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Any Bourbon drinkers among us?

Melensdad

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Been sipping on a bottle of BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON lately. It had me puzzled about its mashbill because up front it is on the sweet size while the finish offers some spice. And its pretty smooth, with a bit of burn going down. I wondered if it was a "wheated" bourbon based on the sweetness and smoothness, but the spice betrays that. So I did a bit of research and Buffalo Trace doesn't release the mashbill but some experts have theorized it as a LOW RYE (less than 10% rye) bourbon mash, and that makes a lot of sense.

The aroma is very nice, hints of vanilla come through. The color is a nice medium/dark amber.

Drinking it neat, on the tongue it goes in sweet and smooth with spice on the finish and some burn on the way down. The burn is not too harsh, but its definitely there and its one you feel going down but not so much at the bottom. I get no mouth tingle from this 90 proof bourbon either. This is a fairly easy to drink bourbon and I can see why its become so popular.

Adding a cube of ice and letting it melt down a bit the BUFFALO TRACE becomes a sharp flavored bourbon, and rather than taming down it seems to highten all the tastes and even highten the burn. What was smooth is no longer smooth, what was mellow is no longer mellow. I'm not saying its bad, that would be a misinterpretation, it is simply sharp and sharp flavors can be good. With the exception of the burn, which is also enhanced, the sharp flavors are actually pretty interesting.

This is priced about $22 a bottle, CVS recently had it on sale for just under $20. Its a bargain at either price.
 

Melensdad

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Cowboy hat maker Stetson introduced JOHN B STETSON BOURBON and I happened to find a bottle, with a free bourbon glass, at the local supermarket. I had seen a review of this bourbon a while back, listing it as a great new bourbon.

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As for the bourbon, its a nice light amber in color, aged for 4 years. By law bourbon needs to be aged for 2 years, many brands are aged for 8 to 12 years, some rare few for much more. But the lighter amber color comes from the 4 years of aging rather than from a longer aging which imparts a somewhat darker color.

JOHN B STETSON is a 4 grain bourbon, which starts with at least 51% corn, then adds both Rye & Wheat as well as Barley. Most bourbons have a 3 grain mash bill, with either Rye or Wheat, but not both.

Taking it into the mouth the sweetness imparted by the wheat hits you first and then stays with you on the finish while the rye's spice is added to the finish so you get both sweet and spice at the end. If you like MAKERS MARK for its smoothness and sweetness and lack of spice then you will probably also like JOHN B STETSON for the same qualities but it has a little more spice to it. Its not overly complex and I'd put it as a good "mixer" bourbon or a nice modest priced sipping bourbon for "everyday" consumption. You won't be saving this bottle for those special occasions, its a bit to thin in flavor complexity and to simple for those special occasions where you want something like the Jefferson Ocean, or even the Jefferson Reserve.

Its also got some burn to it. But not too much, its more a belly warmer than a belly burner. And the mouth feel is smooth, with only a hint of alcohol tingle at the end.

As with many bourbons, when dropping an ice cube into it and letting it melt down a bit the bourbon tends to open up a bit. But this one also tends to become a bit hard around the edges after it opens up. I preferred it neat. It seems a bit smoother and a bit easier to drink neat. But the mouth tingle from the alcohol was gone after the slight dilution from the ice and the belly burn was almost gone after the ice too. Still, I preferred it straight up because it seemed to be smoother, even if a bit stronger.

Do I like it? Yes I do. Is it on my favorite list? Nope. It is easy to drink and at under $30 its a better value than something like the EVAN WILLIAMS 1783 because I think it offers a bit more. Its also a nice companion to your MAKERS MARK since it offers a somewhat different profile but not too different to be totally unfamiliar.
 

Melensdad

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SPRING MILL BOURBON from a small company in Indianapolis versus nationally distributed MAKERS MARK BOURBON tonight.

First off the color, the MAKERS MARK is a rich brownish amber color while the SPRING MILL is more of a golden amber.

As for aroma, the MAKERS is a milder smoother tone to the nose without much of a hint of spice while the SPRING MILL is much spicier in aroma and also more complex with hints of sweetness up front before the peppery spices hit you. Not that this should come as a surprise because the MAKERS is a wheated bourbon while the SPRING MILL aroma is pretty typical of a high rye bourbon.

Taking a first sip of each of these two provides flavors that mimic the aromas. The MAKERS MARK is smooth and a little sweet going in, smooth on the finish, with no spice and minimal burn. The SPRING MILL hits your tongue with a bit of sweetness up front but as it transitions to the finish at the back of your mouth there is spice that hits you with a bit of sharpness, followed up with some burn on the way down. These are very different bourbons, but then again MAKERS MARK is one of the few 'wheated' bourbons that is in common distribution and the SPRING MILL is a very typical rye bourbon and rye bourbons dominate the bourbon landscape.

Dropping in a single ice cube and letting them melt down a bit I pick up the glass of MAKERS MARK, swirl it around and notice that an ANT has dropped into the glass from the tree branches that hang over our patio furniture. DAMN. I fish it out with my finger and flick it away. I suppose the test is invalid unless an ant drops into the SPRING MILL glass too? So much for my scientific evaluations. Still I soldier on with the test, the ice cube in the MAKERS MARK is all but melted when I take my first sip. Its even smoother now up front, which hardly seems possible, but on the finish it seems a bit sharper with a hint of pepper.

Well no ant has fallen into the SPRING MILL but I sip it anyway. Its flavors have opened up a bit and are sharper on the tip of the tongue and at the finish, but despite being sharper they are also less harsh. So the water from the cube has mellowed out the harshness and yet has maintained but slightly tamed the peppery spices.

