Tastes

Tried to find this a few years ago for a blind tasting of the BT mash bill #2. We used the only bottle of Rock Hill Farms I have ever found and the others have gotten crazy expensive and/or impossible to find. Found some of this last year and really liked it. It is by far the cheapest of the BT#2 but would have finished in the middle. I managed to find 6 .75s at $17 and found it to be better than many of the Hancocks Reserve I had but not all. Hancocks had slightly lower proof so was quite comparable but seems to vary significantly from bottle to bottle. Wish we had it those few years ago to see how it would have fared. AAA10 Star is one of the best lower shelf bourbons I have tasted along with many of HHs bottom shelfers. It has a lot to offer in terms of bourbon fulfillment but lacks on the complexity side. The nose is a bit muted but opens up with a little ice. There is no doubt about the rich Blanton's caramel on the nose. There is a touch of rye spice along with some honey and apple. Texture is rather thin but taste is true to nose. It's fairly well balanced but that bitter young alcohol edge shows up a tad. Finish is short to medium but then this as $17 a bottle. I found a case of 1.75s (plastic) a few months ago so I have a fair supply to pour up into my .75 glass bottle.

As I selected this bottle and find the OSBV on the label, I am reminded about the numerous mash bills Four Roses uses. They go into great detail at the distillery discussing mash bills. FR bourbons are frequently featured at charity benefits here and my attitude has been good but not worth writing home about. High rye is a mixed bag for me with the younger stuff frequently giving me wet grass on the nose but the good ones showing citrus and floral notes. This bottle states 35% rye and seven years, four months. Oh how I love label transparency. Like the label, like the price, here goes. Nice oily texture and the quick take gives me traditional bourbon aromas but no grass, so we are off to a good start. As I get serious about nosing this, the extra dry finish still lingers. Oak and vanilla are in the front and while not overpowering, I am having difficulty identifying what is a layer down. Maybe not highly complex but I like it, it satisfies. The palate comes through with maple sugar overlaying the oak and vanilla, maybe a touch of cinnamon in the background. The aromas and flavors would not make me think this is a high rye bill. For me the finish really lingers. I will describe it as astringent maple sugar if that makes any sense - I love the finish and I'm gonna write home!!

It's been a while but I sure do remember this one. I have a son and his family now in FLA and they all love bourbon. Lucky's Market got a barrel pick of this and I picked up a bottle and took it to FLA. So Sorry I got only one Boone County is an upstart with a relationship to MGP. Not sure how they manage to get such quality picks. High rye and barrel proof although lower than most. The nose showed very little alcohol but the butterscotch was OMG. Layered under that was candied apple and a touch of peppery cinnamon. Taste was true to the nose and the medium long finish was very satisfying. Great balance but watch out for the proof as this sips really easy neat or on ice. We have continued to seek out a bottle but on a recent distillery visit learned there will be no more. The distillery has some special releases and the 5 year single barrel rye was great. I will continue to follow their products closely.

As my favorite BT products get increasingly difficult to find and afford, it's time to broaden my horizons. I remember liking WT101 in my younger years but don't really remember why I left. The reviews here are telling me to try RR10yr and WTRB 116.8 so here goes. Neck pour in a Glencairn and let it rest 10 minutes. Burnt brown sugar, maple on the nose. Bitter edges on the taste evolving to the brown sugar maple . A lot of heat on the finish. Dropped in a sliver of ice. Initially, the nose went to unresolved oak but it evolved to the maple sugar and now a touch of apple. I am generally an ice drinker but this one can go either way. Looking forward to how it evolves in the bottle the next few days. This one has promise. Dropping to 4 as the bitter edges persist. I am guessing too much high proof on the young barrels for me

Just got back from a distillery tour and lunch at the bottle and bond restaurant at the distillery. We got a taste of this on the tour but it was after two of their white dogs and a 120 proof version of their high rye component. Tasting what might be a nice 98 proof offering after high proof new make just does not work. The 120 proof high rye shows promise so, I tried it in a flight at lunch. My taste buds have settled down a bit and the nose of pecan pie that others have noticed holds true. It's likely from the high rye component because that aroma was fairly intense there earlier. on the palate, it shows sharp youthful elements of unresolved oak tempered by some caramel from the older stock. Flavors are soft and the finish short. I expect a lot more from a $60 bourbon but I also believe BBC will be putting out some world class stuff in a few years

This is a heavy hitter for its price range (30). While not overly complex, It has just enough rye spice on the nose just behind the barrel fragrances of toffee and caramel. The taste is true to the nose and just plain enjoyable. This one is well above a solid everyday drinker and punches well above its price point

I have been chasing this for years and finally tried it in a bar. While it's very good I have to say I am underwhelmed for the price point. Took quite a while for it to open up but I still consider it fairly closed on the nose. The first surprise is that the 130 proof is far from apparent. There's vanilla and caramel with some nominal fruit but all very shy. The taste is true and very good. Finish is nice and long with lingering apple. If this were $75 a bottle it's definitely a 5 but I find Stagg Jr at $65 to be superior across the board.

MGP has been producing in the background for the craft players for years. I have been enjoying many of those but wish there were more transparency. As some craft house have switched to their own juice, I have been disappointed. A few years ago, MGP introduced their own bourbon. It's great juice and readily available. The nose is quite complex but mostly butterscotch. Barrel flavors are well developed and the rye spiciness is nicely in the background. I've been sampling this for three days and was disappointed as a pop and pour but day three is right on. The 94 proof is perfect, lots of flavor with just the right amount of heat. It stays around a while too. A most enjoyable pour. Highly recommended.

The ratings here given the price point led me to try this. The label says distilled, aged and bottled by clear springs distillery in Louisville, KY. It's KY straight bourbon whiskey with no age statement, so it's at least four years old. Never heard of Clear Springs but that's ok. The label says they use smoky mountain spring water. Am I to believe they ship water 200 miles to produce this? A little research says this is private label juice from Sazerac. Now I am a fan of Buffalo Trace products but then Barton not so much. But let's give it a try. From a Glencairn I get almost no nose. After 15 and 30 minutes still no nose. tasting gives me very little more than weak bourbon backbone. It's four years old but looks more like six months in the bottle. I slipped in an ice cube to see what happens. Still nothing. I've never done such but liken this to what might happen if one were to mix vodka and bourbon. Avoid

Enjoying one of my favorites this evening. Always a great nose especially once the top quarter of the bottle is gone. Been open a few weeks now. Over the last few years, the small batch has dropped in price here and that has correlated with the store barrel picks that have shown up at a 25% premium. This is my last small batch as I am opting for the 10-11 year picks which are worth the extra price to me. I detect rich buttered caramel corn on the nose. As it ices down, a little orange peel creeps in there. The tasting is true to the nose with some oak and vanilla showing up. Heat is true to the 94 proof and I think that poof level drives the rich nose. Where the barrel picks tend to be better is on the finish. The finish is long here but disjointed, there is a slightly bitter back edge that is non existent in the picks. I love the balance and consistency in this product and will continue to go back to a bottle from time to time. You can't beat it at $23 a fifth