Tastes

Drink a lot of bourbon and rye but this is truly special. Never have I had a more transformational dram than this. I’m not kidding, this literally changes flavor from the palate to the finish. Sweet warm honey, then BAM... juicy stone fruit. Absolutely delicious!

This is absolutely terrible! Tastes like backyard moonshine. Hard pass unless you like weird!

I hate this and no one should ever buy it... period! First, the nose really pissed me off! It smells like everything you want in a bourbon, warm vanilla, with a touch of fresh banana bread. DISGUSTING! Second, the mouth feel is buttery smooth and it tastes like everything you want bourbon to taste like, warm baking spices, sweet corn and lightly toasted oak. Can you believe the nerve of these jerks?! Third, the finish has a slow rolling warmth that is void of all burn and leaves the slightest charred bitterness. I mean, what are they thinking?! Finally, the value is incredible! $15 a bottle, common this is ridiculous. Like I said, nothing about this is good and none of you should ever buy if you see it. Just pass on by and leave it for me to get rid of!

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Just tried the 2019 release. Absolutely fantastic! Beautiful color and surreal nose. Body is sweet and fruity with a finish that showcases fine oak. I’ll probably never buy it at the secondary mark up but boy is it tempting!

Great poor, much like OWA with just bit more warmth in the finish. Classic wheated flavor profile, sweet vanilla and caramel with a heavier oak presence. Not sure it’s worth the ridiculous mark up, but definitely worth the MSRP... if you can find it!

OESF, 8yrs 7mo, 54.3%, WH: KE. Herbal, spicy and on the dry side. Grass & hay on the medium-long finish. Great balance of savory/floral flavor profiles. Anybody who thinks bourbon is “too sweet” needs to get there hands on a bottle of OESF.

I really wanted to like the 100 proof, but this is just not good. It’s spicy and hot in the wrong direction and the finish has this medicinal/chemically linger that just won’t disappear. Maybe it’ll produce a nice old fashioned, but sipping neat is not enjoyable.

There is a lot going on here that isn’t very well explained which seems to result in a fairly ridiculous suggested retail price and several unanswered questions... But for arguments sake, I’m going to share my theory on what I think is Kentucky Owl’s middle finger to the current bourbon market resurgence. There’s no age statement, no printed mash bill, no disclosed source or blending recipe... pretty much all the marketing tools the rest of the major distilleries are using to sell “elusive bourbon” that people are trampling all over each other to find. The only real info of substance is the proof (kinda low though). BUT! the balance, flavor, and overall enjoyment is there regardless of where it came from of exactly how long it sat in a barrel! So why pay or charge around a $100? Here’s why (at least what I think), if they added all that normally expected info and placed it on the shelf for the price point of $40-$50 like everyone seems to think it should be, every single bourbon nube would be hunting it down and flipping it on the BSM for twice what it is selling for now. All that said, I literally just saw a shelf full of this a Costco for $74 and nobody is batting an eye at it cause it’s still “too expensive.” Keep in mind, the majority of today’s bourbon drinkers are willing to pay $160 for W12 and way more for WFE selections with almost the same amount of disclosed information. I know this is a long rant, so I’ll wrap it up. Buy it or don’t buy it, but understand two things... First, the current bourbon market economy is largely controlled by the war between the BSM and the independent liquor retailers leaving less revenue for the distilleries for future production/expansion and less affordable bottles for people who actually drink bourbon. Kentucky Owl has set a manageable price point to maintain supply/demand of a quality and tasty bourbon. Second, the average bourbon “consumer” isn’t consuming anything at all, they’re buying it to either re-sell it or put it in their bar like a trophy or something to brag about. If you truly love bourbon, $100 bucks isn’t that much these days for a craft bourbon that is nationally available. Have some courage and buy a bottle just to drink it and make the decision for yourself, just understand that Kentucky Owl Confiscated is breaking the status quo of the current market by circumventing the BSM thru setting a reasonable price point for a quality craft bourbon. Stop flipping and start drinking! That’s the only way prices will remain reasonable.