TWO VERY DIFFERENT BOURBONS in this test. Totally different profiles. Both are good bourbons. Personally I prefer the MAKERS MARK for its smoothness when its neat. Add an ice cube to each and both are good and I like both, not sure which I would choose with a bit of water/ice. I suppose my favorite would depend on the day, my mood and perhaps global warming, the situation in the Middle East and Wall Streets results of the day?

Overall I'll say that I like the MAKERS MARK better, because I think its the better bourbon neat. And I'll also say that I personally like smoother bourbons over spicier bourbons so my bias will be toward the MAKERS MARK. That said, the SPRING MILL has typically compared well against other bourbons I've tried. Its a good, not a great, bourbon. And SPRING MILL is very good over a bit of ice.
 

Melensdad

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JEFFERSON OCEAN is releasing another batch of OCEAN in October.

If you can't find it, it will be available again soon. Well not soon enough. But still not too far into the future. The current batch, which is pretty much sold out, retailed for $70 to $80 a bottle in stores while it was available but is now trading for at least DOUBLE that price, plus shipping, on the internet. I'll be curious to see if the NEW OCEAN bourbon followed a different route across the equator (several times) as the CURRENT/last issue of OCEAN.



Oh, I picked up 2 more bottles of Bourbon.

One is Blantons, checked around and nobody up here has it for cheaper so I just paid $56 for a bottle of bourbon that is worth $49. But oh well. Its a well known premium, favored by a lot of people, always considered to be a very good bourbon, but never one of the elite bourbons.

Also got a bottle of $69 Col. E.H.Taylor "Single Barrel" bourbon. I've heard some really good things about this so I'm hoping its good. It is one of a series of limited releases. There have been 6 or 7 so far. The "Small Batch" and the "Single Barrel" are the only two that are still commonly available in stores. I'd have loved to have tried the old fashioned "Sour Mash" bourbon but that seems to be long gone. In 2006 they launched the line with their "Tornado Surviving" bourbon after a tornado hit Warehouse C of the Bourbon Trace Distillery, but honestly that seems more like a gimmick release than a serious one, still it sold out and is sought after by collectors.

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EDIT: going to start drinking early tonight, the sis-in-law came over. I'm hiding down in the man cave.

Since I had 2 new bottles I figured I'd open both.

The Col. E.H.Taylor is only very slightly darker amber than the Blantons but they are both very similar in hue. I'd guess they are probably about the same age, at least based on the color.

As for the aroma, the TAYLOR is a 100 proof (50% alcohol) bourbon, so its a bit higher in alcohol than most of the brands, and your nose is hit with a sweet scent followed by the alcohol. You pick up some vanilla, and maybe a bit of oak too. But its first and second sweet then alcohol that hits your nose. Switching over to the BLANTONS and it could not be more different in aroma from the TAYLOR if you tried. BLANTONS smells of grains and is mild to the nose in most every way with a bit of sweetness at the end.

Taking the first sip of the BLANTONS and it goes in smooth but finishes with a mild spice, a mild burn in the belly and a mild tingle on the tongue. Nothing objectionable, easy to drink, nothing sharp or harsh. A second sip is a bit bigger and the sensations are repeated. The burn is a bit bigger, the mouth tingle on the finish a bit stronger, but only because the sip was bigger. Nothing is bad, nothing is outstanding. This is a really nice UNDER $50 bourbon, unfortunately it costs more than $50.

Bringing up the COL E.H. TAYLOR up for the first sip and it goes in smooth, it transitions to the back of the mouth and hits you with a dose of spice, it goes down without any burn and without any mouth tingle from the alcohol. Its a rare combination when higher alcohol produces no/less burn but it does happen and I like it that way, but that is not best way to judge a bourbon. Honestly I love the upfront sweetness but this bourbon's peppery spice hit at the back of the tongue is stronger than most and its not going to appeal to all bourbon drinkers.

Dropping a single cube of ice into each glass and allowing them to melt down a bit I picked up the TAYLOR first took a healthy sip. The spice at the back of the tongue is tamed considerably. Often a cube of ice will sharpen the flavors while dulling the burn but with the TAYLOR the peppery spice is dulled and tamed down and the burn remains absent. I really like this bourbon over a cube of ice.

Switching to the BLANTONS with the ice cube mostly melted and the burn and tingle both have been tamed, the flavors are still very mild but have been sharpened. Its a nice smooth drinking bourbon over ice. Its a mild flavored boubon with a bit of a burn when served neat.

VERDICT: I'm not a big fan of the BLANTONS. I don't much like it neat and it is very drinkable with a single ice cube. But very drinkable doesn't make it outstanding. Sure, its good. But I will choose the COL E.H. TAYLOR as tonights winner, by a reasonably large margin. For everything it is, and for what it omits, its a very good bourbon. I think a bourbon has to be tested a few times to make sure its really good, so I won't say this is among my favorites. Not yet. But I will say that the TAYLOR has the potential to end up in the favorites category.
 

Melensdad

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Just wanted to take a second look at the Col E.H. Taylor so tonight, while watching a rerun of SHARKNADO 2 with the family I poured about an ounce of the TAYLOR into a glass to sip on.

Tonight the aroma coming of the glass is the same sweet smell, followed by the whiff of alcohol.

Tonight the first sip went in just as smooth and just as sweet, it also transitioned into a bit more spice than I'd prefer as it hit the back of the tongue. So far, so good. Its a repeat of last night.

