Tastes

Was strolling the isles at Total Wine and a sign that read “free samples” caught my attention. Don’t mind if I do! Only details I recall were Rickhouse G and 9 years. I loved the CNA and CNB picks I’ve tried but G is uncharted territory. Out of a tiny plastic thimble it’s hard to appreciate the nose on this. The palate was a different story. Roasted cinnamon, oak, brown sugar, black tea and a nice coating mouthfeel with a long spicy finish. This was more spice/wood/earth driven than the fruity and bright A/B picks I’ve tried. Now to try C, D, E and the rest!

I’ve come to love the Makers limited releases. This one is no exception The nose greets you with caramel, maple, oat and chocolate as well as some sour cherries and buttered popcorn. Yup, all familiar Makers territory. Reminds me a lot of RC6 in that it is so sweet and rich. The palate is hot and oily. It hits with a blast of makers jalapeño heat and then the dry, brown tobacco becomes immediately evident alongside cinnamon, cherries and chocolate, maple, banana pudding and raspberry. I’m a huge fan of this. The richness, the earthiness, the long finish. This is a rival to OWA 107 more so than CS 46 in my book and not as desert-like as RC6 but showcases earthy tobacco instead in a way that few other distillers can. Definite rebuy if I can! I’m between a 4 and 4.25 and will keep it a 4 unless time somehow improves it.

“Pegasus” 123 proof, bottle 119 (of an unknown total). So, to begin with, the bottle is outstandingly sleek and the cork rather hefty. The details are above average for an NDP bourbon - its KY distilled (pot still nonetheless - more on this in a minute), at least 7 years, single barrel, NCF and barrel proof. Corn, rye and malted barley (so no wheat). I read up a bit on Ray Walker’s fiascos and almost ran. I want so badly to believe this will be good and that the packaging isn’t sheep’s clothing... The pot still component leaves me wondering. There are only so many KY distillers that utilize a pot still. Willet (which on statistics and hubris alone this cannot be), Woodford reserve and Makers are the big 3. Can’t be makers without wheat. Town branch is a possibility, along with several other smaller distilleries. Would they have contract distilled this? Do they actually have enough aging stock to part with a handful of 7y barrels? When all else fails, drink it and guess! On the nose there is moderate stone fruit and caramel along with sawdust, sweet rye bread (think Outback Steakhouse if you dare), bubble gum, mint and a bit of ethanol. The proof beings this alive on the palate. Bubblegum, pineapple, vanilla, faint mint, maybe coriander and orange creamsicle. The mouthfeel is medium in viscosity but leave a light, oily finish where the oak shows up for the first time and the sweet notes ride along for several minutes. This isn’t bad but it’s just not for me. I’m left wishing there were more earthy and spicy notes. This is so bright. The sweet notes all work together but the balance isn’t there for me. There are no real flaws though. What I will say is that the proof saves this. It drinks like Peerless bourbon, which is half the age this is. For $200 I would be furious with myself. For $150 I would he highly disappointed. I managed to snag this for $80 and will say it comes nowhere even close to an widely available $80 Barrell Craft bourbon blend, Bookers, Remus reserve or even a Makers Private selection if we are considering age and proof. Nothing about this says Woodford and certainly not Willett. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a Town Branch product. Admittedly though I have no clue on this one. Fancy bottle is definitely compensating for something. Other barrels sound better than mine but Pegasus is a donkey passing itself off in expensive, mythological clothing.

I’ll spare the long backstory but this fell into my hands as a likely Act of God. I cracked it with my dad who I’ve not seen in a year but who is finally vaccinated, along with my mom. Caramel-red hue. Nose starts out with old sawdust... something like a well seasoned pipe with layers of char. I give it time and slowly the wood gives way to fruity esters of ripe banana (mild, not full-on Barton), cherry syrup and raisins. Pipe tobacco shows up with caramel. Ethanol and wet pennies lie in the distant background. There is barely any heat on entry and a medium-light mouthfeel that is 100% earthy wet, brown pipe tobacco that unfolds into bright vanilla and caramel on the top of the tongue, honey and ginger with dark fruit mid palate and new leather and oak down the hatch into a medium finish... Did I just eat a bowl of raisin-pecan oatmeal and smoke a pipe or did I just turn a $2500 bottle into a $0 bottle that I will cherish with my family and friends until it’s gone? Red pill or blue pill sort of moment... It’s good, and for me checks all the right earthy boxes and takes the pipe tobacco of say Eagle Rare to 11. Not as fruity or sharp as OWA, not as punchy and less of a dynamic finish than Weller FP. Up there with the best Noah’s Mill and a dusty 14y Elijah Craig store pick I stumbled across. Far less sweet and spicy than any Makers Mark 46/select stave I’ve ever tried. No where near the complexity of an ECBP or GTS. Obviously no rye to liken it to Wild Turkey, Beam or various Willett estate offerings I’ve tried. Honestly, who cares. I’m gonna go spend time with my parents, wife (who slyly remarked “I wish you’d look at me that way sometimes” when I tore off the foil) and two wild kids.

