Tastes

1792 Full Proof, Oak Liquor Cabinet (Austin, TX) Pick. 125 Proof. No Age Statement. Color - Russet. Nose - Vanilla and honey sweetness. Woody (cedar) and grassy notes. Red apple too. Palate - Pepper, clove, and cinnamon up front. These spicy notes evolve into smoky sweetness, with caramel and cereal grain flavors on the backend. Finish - Medium-short finish. Mint lingers. There's also a slight blackberry flavor at the end of the finish. Overall - The up-front spices make this drink hot for it's proof, and the sweetness on the palate and finish don't stick around long enough for me. It has some complexity to it, but I don't enjoy powering-through the heat to pick out the notes on the palate or finish of this one.

Knob Creek Single Barrel Select (Kroger Wine & Spirits Pick). 120 Proof. Barreled 11/10/2011, selected 6/24/2022. Warehouse Z, floor 4, rick 22. Color - Tawny. Nose - Marshmallow and roasted nuts. Maple syrup. Faint dark chocolate. Palate - Peanuts and caramel. This one drinks hot, and takes some effort to pull out some of the flavors. Some astringency. Dark chocolate. Smoky leather maybe as well? Finish - Medium finish. Dark chocolate and nutty flavors linger. Overall - I've been sipping this bottle for the last 9 months. It's a chewy and thick bourbon. I think this one lacks complexity in the palate for me to really appreciate it and score it better. The nose is interesting, and the finish is just fine, but I'm not tasting a lot beyond three or four of the more traditional notes that Jim Beam/Knob Creek bourbon is known for.

Second sight spirits has made four grain Oak Eye bourbon for the last few years in small barrels. Each bottle provides YAS, mashbill, barrel size, and the char level of the barrel. My bottle has a 2 YAS, at 92.2 proof. It was aged in a 15 gallon barrel with a level 3 char. The mashbill is 72% corn, 16% wheat, 5% rye, 7% malt. I have been enjoying this bottle since May of this year. Color - Deep, dark copper. Nose - Caramel and oak hit first. A little stonefruit (plum). A subtle peanut note. There is a little ethanol as well. The longer the bourbon sits, a vanilla note comes in as well. Palate - The name of this bottle precedes itself. A ton of oak. Vanilla frosting and that nutty note are there too. The stronefruit is there too, but fleeting. Finish - Medium-short finish. Oak is the only note that sticks around on the finish. Smacking the lips and tongue can retrieve the vanilla/caramel notes. Overall - As someone who loves double oaked and older bourbon, this hits the spot. Its a one-trick pony, and certainly is not complex. For me, this is a pleasant sipper. Despite the slight ethanol note on the nose, I found no spice or burn on the palate or finish. For one with a more selective palate, this may fall short. That said, I do love this bourbon for what it is, and it’s one of my go-to’s.

Bardstown Origin series. with my bottle having a 6 YAS, distilled in fall 2016. 100 proof. I bought the bottle back in February, and have slowly enjoyed it throughout the year. I allowed this pour to sit for about 5-10 minutes before enjoying. Color - burnt amber, copper Nose - Creme brulee, orange peel, whipped cream. A grassy note is there after some time. Palate - Peanut brittle right away. Caramel and toffee notes quickly follow behind. The slight grassy note is there. Oak and cinnamon on the mid-palate. Finish - Medium finish. The oak, cinnamon, and peanut brittle notes stick around the most for me on this. As the finish trails off, I do get the orange peel flavor returning as well. Overall - I've gone back and forth with this bottle over the last 8 months. I don't think I like it as much as the average reviewer on Distiller. The nose is really underwhelming for me. I find that as I enjoy a 2-ounce pour, the flavors on the palate become fuller and stronger. For the price (and availability) I think this is a good wheater replacement in lieu of some of the harder-to-find Kentucky wheated bourbons. But at the end of the day, I don't think it does anything that stands out beyond other similiarly-priced wheaters.

Single barrel selection from r/Bourbon. 4.75 year age statement, 121.2 proof. Paid $65 plus shipping totalling $83. Color - deep copper Nose - Classic vanilla and caramel notes. Slight cinnamon/baking spice. A little honey as well. Palate - The cinnamon note is more prevalent here. Sweet notes of caramel, vanilla, and hazelnut. Finish - my score for this bourbon gets a bump here. The finish lasts longer than I would expect. Oily, and the sweet flavors stick around. A little cinnamon tingle remains, but no heat or burn. Overall - A solid single barrel selection. At $65, it's a decent value for a single-barrel wheated bourbon. The classic flavors you'd expect from a wheated bourbon are there. As good as the bottle is, it's not particularly memorable.