But unlike last evening I got some burn in the belly when it went down. There was still no mouth tingle from the alcohol, so that also mimics last nights trial.

I know that what you eat affects the flavors of you drink, my guess is that the burn is affected the same way? Last night we had grilled chicken, tonight I ate some scrambled eggs. So maybe that has something to do with the heat I am getting today in the belly? The second sip gives a little less fire in the belly.

Honestly no ice today, just trying this neat tonight. And mainly because I poured such a small sample. Yesterday I preferred this Col E.H. Taylor with a slightly melted cube better than drinking it neat. If I had a cube of ice I think today I'd second that opinion from yesterday. But tonight's small sample gives me enough reason to add this bourbon to my "favorites" list. One of these nights I'll compare it to the JEFFERSON'S RESERVE, if it passes that test then I may have to compare it to the champion of the bourbon hill, JEFFERSON'S OCEAN.

This IS very good bourbon.
 

Melensdad

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For tonight's movie night I've got a short glass of FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL bourbon that I've been hearing some great things about. There are a few different types of Four Roses bourbons on the market, this is the SINGLE BARREL version. Its about $38 a bottle so its not on the cheap end of the Sub-$50 bourbons, but nor is it too pricy. This is a 100-proof bourbon whiskey so its a bit higher in alcohol than many others, which by law must be at least 80-proof and I think the majority of bourbons are right about 80. I also have a short glass of my favorite JEFFERSONS OCEAN Aged at Sea bourbon for my comparison. Its probably not fair to do that to the FOUR ROSES. But I really like the OCEAN bourbon and if I was to pour out 1 glass before this test it would not be the OCEAN! So on with the comparison.

Both of these bourbons are a nice rich medium amber. If one is darker than the other then its the FOUR ROSES that might be very slightly deeper in color. There is no indication of age on the bottle or the hang tag. There is an indication on the hang tag that this is LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD, but not sure if its 2, 4, 6, 8 etc years old.

To the nose, the FOUR ROSES hits you with a bit of sweetness, perhaps a touch of honey and only subtle undertones of alcohol actually are sensed by your snout. There is something else in there, not sure what I pick up, but its a really pleasant bourbon aroma.

The first sip from the glass and it goes into your mouth with a nice mellow and sweet smoothness. I think the touch of honey in the aroma is also sensed on the tongue. But got a very long finish to it with a lasting tingle on your lips and a lingering burn in the belly. You feel this bourbon going down, you feel it in your mouth with the tingle after the swallow, and then it simmers in the belly. Now if that is not something you like then there are some good points. The flavor with that hint of honey and a bit of spice on the back of the mouth before all the tingling and burning start, is actually a nice mellow flavor with a nice taste to it.

I shifted over the the JEFFERSONS OCEAN and, by comparison, WOW, just WOW, this stuff is so good. So damn good. With that said, I'm going to end the comparison. The OCEAN costs more than twice as much as the FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL and its just not fair to compare these bourbons. I'll save the rest of the OCEAN for after I finish my testing of the FOUR ROSES.

I dropped a single cube of ice into the FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL and let it melt down quite a bit. Taking a sip with about 2/3rds of the single cube melted and the mouth tingle is about 70% gone, the burn in the belly is reduced to a modest simmer that stays with you but it doesn't burn on the way down. While the mouth tingle is mostly gone, its still lingers for quite a long time. Unlike some other bourbons where the flavors become sharper with a little bit of water this bourbon this one retains its nice mellow semi-sweet flavor with its hint of honey.

I'm not sure that I really enjoy this bourbon neat.

And I'm not sure I really enjoy it with ice.


Its got a mellow flavor but its also got plenty of heat to it with all that lingering tingle on the lips and that burn in the belly that continues to simmer away. Its got a very long finish that I do not enjoy, if the burn in the belly was shorter, if the tingle on the lips waned faster . . . I'm not one to enjoy the burn that FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL delivers but I do enjoy the flavor. My bet is that this would make a great "mixer" because its going to stand up to flavors that are added to make the mixed drink of your choice. Might be one of the better choices for an Old Fashioned because of its stout body.

Now that I'm done with the test of the FOUR ROSES its time to switch to something that I really enjoy. The OCEAN has been written about in the past so I don't need to rewrite what I've already written so I'm just going to sit back and enjoy.
 

Melensdad

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Just purchased 3 bottles of bourbon over the internet. Never did that before. But I've wanted to try a couple of these and haven't been able to find them. One was an impulse buy. Anything over $50 is something that I consider to be a fairly expensive bottle and all 3 of these fit that category. Anything at $100 and above I consider to be in the elite category for bourbons and all of these are well under that mark. There are very few bourbons over $150 per bottle but they do exist. There are also plenty under $30 each.

Bookers Small Batch Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey $58.99 (from Jim Beam Co, Kentucky)
Aged for six to eight years and bottled at a robust ~130 proof, this bourbon earned a 90-95 point rating from Wine Enthusiast and is a three-time Double Gold medalist at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.​

Few Bourbon Whiskey Signature Edition $62.99 (tiny batch distillery located in Evanston, IL)
Autographed by the master distiller, this bottle of bourbon earned a score of 93 points from the Beverage Testing Institute.​

OYO Bourbon Whiskey $51.99 (small batch "4 grain" bourbon from Ohio)
Made in the heart of the Ohio River Valley, each of these award-winning whiskies is crafted by a fourth-generation master distiller.​
 

Melensdad

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Picture of the 3 new bottles, all were on sale, but all are over $50, even on sale.