5/13/2004 - 8/12/2019 (15y) pick from Cork & Barrel in Lexington KY. Warehouse WL, floor F-03, Rick R-034. Such a great find, paid $80 knowing that 1) this is a unique pick and 2) this is literally a mom and pop wine and bourbon shop. Why finally rate this now? It’s been open and poured several times. It kept me from buying the KC 15y red label limited edition because, well, this is 120 proof and less expensive. Again, luck. I’m sipping this again thanks to Kentucky Senator Bourbon. Another 15y pour, likely Beam but possibly contract distilled with a unique mash bill and bottled at 107 proof. So much fruit and peanut, but more citrus than I recall with most KC and any Bookers I’ve tasted. This pour, the KC 15y 120 proof find... the same citrus eaters are there. The oak is there. Cinnamon rolls with warm cream cheese icing also on the nose... Body is heavier but the yeasty rye notes are basically that of Kentucky Senator. There is cherry, cinnamon, cedar, rye bread, brown sugar. Damn. Why did I pay $200 for an NDP tote and $80 for this clearly labeled bottle. Now the finish and complexity, well, frankly doesn’t quite match the Kentucky Senator. How I’m not sure... This has more brown sugar and is less tannic. The Senator is more rowdy. But this is more well rounded. I’m now convinced the 15 year NDP bottles that are going around on the ghost mash bill (Old Soul, Doc Swanson, Chicken Cock etc. with the 78.5/13/8.5) is Beam. It is not the 75/13/12 bill of KC but I would say the barrel staves, toast, char and yeast are the damn same. I love bourbon. I love that it keeps me guessing and helps create stories among friends. I love whisky for the same reason but am not sophisticated enough to afford most of it - and am no longer able to afford >$125 for the mystery mash bill of KY. That said, I will keep snatching up KC!

So, it comes in the same bottle as Old Forester’s Whiskey Row series... must be good. This appeared locally and sold out instantly at $200 a bottle. It is labeled as a small batch KY bourbon (distilled and aged in KY). At around 1300 bottles I would guess this amounted to around 8-10 x 15 year old barrels depending on volume loss. The mash bill is the mysterious 78.5% corn, 13% rye and 8.5% malted barley that has shown up in numerous other $100+ NDP bottles as of late with age statements around 13-15 years. There is story to be told regarding the chosen KY senators that will adorn each batch. This, batch #1, is named for Alben W. Barkley (who also served as VP under Harry S. Truman). Of note he was a prohibitionist and anti-gambler. I can’t once again help but see the irony in the use of the Brown Forman Old Forester bottle... Enough with the bottle already. I’ve been fooled before. Especially by overpriced NDP offerings. Number one offender was Sam Houston KY-3 (over-oaked Barton bananas at a low proof, the latter of which showed all of its flaws). There are others but in the interest of time the question today is - considering VFM would I buy this again over OF 1920? At first crack there are striking similarities. A cannon of cherries and oak blast the nose. There is underlying butterscotch, peanut brittle, allspice and floral notes. This hits the palate above the labeled 107 proof with a viscous feel, a dance of honey and apples that weren’t on the nose as much and then a tannic leather turn to show its age. Back on the nose I can appreciate the leather. Subsequent sips bring around more cherries, bright citrus (orange and lemon zest), tobacco, brown sugar, and a dance between acidic and tannic. Odd, but the lengthy finish is full of citrus fruit and wood while vanilla notes take a back seat. Ok, so this is not over-oaked, proofed down 1920. It could be Brown Forman, Beam or Barton but is akin to the first more than the others for me. The long finish though... so much citrus, wood, leather and a hint of banana? What is King of Kentucky like? Based on descriptions I imagine fans of that offering would be pleased with this one. Would I buy this over 4 bottles of 1920? That would be a very, very hard sell to do it again. That said, I enjoy this quite a bit. I’m afraid it won’t be for everyone and wonder what others who scooped it up so quickly we’re expecting. 1920 would be more of a crowd pleaser while the tannic elements here might be off putting for some. Also drinks above its proof - although I’m once again in favor of this. I (likely) won’t go for another backup bottle but don’t have much on my shelf that rivals it. If you have $200 lying around and have tried everything else then I say go for it. If you’re still exploring the $40-60 range and prefer Buffalo Trace or Basil Hayden then consider passing.

