Tastes

OBSF // 11y 3mo // 60.9% Fresh crack first pour Nose: Started off surprisingly light with slight hints of vanilla, caramel, and mint. After letting it breathe for about 15minutes, all of those notes remain in the background and a rye spice steps up to center stage (which makes sense as it’s 4R’s high-rye mashbill). Letting it breathe even longer unleashes an alluring aroma of fruits mixed in with everything else. Every time I go in for another whiff, I pick up on something new. Highly complex, and highly satisfying. Palate: If you’ve ever had Little Book Ch. 6, it has a mint/herbal note extremely similar to that; followed by rye spice and a slight burn. As you sip the burn mellows to zero, but that herbal and rye spice still remain. It is incredibly smooth with a nice Kentucky Hug. Finish: Medium to long, your tongue tingles for a few minutes but the taste leaves before the tingle. All-in-all, I’m personally not super impressed. Maybe I’ll like it more after it has time to breathe, or maybe this just isn’t my recipe. Either way, I can’t say this lives up to the legendary hype these bottles frequently command.

Nose: (after letting it breathe for about 45min) Strong notes of vanilla and caramel with an aggressive rye-type spice in the background. Floral notes mix around in the background as well. Compared to the regular pony offering, it’s much stronger and more complex. The aroma is very pleasant but does not hide its proof very well. Palate: Caramel and vanilla bomb up front followed by that spice that was present on the nose. It tastes exactly how you’d expect: a much more flavorful Blantons. As you keep sipping, that spice takes center stage and pushes the sweeter notes to the background. Near the end of my glass, I would have a hard time guessing this was Blantons at all. Finish: That spice remains prevalent and leaves your mouth dry, tongue tingling, and a pleasant Kentucky Hug in your chest. It’s begs for you to take another sip. Conclusion: it’s good, but doesn’t quite meet the legendary hype around it. I usually prefer higher-proof bottles, but I have to say I completely understand why BT waters Blantons down to 94p. I wouldn’t buy again, even at MSRP. Anyone desperate to taste this should buy a pour at a bar, and then decide if it’s worth the time and money to procure a bottle.

Finished the bottle before I got to legitimately reviewing this 😅 If I am being honest, this bourbon is not completely outstanding - but thats what makes it great. Not highly complex, but has that iconic “bourbon” taste of sweet vanilla and caramel. At a price point of about $55, this is a fantastic daily sipper. Both this and the black(?) label Origin expression from Bardstown are amazing bang-for-your-buck bottles. Don’t expect this to be life changing, but do expect to be completely satisfied everytime you reach for this bottle.

This is a bottle that consistently gets recommended as one of the best BP pours for the money. I finally caved and bought a bottle, and was extremely let down. There is a heavy tobacco note that dominates the palate and finish that I just can’t get behind. Moreover, for me at least, you can taste every bit of the proof behind this. Personally would not recommend, and don’t truly understand why this is so highly regarded.

Fresh crack first pour Nose: Surprisingly no stringent alcohol despite it being a neck pour. Instead you’re met with a pleasant rush of charred oak, burnt caramel, and grapes. As it rests, notes of cinnamon, black pepper, and other spices start to come through. Extremely (and contently) surprised with the introduction this bottle gives so far. Palate: (after letting it breathe for 30min) This definitely drinks like a high-rye bourbon. Oak and spices smack you in the face with trailing notes of caramel. As you keep sipping the intensity of the spices mellow out and the caramel becomes more prevalent. It’s not very complex, but it doesn’t need to be. The finish is longer than I expected and quite dry. I have to say that this bottle exceeded my expectations. I went in expecting a very mediocre, young bourbon. But what I got was a very smooth and spicy experience. Would I go out and recommend this bottle to everyone I know? Not quite. But if you’re looking to support a local distillery and snag a good bottle in the process, this is it.