Distiller autographed my bottle of FEW. Its from batch 5 and is bottle #87. This is the first of these 3 new bottles that I'm breaking into to try out.

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FEW is a very aeromatic bourbon, your nose is hit with the sweet scents of vanilla and honey as well as a pretty stiff hit of alcohol. Bottled at 93 proof its a bit more alcohol than in the standard 80 proof bottles, but I'm not sure that the higher alchohol content can be blamed for the hit to your nose because there are other bourbons in this range that don't hit your nose with such a stiff whiff of alcohol. That said, its not an unpleasant aroma because the heavy scent of sweetness balances the alcohol nicely.

The color of FEW bourbon is a beautifully dark rich amber, not sure how long this has been aged, the color would have you believe its an older bourbon but the distiller is a reasonable newcomer who distills and ages his bourbons in Evanston, IL so I suspect its young, in the 2 to 4 year range, but aged in a very deeply charred barrel.

First sip is sweet up front, transitioning back to some fairly mild spice, and goes down very smoothly. It seems sort of uneventful but then just when you think its over, the mouth tingle starts up and the warmth hits your belly. Both have a delayed reaction. Neither is harsh. You want to come back for more. Second sip, repeat of the first. But the finish is even longer, it sticks with you and its good. Sip number 3 and the mouth tingle and the warmth in the belly seem to have mellowed down a bit, perhaps because they have been 'seasoned' by the first two sips? You do feel the belly warmth, hard to call it a burn, for a long time after its down. It sticks with you but is no unpleasant or harsh. Its warmth, not burn. I like this bourbon neat.

Dropping in a cube of ice and letting it melt down a bit the first thing you notice is that the aroma is no longer as strong when you bring the glass up to your nose. You pick up the sweetness but not the alcohol scent. The ice definitely mellows this in some ways, the mouth tingle is now absent, the belly warmth is tamed down, but you pick up some added sharpness in the spice at the back of the mouth. The finish is not as long as when sipped neat. I think its sweet flavor is watered down a bit too much when served over ice but if you like a bit of sharpness to your bourbon then this might be a good choice over ice.

I'd have to say I rank FEW Bourbon fairly high on my list. Especially neat. A bit less so over ice. Its also not a cheap bourbon. For the price I'd say its not as good a value as Jefferson's Reserve, which is about $53 a bottle. Still, if you stumble upon a bottle and are looking for a premium VERY SMALL or TINY batch, then give a bottle of FEW Bourbon a try. It's a very good, but perhaps not a great, bourbon. Me, I'm pretty much tired of the $20 to $40 bourbons, with the possible exceptions of Makers Mark and a very very few select others.

----------------- On topic, sort of:

Interesting article from Mens Journal, about distilleries you can trust. FEW is one of those => http://www.mensjournal.com/food-dri...lleries-making-whiskey-you-can-trust-20140903

They also mention WIDOW JANE, which is on my bucket list.
 

Melensdad

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Sipping on the OYO Bourbon and I'm underwhelmed. I've really been looking forward to trying this one. Its a bourbon, mixed with a wheat whiskey, but the proportion is such that it still qualifies as a bourbon so with the mix there is still at least 51% corn in the mash. OYO is a micro-distiller in Ohio. I believe they buy their bourbon from Lawrenceburg, IN and mix it with their own OYO distilled wheated whisky.

To start out this is a 90 proof bourbon with a lovely caramel color. The aromo is mostly alcohol on the nose with some subtle hints of vanilla. But mostly alcohol.

Sipping it neat you notice that OYO has got some rye qualities, from the bourbon mash, in that it has plenty of back of mouth spice. But its also got the mellowness and sweetness characterized by wheated bourbons. Going into your mouth its very pleasant. Its what happens afterwards that is the problem. Burn in the belly. Long lasting deep hard burn. Some mouth tingle too from the alcohol, but the burn in the gut is strong enough that you almost have to reach for a fire extinguisher and really are not too terribly concerned about the tingle on the lips, which is also a bit harsh. But before the unpleasant part there is a good smooth and mellow bourbon flavor that is very nice, with a bit of spice, but not too much, at the back of the tongue.

So far the OYO reminds me of WILLETS POT STILL bourbon, in that its got some nice notes but is just to harsh with too much burn to enjoy straight up.

Thankfully I'm done with this one neat, I dropped in an ice cube and let it melt down to see if this can be tamed down. Surprisingly the single cube really tamed the harshness of the OYO Bourbon down into a very pleasant drink. The characteristics of wheated bourbons really now shines, this becomes a very smooth drink, with just a hint of alcohol tingle finish in the mouth, and a bit of warmth in the belly but no longer is there a burning fire that rivals an old fashioned pot belly stove. The flavors really sharpen up but don't become harsh; can something be both smooth but sharp? Mellow but with disctinct traces of spice? This one seems to do it.

Honestly I really do NOT like OYO Bourbon straight up. Its just a mean drink when you try it neat. But mellow it out with a bit of ice or water and all of a sudden this becomes a very nice well balanced bourbon that is intersting to the tongue, no longer harsh, but still offers some body. Ice not only saves this bourbon from the trash heap, it redeems it and makes it a VERY good, perhaps not great, bourbon.
 

Melensdad

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Tonight is a good night for BOOKERS Bourbon from the home of Jim Beam. Its bottled at Cask strength, so every batch has a slightly different proof. My bottle is just a shade over 130 proof.