Batch #1, curtesy of my brother in law. Four grain, non-chill filtered. The non-GMO and locally sourced grain is a nice thought but unclear if the terroir will translate to a distinct final product. I’m unsure if the still type, distillation and barrel entry proof but would love to find out. With other craft distilleries looking at the latter factors it seems like a worth while variable to consider. At first glance this looks and smells like a 4-5 year, $45 bourbon. Light golden color, subtle nose. Pleasant though. Sits among the New Riff, Buffalo trace (and dare I say Blanton’s), 4R realm of vanilla, young oak and fruit forward qualities. There is a bit of char behind the wood and vanilla but largely apricot, lemon and tobacco. Vanilla, young oak, faint char, apricot, a hint of tobacco. Very little heat or spice to speak of. Medium, fruity/oaky finish. The sawdust mid palate gives away its youth, but this otherwise rivals Blanton’s. This is dangerously good if that’s your jam. Fill an empty Blanton’s bottle and crush the ego of your friends. Well done Frey Ranch, well done! If the score seems low, keep in mind I shrug off BT mash bill 2 in favor of fuller proof, spicer bourbons and am openly biased about this.

130.2 proof (so they say), bottled 1.11.21 from barrel 21-00208. This grew up on R-14 Rick N9. Tawny, bold and beautiful. The aroma of warm bananas foster and caramel syrup over cinnamon and vanilla ice cream. Rich. Warm. Hints of maple bacon, oak, caraway, orange zest. The ethanol is well hidden. There is an absolute BANG on entry and my tongue is left to recover and sort it out. At first there is a grape and wood element, almost like Armagnac. Wasn’t expecting that. Second sip is full of spice - cinnamon, clove, anise that all fade into that wood and grape element and a long, warm drip down into the chest. Bits of tannic leather come along with subsequent sips. Brown butter. Cola? Is that my amygdala just randomly interjecting sensations from days of old? At $60 this holds its own against an EHT barrel proof. I would venture to say this sits above Bookers territory as far as complexity goes but lacks the thick vanilla, brown sugar and nuts that Beam brings to the palate. It does fall behind a good Stagg Jr or EXBP with regard to absolute, unfolding, bonkers complexity and finish. This pour is a TN cigar to a KY pipe tobacco. It’s a bit brash but flavorful. For a mid-shelf find, on sale, this is hard to compete with. I say this as ECBP is now topping $80, Bookers is becoming harder to come by for any less than that and EHT Barrel proof only exists on the secondary and devoted whiskey bar displays. If I mix this with Bookers, will I be cursed? Maybe a dash of well-aged MGP thrown in? I needn’t go there but such a blend... available and perhaps unstoppable. Further research is needed...

One pour. The nose - disappointing. Just too subtle. Sun dried oak, brown tobacco... that’s about it. Sun, wood and ethanol. The color is surprisingly light. For what it is worth this bottle probably ha 2-3oz left so excessive oxidation could be playing a role. Entry is soft and flavors start out with vanilla, butterscotch, slight oak astringency, pear, faint tobacco. Second sip just gets better with more caramel and floral notes. More cinnamon, more allspice. I would put this on par with other 4R limited editions I’ve tried. The astringency is its Achilles heel for me. I expect no flaws in this range of fine bottles. Barterhouse 20 territory, slightly better perhaps. Lovely, balanced. But does it meet expectations? Not really, but expectations are a *****.