. All went down from last year. My home went down by the biggest %.
 

Melensdad

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Tonight I'm comparing a 'new' and an 'old' bourbon from my collection.

The JIM BEAM SIGNATURE CRAFT bourbon, which I purchased this past week, and the HUDSON BABY BOURBON which is the most expensive bourbon I've got in my comparison of bourbons that cost $50 per bottle or less; it has also been in a comparison test before. The BABY BOURBON cheats, because the bottle is only 375ml yet it costs about $42 for the tiny bottle. If this was a standard 750ml it would not qualify for this test because the bottle would be about $84, but …

As for color, the HUDSON BABY BOURBON is a little darker caramel color than the more golden amber of the JIM BEAM SIGNATURE CRAFT.

The aroma of both of these are very different from each other and both give off strong whiffs of alcohol when you swirl around your glass. The SIGNATURE CRAFT has the milder aroma and both offer a hint of sweetness to the nose.

Sipping the BABY BOURBON is pleasant. The flavor is fairly mild with very little tingle in the mouth from the alcohol. As the bourbon moves from the front to the back of the mouth the mild flavor changes to somewhat acerbic and it goes down the throat smooth. Its not until after you swallow and the bourbon goes down that it begins to burn. Its an odd sensation, it starts out mild and turns to fire.

JIM BEAM'S SIGNATURE CRAFT has a nice mild flavor with some hints of spice but not in a bad way. The flavor is far more consistent from the front of the mouth to the back and it goes down smooth, but then hits you with some burn. Not a lot of burn, but burn. And this is the first time I've sipped a bourbon that made me cough; I'll chalk that up as an oddity. Second sip is interrupted …. Misha my Akita decided to tip over my glass of BABY BOURBON. Damn her. Couldn't she have tipped over the cheap stuff!?!

So mess cleaned up and a new shot of Baby Boubon in the glass so now I'm back to the SIGNATURE CRAFT again and the experience is better this time. No cough. It tastes good, consistent, mild with a hint of spice, and it goes down smooth … but then you get hit with a burn after its down. Doesn't burn on the way down, its only after it settles in that the burn hits.

Back to the BABY BOURBON for its second sip and its the same experience as the first sip.

Drinking both of these neat, I'd give the nod to the SIGNATURE CRAFT from Jim Beam as the better sipping bourbon. Its smoother to drink and doesn't have that harshness or the change of flavor from front to back that you get from HUDSON'S BABE BOURBON.

So its on to the ice test. One cube of ice is dropped into each of the glasses. I let both rest for a minute and swirled them around to melt the ice a little bit. With the ice cube about half melted I pick up the SIGNATURE CRAFT and take a good size sip. Its become a bit harsher with the ice melted into it and the flavor is less smooth. The JIM BEAM SIGNATURE CRAFT bourbon is clearly a better sipping bourbon when served neat.

On to HUDSON'S BABY BOURBON and I take a nice sip. With the mostly melted ice cube, the flavor of this bourbon has evened out. Its nicer with the melted ice and the transition from the front to the back of the mouth is evened out. The BABY BOURBON is the better choice between the two for drinking over ice.
 

Doc

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I love these tests Bob. And I'm impressed that even after the 4th or more tests your typing / wording does not seem to suffer. Good job. :tiphat:
 

Melensdad

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Doc, I only pour a total of about 2 to 3 ounces. That means each bourbon is only 1 to 1.5 ounces per glass.

My goal is not to get drunk, my goal is to taste these bourbons for their flavor. To try to discern their flavor and to see which I enjoy more. I'm not writing some fancy sort of review where I wax eloquently about silly things like "Tastes of freshly charred leather with hints of over-ripe Bing cherry" or other stuff that people don't understand. People understand if something is harsh, or bitter, or burns or is sweet or smooth. I try to drink all of these in the same manner. I have 3 glasses beside me. One with some ice cubes. One with about an ounce to ounce + 1/2 of BRAND "Y" and the last with about an equal amount of BRAND "X" bourbon.

I let them sit a moment to air out, sniff them for aroma.

I sip one. I sip the other. I repeat .

Then I add a single cube of ice. Swirl it around, let it melt a bit, maybe about 1/2 way. Then I take a sip or two to see how the flavor changes. Then the other.

I also talk about the front of mouth versus the back of mouth flavor because our taste buds on the front, sides and back of mouth have very different flavor receptors. So something that tastes good in one part of the mouth may, in fact, be objectionable in another part of the mouth. Many bourbons change from good to bad, sweet to acerbic, mild to harsh, as the liquid moves across your taste buds from front to back and then down your throat.

I will admit, there are some nights when I have a bit of a buzz from the bourbon. Those nights, and tonight is one of them, when perhaps I've poured an ounce and a half each rather than just an ounce? And some of these have more alcohol than others. By definition "Bourbon" must be no less than 80 proof, but some brands can exceed 110 proof.