Given the strength, I'm not even going to bother to sip this neat. I poured about an ounce and a half into a glass, added 2 ice cubes and let it sit a little bit. Mock me for not drinking a 130+ proof drink straight if you will, but I don't drink to get drunk or even a buzz. Typically I have a 1 drink limit and do it for the flavor.

BOOKERS is the premium bourbon from Jim Beam and it is a real doozy of drink. Its a nice dark caramel color with plenty of alcohol in the aroma.

But it is the taste that really sets this bourbon apart. Its got some BIG FLAVORS, even with 2 cubes 1/2 way melted, the flavor is very bold and spicy. There is only a little alcohol tingle on the lips, a little warmth in the belly (much less than the OYO that I taste tested yesterday). But this is a full flavor bourbon with strong spices and strong flavors in your mouth. It is very different than any other bourbon in this thread because it is far more flavorful than any other bourbon in this thread, so much so that its got more flavor than the others by a wide margin or magnitude.

This is strongly flavored but very good. And obviously high in alcohol, which most people will want to tame down. But when I say good, by that I mean very very good. It goes into a special category of good that we can call great. You have to like spice to like this, but if you do you won't just like it, you will love this. BOOKERS Bourbon is worth the price... and more.

I'd say its not your everyday bourbon, and I'd still pick JEFFERSON'S OCEAN as a better bourbon. But not by much. I just don't think I could drink the BOOKERS everyday, and the OCEAN is something I'd love to pick up daily.
 

Melensdad

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Wife bought me 3 bottles for my birthday.

Garrison Brothers TEXAS Bourbon
Widow Jane (distilled in Indiana, finished in NY)
Barterhouse 20 year old

So far this is the only one that I've sampled. The Garrison Bros is aged 2 years, very smooth, very little burn but only after it hits bottom and it's not a hot sustained burn but rather a warm feeling. Not hot. I very much like this!

Widow Jane has been on my wish list for quite a while. They hide the fact that they don't actually distill this bourbon. But it is rumored to be very very good so I don't care if it comes in on a truck from Indiana (?) and is then cut and finished in NY. I care that it tastes good.

Barterhouse is also sometihing of a mystery as to its origins. I believe it's a Brown-Foreman brand, but am not 100% sure of that. What I know is that it is one of the very few bourbons aged 20+ years so that alone should make it very special.

Garrison https://caskers.com/product/garrison-brothers-texas-straight-bourbon-whiskey/
Widow JANE https://caskers.com/product/wj/
Barterhouse https://caskers.com/product/barterhouse-old-blowhard-kentucky-bourbon-whiskey/
 

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Melensdad

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Sipping on the WIDOW JANE tonight after coming home from the fencing club. My bottle is from barrel 92, bottle 172 of 2013. It is 91 proof. Each bottle is individually remarked with the information specific to the bottle, batch, year and proof. FWIW, its aged 7 years.

Widow Jane is a dark caramel color, somewhat darker than many other bourbons of a similar age range, so I suspect the barrels are charred to a darker char.

Poured about an ounce and a half into a glass and tried it neat. Its got a nice sweet taste up front with some spice on the back end and a nice finish. Its got a mild burn, not an intense one, when it hits your belly. You notice it, it is more than a warming feeling. But its not too objectionable. I will admit that I burnt the roof of my mouth on some deep fried Chinese food, consequently the alcohol content hurt the roof of my mouth a bit and that may be altering some of my taste buds in this review too! Still, I enjoyed the flavor straight.

Dropping in a single cube of ice and letting it melt down a bit I noticed the spices at the back of my mouth really sharpen up a lot but the burn in the belly was virtually eliminated. It was still sweet up front.

This is a nice bourbon, despite my burnt mouth. Poured another half-ounce into the glass, added a bit of the water from a melted ice cube, and enjoyed it again. I think I like this bourbon with a bit of water more than I like it neat. Its got some nice rye spice to it and some great complex flavors. I suspect its the mineral water that makes this just different enough to put this into my "favorites" list. Honestly I think the Garrison Brothers may be a bit better, but this is very very good. Not available in Indiana, its a mail order item here, but worthy of consideration if you find it. I won't rate it up with the Jefferson Ocean. I will even say that the Jefferson Reserve is a better value, given that it costs less and and is just as good. Bookers is probably better. Col E.H.Taylor Single Barrel is on par with this. All of these that I've named are, sadly, over $50.
 

Melensdad

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So tonight after fencing practice I poured a short glass of BARTERHOUSE bourbon.

It has a wonderful sweet and spicy aroma and it hits your tongue and tastes so good, but then it goes down and it BURNS. Like water on the wicked witch of the West it BURNS. Not what I like in a bourbon. Not at all. Its got some spice to it, which is not at all objectionable, but rather is interesting. Its got some sweetness to it, again, adding a layer of complexity and keeping things interesting. If you spit it out at this point it would be wonderful. But you swallow bourbon, you don't spit it out. And then it burns.

So I added an ice cube let it melt down. That fixed it. NOT! It still has an objectionable burn. But on the plus side, its still wonderfully sweet and spicy and has a great flavors in the mouth. Sadly it burns. Its a 90.2 Proof bourbon, I've had plenty of others with significantly more alcohol that had far less heat to them. So the alcohol level is not to blame. I've had spicier bourbon that had less burn. I even tried to let it air out a bit. Then I put in another ice cube, so it was now about 1/2 frozen water and 1/2 bourbon. Stuck my nose in the glass and boy does this smell wonderful. Certainly the burn must be tamed by now? Right? Ahhh, finally the burn is tamed down. Sadly some of the sweetness is watered down and some of the spice is mellowed too. But the aroma remains to remind you of this brand's potential.

