Reviews

considered buying this new release of this expression, but i can’t find any info on it…? somebody tell me what’s up. super interesting mash bill, but 95 dollars for a 6yr that’s under 100p w/ no known BEP, etc. … it seems steep, value wise.

will someone leave a review of this? lol i see a lot of these sitting on barrels locally, but haven’t gotten the chance to get a sample…

tasting next to a 131p o’fo store pick probably wasn’t the move. this will be better w/ a year or two more age, & i’d like to see it at ~60%+ ABV. the forester was great. just the right amount of kentucky hug making its way slowly down in the chest. however it had a lot of character & was a cleaner profile… banana, regular ol’ o’fo notes & not very complex at all beside the green river. it’s fine bourbon. this green river full proof on the other hand had a lot going on. i need more time w/ it. the pour was tough to pin down, & didn’t feel as special as the forester. it will take some time, but they’re on the right path at green river w/ these bottles. hopefully the pricing stays where it is. bourbons bottled at strength is where it’s at. this one’s worth the buy, but if it costed much more at all, idk if that’s the case w/ 120+ proof barrel strength knob creek store picks for 5-10 bucks more. now i’ve gotta try their regular rye mash full proof side by side w/ this wheated mash full proof.

alright… cinnamon candies, cherry, kind of slick–but not exactly “oily” (good thing). not much of a caramel-like note compared to most bourbons. i don’t get toffee from it either. it’s interesting for a 25 dollar bottled-in-bond. the fact that it’s essentially OG beam makes it super interesting, too. i need to look into the recipe. anyway, i got a popcorn note somewhere along the palate, which is found on some bourbons, usually described as caramel popcorn. but to me, my bottle has just popcorn, sans caramel. it’s a bit chewy, had a little of the usual oak & vanilla, w/ barrel spices. but this $24 BiB boasts an *almost medium finish. *not* a quick death. that, on a sub-30 dollar bottle is always a good thing bc i can’t think of any w/ somewhat of a long finish in this category unless the juice is…disgust-o, barf-o. i mean, it’s no knob creek, but it’s a close to medium, spiced finish. it also stands up to ice decently well for 50%ABV. unless you’re someone who regularly sips on 60%+ ABV’d juice & anything 100p or below seems like a light irish 80 proofer, which is doubtful, you’ll prob agree. it has body & texture, the beads in the bottle take longer than usual to subside / dissipate. but i have a bottle from 2022. not sure if that’s a factor in any of this. i can’t wait to revisit this bottle. i’m sick & taking a break, so i figured i’d stick this review up here since i’m already thinking about it. another thing…after the initial spice-hit, on my first (sort of big) sip, somewhat of a cilantro-cherry note combined w/ a hard-candy cherry (not a robitussin-like cherry mind you) is what i find directly after the cinnamon. it’s spiciest on the first drink, & maybe it’s from just having opened this beam bottle that’s been sitting on a gas station shelf in BFE kentucky for a good while. maybe it’s the neck pour. but the spiciness doesn’t disappear for the subsequent sips neither, just not as pronounced as the initial. another thing to note is that–i went into this bottle w/ low expectations, & the neck pour was very good. i could’ve been fooled, along w/ i presume most bourbon whiskey-heads. seemed like a $40+ bottle. so find this & keep one stocked. it looks old, it tastes good, it’s got history, it’s different, & it’s a great change-up that you may find yourself craving a lil dram of, or even a shot…? super easy on the wallet. what else you need to know? x X

has anyone tried the cabernet finish? reply if so. i’m curious bc they no longer make that expression, but a local shop has 2 bottles put up at $70. this one was fine. i’ve only ever had one other madeira finished “bourbon”, & they just fall short. if basing opinion off of their small batch, i am not a fan of 1792’s mash - that bottle’s only good use is for a cocktail. in a way it’s rough around the edges & doesn’t know what it wants to be—at least in my palate. so since the full proofed/barrel strength stuff or finished stuff is (*usually) always better, i thought i’d try the best of this series given the under 80 dollar price tag & the fact that i have trouble finding good wine-finished whiskey. it’s great finding ones that are done right. so far, some (but def not all) of the irish whiskies in that arena are best, in my journey… think teeling single malt (which punches way above its price point) or yellow spot – the “bourbs” however can be a little pricy, & it’s relatively new to finish them this way, so it’s good to be a bit skeptical. anyway- this one’s not all i was expecting… the cab one *seems* to be the best, going by notes, reviews, etc.