Bourbon "Liqueurs" are typically 70 proof, Jack Daniels Honey, Wild Turkey American Honey, Jack Daniels Tennessee Cider, Evan Williams Cider, Jim Beam Honey, Sweet Lucy and a host of others would qualify.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
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OUCH! I'm sore. Moved about 8 cubic yards of topsoil with the tractor, then leveled it by hand in two newly built raised beds. Each holding about 4 yards. I also loaded up, and unloaded and then carried a bunch 30(?) 5/4ths thick x 6" wide x 12' long deck boards. Those were what I used to make the raised beds. I have 6 more beds to build.

So now its time for a reward.

WOODFORD RESERVE, neat, in a small glass. Just about an ounce and a half.

It smells sweet and it tastes mild, its sad that it has such a strong alcohol burn while it goes down. The burn finished quickly, you don't feel much of it after its down, but you feel it going down. This is a good bourbon, but I honestly think there are better. The reputation of this bourbon is that its one of the better of the brands, but I personally tend to think its a bit over rated. The SPRING MILL from Indianapolis, for me, offers a better drinking experience. And the BEER BARREL from Holland, Michigan is better than the SPRING MILL.

Of course, the JOURNEYMAN is still the worst of the bunch, and WOODFORD RESERVE is far far superior to the JOURNEYMAN.

I'm looking for a use for the JOURNEYMAN, perhaps it will strip old varnish off of antique wood that needs refinishing, or maybe it can be used as a gun clear for copper fouling? Yes the JOURNEYMAN, in my opinion, is that bad. And while I don't favor the WOODFORD RESERVE, it is in a whole different category than JOURNEYMAN. But clearly I don't hold the WOODFORD RESERVE in the same high regard that many bourbon drinks seem to do.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter

No, I'm not a bourbon expert. Just a guy who is trying different small distillery bourbons.

I'm trying to stick with the under $50 per bottle mark but my main goal is to find unusual small distilleries. I scored both with a bottle of Traverse City, Michigan Bourbon. I was heading to the fencing club and was running early, but forgot my keys to open the club, so I stopped at a liquor store that I have never "bourbon hunted" before when I saw this bottle. Picked it up for $32 so I met the under $50 qualification and its from a small batch distillery. This particular bottle is from Batch #3. They also had some bottles from Batch #5.

I'll probably crack it open this weekend, maybe Friday?

Travers_zpse5190f3c.jpg
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Tonight I'm trying the TRAVERSE CITY bourbon and comparing it to the highly acclaimed BRECKINRIDGE bourbon.

The colors of these two bourbons are virtually identical. A light amber. No hint of cloudiness, just a light golden color.

Comparing the aromas, the Traverse City is very pleasantly sweet to the nose and defies any simple description. The Breckinridge is milder on the nose, slightly less sweet to the smell and offer only hints of alcohol.

The Traverse City is pleasantly mild in flavor with absolutely no alcohol tingle in the mouth, its smooth on the front of the tongue and it moves back the mouth while remaining fairly smooth. Going down there is only a mild hint of an alcohol burn, barely enough to notice. I don't notice any real complexity but its easy to drink and easy to enjoy.

Apparently ranked as one of the top bourbons, the Breckinridge is harsher than the Traverse City and has a more pronounced burn on the way down. First sip to first sip, I'd have to give the nod to the Traverse City as the better tasting of the two. A second sip of the Breckinridge mimics the first, nice flavor but slightly harsh with some alcohol burn on the way down. A final sip of the Traverse City neat, and while it is pleasant, it also seems to be simple and singular compared to the more complex but harsher Breckinridge.

A single ice cube has been added to each glass.

Now with a half melted ice cube, the Traverse City picks up a hint of spice and the flavor seems a bit more complex. Its still very smooth and still very easy to drink and enjoy.

Switching to the Breckinridge, this bourbon also opens up with some spice but also becomes more mild and easier to drink. The alcohol burn nearly vanishes and the back of the tongue finish is pleasantly peppery.

Switching back again to the Traverse City and the ice cube is now gone and the drink has become a very good, very easy to drink bourbon that I like very much. I'd like to compare this bourbon to the Beer Barrel Bourbon, a bourbon that I'd put on/near the top of my personal list.

Finishing off the last of the Breckinridge and I'd say its very good with some ice, melted. Its a complex flavor that defies description but I could write a bunch of crap that sounds good but is really just pretentious gibberish, mentioning Thai chili, steamed green tea and hints of leathery oak. Its none of that. But is really is pretty darn good, especially on ice.

Now to finish off the Traverse City, its good. Nice and easy to drink. Its good neat, its good over ice. Not sure which I prefer over all, I'd say that the Breckinridge really becomes better with ice, and that means really really good. The Traverse City is just easy. Easy to describe as simpler and easier to drink.



I've not looked back at my prior Breckinridge review, but I have to wonder if the food I've eaten tonight somehow affects the taste of the bourbons I try. Just as food can affect the flavor of a cigar many hours after finishing the food, I wonder if it does the same with bourbons.
 
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