Is this bad? NO. Is this as good as it should be? NO. Am I glad I have it in my cabinet? YES. I'll try it again some other day and see if it burns as bad the next time.
 

Melensdad

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Tonight!



Wild Turkey’s Jimmy Russell is the longest-serving, active Master Distiller of a major whiskey brand in not just Kentucky, but all of North America. To honor his father and their dynamic personal and professional relationship, Eddie Russell created a limited-edition mingling of 13- and 16-year-old whiskies, called Wild Turkey Diamond Anniversary.

It will be available exclusively from May to August in the Wild Turkey Visitor Center and then nationwide in late summer, Wild Turkey Diamond Anniversary Edition has an SRP of $124.99.

This year is actually being called the “Year of Jimmy Russell” as Jimmy is a living legend among the Kentucky distilling community. Marking 60 years in the industry this year, the integrity he has brought to the bourbon trade remains unparalleled and is reflected in every bottle of Wild Turkey. Wild Turkey tells BourbonBlog.com No other American Master Distiller in history has reached this milestone.

- See more at: http://www.bourbonblog.com/blog/201...ond-anniversary-bourbon/#sthash.LClBNdni.dpuf



I'm in search of some WOODFORD RESERVE Masters Selection SONOMA-CUTRER PINOT NOIR FINISH Bourbon. Its just been released.
 

Melensdad

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Just scored one of my bucket list bourbons.

OLD FORESTER 12 year Birthday Bourbon, 2014 release.

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EastTexFrank

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Melensdad, that picture of your liquor cabinet puts me to shame.

I thought that I had enough Scotch stored up to float a small battleship, OK maybe a frigate, but you sir have me bested. :3_7_11v:

I just wish that I could drink bourbon so I could take part in this thread. :burp:
 

Melensdad

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It is probably 5 o'clock somewhere but it was only a bit after 11am here when we did a bit of a taste test at the cigar lounge. And a mighty good taste test it was. 4 of us were sipping.

Texas made Garrison Brothers first batch (spring '14) was rated the #1 of the 4 of these we had. Bib & Tucker, a brand new Kentucky brand, was also rated very high, just behind the first batch of the Garrison Brothers. The 2nd batch of Garrison Brothers (fall '14) was very different from the first batch, sharper and a totally different flavor profile. It was ranked 3rd. Then there was the Michigan offering from Journeyman's and it was so far below the other 3 brands that it was not even in the same league. Sort of like comparing Pee-Wee football to the NFL. Journeyman's is just that bad in comparison, and it was not just my opinion it was the collective opinion of the group that there was simply no comparison between our bottom ranking of the Journeyman's and the other 3 offerings.

My first choice was the first batch Garrison. Garrison is a boutique brand from Texas, price is about $75-$80 per bottle, and they are sayingn that each will be different from other brands. There was a big difference between the Garrison #1 and the Garrison #2. Taste profiles were different, spice profiles were different.

Bib & Tucker, priced about $50-$55 per bottle, is a new brand being introduced and its a milder flavor, milder spice, very easy to drink, and very very good.
 

Melensdad

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Special Order arrived. Took 2 weeks to get in, but I got it. Liquor store only got 1 bottle and it had my name on it.

We have a big fencing tournament tomorrow so I doubt that I will try this tonight.

But probably tomorrow night!

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Melensdad

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When I started this thread I was reviewing modestly priced bourbons, typically under, or at least not too much over, $50 per bottle.

So going back to comparison reviews, I pulled out a new bottle of BEER BARREL that I had purchased quite a while ago and never got around to opening. Never compared it to KNOB CREEK so I figured that it would be a nice comparison. Lots of KNOB CREEK fans out there, its a fine bourbon. BEER BARREL is one of my low priced favorites, with its second aging in New Holland Brewing's Dragon's Milk barrels after it is aged in traditional charred oak barrels.

Just on looks alone, the KNOB CREEK is slightly darker/richer in color than the BEER BARREL. The KNOB CREEK is a dark amber, while the BEER BARREL is more of a honey amber color.

As for the aroma, the BEER BARREL is a little sweeter in scent while the KNOB CREEK has a bit more of an alcohol scent.

Sipping on the BEER BARREL is always a pleasant experience, just a hint of a tingle on the lips and only the slightest warmth, but not a burn. The flavor changes from sweet on the front of the tongue to a little bit of a spice on the back. Its just a nice easy to drink bourbon and the roughly $35 price tag is a bonus because its modest in comparison to some others. The KNOB CREEK is a higher proof bourbon and has much bolder flavors. There is also a bit of lingering heat when it hits your belly. At 100 proof for the KNOB CREEK versus 80 for the BEER BARREL you might think that the KNOB CREEK would be harsh, but it is not harsh, rather it is better described as bold or hearty. But its not harsh.

Dropped a small bit of ice in each glass and let them melt down a bit. As with previous tests, I don't like the BEER BARREL as much with just a bit of melted ice. For some reason the BEER BARREL tastes pretty darn good neat, and it tastes pretty darn good with a fully melted ice cube, but with just a little bit of ice melt it seems to be off in some way. So drink it straight, or let the cube fully melt (or add an equivalent amount of water) but don't bother with it when it just has a cube that is only very slightly melted.