buttered toast on the nose, some vanilla…. coppery mouthfeel. buttery going down, spice is almost nonexistent. smooth & unexceptional. i’ve mostly shared this bottle, but had 4 decent drams. only found this one to be boring & overrated. < age it out a little further & do a barrel proof, possibly upping the barley in the mash… or, do a cask finish at cask strength, then *maybe you’ll have smthng that interests me. >

when the head review of this says butterscotch, it means its main ingredient, brown sugar. also, crème brûlée has that hardened brown sugar crust, so i can see why they wrote that - not only due to the brown sugar, but there’s a pudding/custard component to the nose. i can’t however (maybe due to my particular bottle—but doubtedly) see any grapes on the nose, or any fruit or jamminess as the expert notes allude to. so it’s not what i expected of this bottle. the bit of wine & sherry influence imparts characteristics that bestow a different role here, comparatively. also, sure, this “bourbon” is a *bit sweet, but only compared to bourbons/whiskeys that aren’t. in the sweet-whiskey sphere, it’s maybe not what you’re expecting, esp given its casks. it is blended nicely. however it took getting down half the bottle to appreciate this whiskey. i used a gift card for this one & had gone in prepared to buy a four roses SiB BO/EO/EV, so that likely skewed my take on this one initially. i expected more influence from the wine. i expected more elements, but came to like this one for what it is. what it isn’t, is a super wine influenced whiskey (which i like), or a sherry bomb - not in the least. it’s kind of a brown sugar bomb…but not in a bad way. complex baking spices are there along w/ a little vanilla. when drinking, the spice sticks to the throat a bit, & not in a bad way at all. it isn’t very spicy-spicy, y’kno? has a nice touch of it, just not like a rye spice. on the finish, you get slight woodiness (no smoke) & some oak. you could prob trick someone into thinking this is a malty whiskey. but it is it’s own thing, & i’ve come to like it. i feel like ppl write this bottle off before giving it a chance. it has it’s place in your cabinet/tasting collection/shelf, for sure. pour this brown juice for bourbon loving friends & don’t tell ‘em it’s a finished whiskey.

brown-forman/woodford peeps: do another release of this, proofed up, maybe aged more, & blend less of the woodford wheated into your bottlings - & finally, make it *more accessible* price wise. IF you do that, i think this could be a staple within the finished american whiskey world for bourbon drinkers & new whiskey patrons… the finished stuff is growing like crazy. from what i’ve seen, once people get a taste of a solid wine-finished whiskey, they want to seek out the best ones. it’s such a treat. this expression has the potential, & also- woodford would be a good company to do this w/. i have ordered this whiskey, & then i almost bought a bottle today…that was until i seen the price tag of 249.99 (yeah, museum prices type place on a lot if bottles) but that’s the only store where i’ve seen this, & i only live 75 miles from the distillery. however, even if it were MSRP…still too steep. get ppl hooked first, then you can jack up the prices! lol

boring. maybe i’ll try the sweet wheat, if i find a good deal on it. this SB basically tatses like 101 wild, but a slightly improved version. i’d seen the 1792 stuff hyped so much & when i tasted it i was let down. i let it rest 20mins in my whiskey tumbler, but ended up using an ice ball after a few sips–which improved a bit. not enough to make it exceptional in any way. for 30-35 dollars there are better options. def won’t be buying again.