Tastes

This review is based off of a single barrel “store pick” of their 125 proof Full Proof version. I’m sure pretty most everyone knows this, but Full Proof just signifies the maximum entry proof of distillate that can be put into new oak barrels for bourbon. Barton claims this to be around 8.5 years old, although the bottle makes no claim to it’s age. This is not chill filtered. N: Oak, vanilla, caramel, cherry, butterscotch. P: Lightly oily vanilla and caramel with some alcohol heat. Chocolate brownies, some oak and baking spices emerge as the heat dissipates. F: Baking spices, fading candied notes (mostly chocolate), surprisingly not much oak. I can see why this is, for the most part, is well liked. I remember when this 1st came out a couple of years ago. Now you see it somewhat frequently as a “store pick” as well as their Single Barrel version. The original release was not a single barrel, but a batch release. So, the flavor profile of this one may be more “linear” than the batch released product, but that is probably splitting hairs. It’s a decent drink for the money and proof - I would say.

90.4 proof. One of the 2 Master’s Collection releases this Autumn from Woodford Reserve. This is the Oat Grain Bourbon 66% Corn, 18% Oat, 4% Rye, and 12% Malt. This is one of the bottles I bought while hanging out in Southwest Florida this week, and I decided to throw out a review as this thunderstorm rolls through. N: Maple, brown sugar, vanilla, applesauce, fresh oak, lemongrass, cinnamon, and yes - some oatmeal. P: Creamy chocolate initially, pears, apple, vanilla, lightly astringent. F: Cocoa, lightly astringent, tannic, lemon, toasted oak. This caught me off guard. It has some elements of a fruity Speyside Scotch or Irish whisky. I’m really not a fan of this, but it is fairly unique. It does seems to be a well-balanced concoction as well. No aspect is overpowering. I can see some people really enjoying this and others not so much. I’m in the “not so much” group, but it’s doable. I wouldn’t purchase another bottle to drink for sure. Cheers!

This is a Single Barrel “store pick” of Old Weller Antique (OWA). I’ve reviewed the “normal” everyday “batch made” OWA a few years ago on another app, but I though this Single Barrel store pick could use a review as well. N: Oak, brown sugar, maple, butterscotch, caramel, vanilla, hint of teaberry, very pleasant. P: Lots of toffee, rich butterscotch, maple, vanilla, cinnamon. F: Oak and nutmeg strung out here. Lots of candy with a little spice here. The nose is very inviting. Like most wheaters, this really sweetens up with air time. This is well worth the money ($27 or $29, I can’t remember exactly). I would love to have a case of this, but I was limited on how many bottles that I could purchase. Great value and great profile.

117 proof 7 year old bourbon from Kentucky. Although Luxco has a “distillery” now, this is sourced from somewhere. Heaven Hill seems to be the lead suspect. In an age of no age statements, it’s nice to see some of the dying breed. N: Oak, vanilla, toffee, cinnamon, orange peel. P: Toffee, pralines, brown sugar, vanilla, oranges. F: Oak, allspice, toffee, burnt sugar. A chip off the ‘ole block. Pretty much what you would expect, if you’ve ever had the (now discontinued) 101 proof version of this. Similar to JW Dant Bonded as well. Heavy on the pralines and brown sugar. People seem to be getting excited about this in some of bourbon groups online, but I’m not sure why. It’s decent in my opinion, but nothing to get excited about. It is a pretty good value though. A 117 proof bourbon for $35 to $40 nowadays is pretty rare - plus it has a 7 year age statement which is right around the 8 to 12 year wheelhouse where good bourbons usually are found.