The KNOB CREEK seems to really sharpen up with some melted ice/water added. The bold flavors are really heightened after the ice has melted down. Lots of bourbons get sharper flavors, more pronounced spices, after they get some ice/water added to them. KNOB CREEK doesn't disappoint when you let the ice melt down, the bold flavors open up and become sharper and more bold.

If you like a full flavor bourbon then your choice is going to be KNOB CREEK, at least in comparison to the BEER BARREL, which is milder and easier to sip. The BEER BARREL is soft and mild while the KNOB CREEK has big bold flavors. To each his own, some will prefer one, some the other. I like both enough that I'll call tonight a TIE. Some nights I'm in the mood for a light, easy to drink, mild flavor profile. Some evenings I'm in the mood for big bold flavors.

Both of these bourbons are at/under $35 per bottle and both are well worth the price, but both are very different.
 

EastTexFrank

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Don't let anyone say that I'm an ol' stick in the mud when it comes to alcoholic drinks.

Although I say that Scotch is my liquor of choice and that I don't particularly like Bourbon, in the spirit of adventure that lies within us all, I'm willing to try anything ... once.

I was in the liquor store today and asked the lady what she would recommend as an introduction to bourbon for and absolute novice. After much deliberation, this was her recommendation.

http://www.whwc.com/p/30485

It's a Labrot and Graham Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select. I'm still trying to summon up the courage to try it. Bob, if you've tried it, I'd appreciate your comments.

Personally, at the moment I'm sipping a Barenjager before bed.
 

Melensdad

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I am not really a fanboy of the regular Woodford Reserve bourbon. I've tried it. I even reviewed it here in (somewhere in this thread) in a comparison or two. Its a decent bourbon, lots of people swear by it. I think its a fine "mixer" but not really all that good for drinking straight. And since I will sip on bourbon straight more often than I will drink an Old Fashioned or a Manhatten, I tend to favor bourbons that are really good straight. Lots of people have a different opinion than I do and honestly the Woodford Reserve is one of the most popular premium bourbons on the market today, so don't take my opinion as gospel, its just my opinion and worth exactly what you paid for it.

Today at the cigar lounge one of my shooting buddies showed up with a bottle of Noah's Mill. Its got great reviews and I've wanted to try it but it was never on my "must have" list of bourbons. Its a 'barrel proof' bourbon so each batch is a slightly different proof. This stuff we had today was about 119 proof. It was really good sippin bourbon. A few of us tried it and everyone agreed that it was worthy of drinking straight.

Tonight after leaving the fencing club I stopped at my local shop. He had a bottle of one of my 'bucket list' bourbons. GEORGE T STAGG bourbon, it is both a 'barrel proof' and an antique, aged 17 years. A very rare combination. It took 3 visits to get that 1 bottle and I got lucky because the guy who was on the list in front of me never showed up, so I got it. While I was there I also got a bottle of MAKERS 46 from Makers Mark. I honestly think that Makers Mark is one of the truely great bourbons, and at under $30 a bottle its a best buy too. Makers Mark is a 'wheated' bourbon, made with Corn + Wheat instead of Corn + Rye, which is more traditional. Pappy Van Winkle, the worlds most sought after bourbon, is also a 'wheated' bourbon, so Makers Mark is in fine company being a non-conformist. The MAKERS 46 is traditional Makres Mark, whch has been second aged wtih some additional barrel staves to impart a bit more chared oak flavoring, and that adds a bit of vanilla and/or caramel too. I've never tried it but I've wanted to, so I picked it up to try out. Under $35, and a bit more complexity than traditional Markers Mark should make it a serious winner. The George T Stagg was more than double the price of the Makers 46.

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Melensdad

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Buried my friend Dale today. He was a Scotch drinker. And while I will drink Scotch while I'm in Scotland, I don't keep it at home because I'm more of a bourbon fan. So I'm sitting quietly, contemplating life and realizing that 57 is way too young an age to bury a friend, to see a wife loose a spouse, and to see 2 sons lose their father. I was honored to be a pall bearer at the funeral. Coming home I cracked open the bottle of the Woodford Reserve MASTER'S COLLECTION Sonoma-Cutrer Bourbon. Way more than $50. I wanted to hoist a special drink in his honor.

Its a rich brown color, bordering in redish brown, unlike anything else I have in my collection. The scent is both sweet and spicy with some hints of alcohol coming through to the nose.

This is a very complex bourbon and very non-traditional as it is finished off in wine barrels after the traditional aging. Its also fairly hot with plenty of mouth tingle and some burn, not a long lasting burn but there is a lingering heat that remains after the burn finishes. The flavors are almost savory in the mouth with few hints of sweetness on the front of the mouth. Its smooth at the front of the mouth but not really sweet. The savory flavor is not peppery like many other bourbons either. Its hard to pin this one down.

After drinking about an ounce I dropped a 1/2 melted ice cube into the remaining ounce that was left in the glass to let it melt down, chill the liquid and see if the water would open up the flavors.

The ice considerably calmed the tingle, reduced the burn but left the lingering warmth. The savory flavors that I could not really pin down to anything in particular seemed to pick up some of the more traditional peppery tones that are common in high rye bourbons. It remains a very interesting bourbon, with a very long finish. The mouth tingle seems to start up long after the bourbon has found its way down your throat, so the tingle is delayed and stays with you, much the way the belly warmth stays with you. Ths is a very long finish and its very complex in its flavor profile.

The Woodford Reserve MASTER'S COLLECTION Sonoma-Cutrer is not a typical bourbon, its a very special bourbon. Some may not enjoy it, some will love it, but there is no question that it is a rare and special product indeed. It is, very much, like a special friend.
 

