Tastes

Liquor Barn (KY) store pick (2018) Nose: similar to Blanton’s as it shares the same mash bill at Buffalo Trace. A little more toasted oak up front though. Sort of like a blend of Blanton’s and McKenna 10 from Heaven Hill because of some toasted nutty notes. Vanilla is there as well. Palate: more spicy vanilla and slight butterscotch. Sweeter than Blanton’s but considering the 15% rye in the mash it’s not that spicy at all. Finish: short and sweet. Not much bite. Kind of a muted, sweeter Blanton’s/ETL. Will have to come back to it. Doesn’t rise to that level though as Blanton’s is a four-star pour for me.

Nose: toffee, caramel, honey and oak Palate: vanilla and light spices Finish: medium and silky smooth

Nose: slight nuttiness, coconut, vanilla, quite sweet aside from that HH peanut thing Palate: vanilla, sweet oak, almost a tea flavor, spice in the background, quite rich for a $10 bottle of bourbon Finish: spicy and medium, but a crispy almost cola taste at the start My favorite bottom shelf bourbon.

2018 store pick (Evergreen, Louisville) Floor 5, Rickhouse O, Barrel 3085 Nose: cinnamon, oak, vanilla, slight citrus, leather Palate: rye kicks in up front, almost swallowing up everything else Finish: medium and more spice with a touch of vanilla

Nose: vanilla, toasted oak and cinnamon, and ethanol Palate: rich and hot. The rye spice and proof were quite a hot mix in this bourbon and I’ve had higher proofs than went down smoother Finish: long and pleasant. Sweet even. Will have to come back to this one because I got everything in the OF 1910 just without the BBQ which I quite like and lots more alcohol.

Nose: sweet honey, toffee, tobacco, hints of oak and spice Palate: balanced nutmeg & vanilla Finish: medium, smooth, spiced at the end At MSRP there is no better bourbon in my opinion. I prefer this to Weller 12 actually.

I’m amazed at how overlooked this bourbon is today’s Buffalo Trace-crazed market. It holds up very for me vs BT, Elijah Craig, Knob Creek and others in the 20-30 USD price range. Nose: sweet toffee or butterscotch, hints of light citrus, some pleasant oak Palate: spicy vanilla, zesty Finish: quick for a 100-proofer but pleasing The major notes such as vanilla or butterscotch are not as in your face as Buffalo Trace or Eagle Rare. It’s very balanced. That’s a good thing in my opinion.

Nose: this bourbon noses like Jim Beam, sweet oak and nuts, less corn up front than Beam, and with a little more honey Palate: the rye comes through on the taste moreso than the nose Finish: short and simple. Not the smoothest bourbon despite the low proof, as its age shows up here. It’s in the middle of the Beam family, above the white label, but below Knob Creek and Bookers.

Nose: for whatever reason, maybe it’s because Beam was one of the first bourbons I ever had, but the nose on classic Beam just smells like how bourbon should smell. And it’s a good thing. Mass produced, cheap and reliable. That said it’s extremely simple. Sweet corn and oak. Palate: vanilla and sweet cinnamon. Again, simple. Finish: brief and predictable. While I would not recommend this as a beginners or gateway bourbon, it’s something that a more experienced bourbon drinker can come back to, and appreciate it for a basic fundamental of what bourbon should be. This is especially true if you’re a fan of Basil Hayden, or Knob Creek.

Nose: light fruits, corn and oak Palate: spices, maybe nutmeg Finish: long for a 86-proof but likely just a testament to this bourbons young age If you like anything in the OF / Brown Foreman family such as Woodford Reserve, this is an excellent value sipper.