Melensdad

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BIB & TUCKER Kentucky Bourbon is probably one of the finest of the under $50 per bottle bourbons that I have ever tasted.

BIB & TUCKER is easily better than Blantons (slighly over $50), Woodford Reserve, Makers Mark, Buffallo Trace, Beam Black, etc (all under $50). On par with Jeffferson's Reserve (slighly over $50). So if you want a really nice bourbon that is a really geat value, take a look around for the new BIB & TUCKER offering while it is still under $50.

Price for the bottle is under $50 but sales tax may tip the total to just over $50.

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Melensdad

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Last night was a quite night at the house, relaxing after spending the middle part of the day in Chicago seeing the Christmas musical production of THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS with the family. We had great seats, about 8 rows back from the orchestra pit and nearly dead center of the stage.

Poured about 1.5 ounces of "OYO Bourbon Whiskey Michelone Reserve" and dropped a single ice cube in the glass.

I've had OYO before, didn't like it neat, but liked it plenty with a cube melting in the glass so I went right to the ice tray and picked out a smaller cube to drop in the glass.

The OYO Bourbon is generally priced just a few dollars over $50 per bottle, sometimes can be found on sale for just under $50.

The single cube really tamed the harshness of the OYO Bourbon down into a very pleasant, very good drink. The characteristics of wheated bourbons really now shines, this becomes a very smooth drink, with just a hint of alcohol tingle finish in the mouth, and a bit of warmth in the belly but no longer is there a burning fire that rivals an old fashioned pot belly stove. The flavors really sharpen up but don't become harsh; can something be both smooth but sharp? Mellow but with disctinct traces of spice? This one seems to do it.

Honestly, as stated earlier, I really do NOT like OYO Bourbon straight up. Its can be a mean drink when you try it neat. But mellow it out with a bit of ice or water and all of a sudden this becomes a very nice well balanced bourbon that is intersting to the tongue, no longer harsh, but still offers some body. Ice not only saves this bourbon from the trash heap, it redeems it and makes it a VERY GOOD, perhaps not great, bourbon.

For those interested in Indiana bourbons, this one might qualify. It is produced by MIDDLE WEST SPIRITS out of Ohio. Its a blend of their Wheat Whiskey and bourbon, but they don't seem to actually produce bourbon, so it is believed by me that their bourbon comes from MGP in Lawerenceburg, IN, then blending into the OYO Wheat Whiskey. This makes for a bouron that is a 4 grain bourbon containing CORN, WHEAT, RYE and 2 ROW BARLEY.
 

Sparquelito

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I drink mostly good dark beers anymore.

Used to be a bourbon drinker, and in fact drank more than my share of Jim Beam and Jim Beam Black. Eventually I had to give it up. (I liked it too much.)

As it is now, beer works better.
I get full before I get pie-eyed, and the whole house is happier.
 

Melensdad

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... Used to be a bourbon drinker, and in fact drank more than my share of Jim Beam and Jim Beam Black. Eventually I had to give it up. (I liked it too much.)

As it is now, beer works better.
I get full before I get pie-eyed, and the whole house is happier.

I'm fortunate that I don't like it too much. In fact I don't even like getting a 'buzz' from any alcohol. But I do enjoy the flavors, smells and sensations. Not really a fan of beer, but I'll drink a cold one every now and again, typically on a hot summer day, or on a fishing trip, etc. Not a drinker of most other alcohols, but I do enjoy a few Gin & Tonics each year, again usually on hot summer days.

But an ounce or two of fine bourbon a few nights a week while watching a movie or while sitting and relaxing, that I do enjoy.
 

Melensdad

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Last night was the last evening Melen was home for Thanksgiving break. We decided to stay home, eat dinner in the living room and watch a movie. I pulled a bottle of FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL out of the cabinet and poured 2 ounces and dropped in a single, fairly large, ice cube. This is a fairly "hot" bourbon with plenty of tingle and a long lingering burn, but a nice flavor.

To the nose, the FOUR ROSES hits you with a bit of sweetness and maybe some honey and only subtle undertones of alcohol actually are sensed by your snout. There is something else in there, not sure what I pick up, but its a really pleasant bourbon aroma.

I let the cube of ice melt down almost completely, the drink was now cool with only a small amount of ice remaining. Taking a sip into my mouth and there is still tingle in the mouth but its not overly objectionable, the burn in the belly was reduced to a modest simmer that stays with you but it doesn't burn on the way down. While the mouth tingle is mostly gone, its still lingers in your gut for quite a long time, in fact too long. Unlike some other bourbons where the flavors become sharper with a little bit of water this bourbon this one retains its nice mellow semi-sweet flavor with its hint of honey.

FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL has got a mellow flavor but its also got plenty of heat to it with all that lingering tingle on the lips and that burn in the belly that continues to simmer away. Its got a very long finish that I do not enjoy, if the burn in the belly was shorter, if the tingle on the lips waned faster . . . I'm not one to enjoy the burn that FOUR ROSES SINGLE BARREL delivers but I do enjoy the flavor.

I really think this bourbon should be reserved as a "mixer" because its going to stand up to flavors that are added to make the mixed drink of your choice. Might be one of the better choices for an Old Fashioned or Manhatten because of its stout body, and because it will stand up to the ice cubes that are typically added to many mixed drinks.


---

For tonight we are having BEENIE WEENIES while watching THE WALKING DEAD.

Not sure what type of bourbon goes well with the Zombie Apocalypse and a bowl of Beenie Weenies?
 
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