Tastes

Taste: 1.5 oz in glen cairn, neat. Side by side blind tasting with Baker's 13. Sample from Dave John. Nose (4.25): Vanilla, caramel, cashews, and more vanilla! This is a delicious bourbon nose, and is truly indicative of sime of the amazing bourbons that come frim Beam. Palate (4.5): Caramel turns to a delicious butterscotch, and oak starts to come through. This oak is a little more raw There is some spicier notes that hit you mid palate. I detected a little bit of nutmeg and allspice in that mid palate and a burst of chocolate rounding it out. Finish (4.75): Finish is super on this one. A sweet, creamy, buttery french vanilla is a punctuation point on a fantastically good whiskey. Overall: I loved Baker's 13. It was one of my votes for best new whiskey release this year. What I didn't like was the price of Baker's 13. Although it is in a really cool box, has a really sexy metal bottle-neck tag, I hate to feel that some of my dollars are lost on needless packaging (I have bemoaned WT Master's Keep offerings for same, yet I love them!) Baker's 7 keeps the cool neck tag, get's rid of the industrially cool silver box, and is 6 years give or take tje junior. Although I clearly and successfully identified B13 and B7 after a few tastes of each, and had a slight (very slight) favor to B13 for being a bit oaky and spicier, if both bottles were in the shelf and price played a factor I would go with B7. The $30 or so less for B7 does not translate to $30 less quality, or taste. The less time in the wood doesn't prove a problem at all, and this really hots the sweet spot. Either way you can't lose, but I always like having an extra $30 toward my next bottle. Cheers!

Tasting: 1 oz. neat in mini glen cairn tester glass. This was a 2019 Binny's store pick sample given to me by Dave John. Nose: (3.75) Molasses and brown sugar dominate. It is a sweet nose that does not give way to what is yet to come. Palate: (3.5) Spicy cinnamon and oak hit you hard. Not to say that it is overpowering but it is a bit shocking at first. Wasn't ready the first time and I admit the second sip I had to brace myself. Their is a tremendous richness about the texture-- velvety and coating. After the initial spice hits you, some more brown sugar and maple syrup flavors come through which are quite nice. Vanilla makes its debut at the back palate. The addition of a drop of water opened up some ridiculously good chewy toffee. I strongly recommend a drop of water or two. It really seemed to be a key to some things that originally were drowned out by that spiciness. Finish: (3.25) Long and lasting. It is a bit drying and I taste a lot of oak followed by some cinnamon candies. I can't quite get over the dryness as it sort of sucks the life right out of that rich coating feeling I liked on the palate. Overall: I truly enjoyed my 100 proof Binny's store pick from earlier in the year. Being a fan of high proof, and especially barrel proof whiskey I had super high hopes that this would be even better. I can't say that it was. I was overwhelmed on the front by spice, and dried out on the finish. There were some good things inbetween, and water helped, but not enough to win me over.

Taste: 2 oz neat in glen cairn. Nose: (4.0) Caramel and honey are front and center. There is a bit of that signature vitamin thing but not enough to define it. Just enough to stamp it as being Dickel. The nose is not all that complicated and may seem a bit muted. My chief complaint is that I want more of it! Palate: (4.75) vanilla, raisin, maple syrup and a drizzle of caramel. The taste is rich, creamy, and coating with little to no ethanol at 100 proof. Absolutely no Dickel/Flintstone Vitamins. Think a rich, decadent, boozy bread pudding. Finish (4.5): Reminds me of bit-o-honey candy. It is long lasting and delicious. Overall: Is it the whiskey of the year......it is in my top 5 and might be in top 3. What really draws me to this is the rich, creamy feel that matches the richness. I for one don't get off put by the signature vitamin taste.....but this doesn't really have that except on the nose. Some will put this on blast for being *Tennesee Whiskey. To that I say --lose the prejudice! This is damned good stuff. If you were to factor in the low price this is a 5.

Taste: 1.5 oz neat in mini-glen cairn Nose (3.25): Vanilla and pecans with a bit of creamed corn. There is also a bit of acetone/nail polish remover note that flaws the nose a bit. It is not completely off putting but it is the achille's heel here. Palate (3.5): Palate is loads of vanilla and raw pecans giving way to pecan pie. The palate is better than the nose. Spice rushes in on the back end and it gets a little bit hot. Finish (3.25): Caramel and vanilla with a bit of cinnamon. The finish is lingering with some ethanol to dry things out. Overall: Average to above average pour here. The vanilla and pecan is really good, but the nail polish remover on the nose, and that last pop of ethanol on the finish I wish wasn't there. It flaws what would really be a ratjer enjoyable bourbon. Is it better than the old 6yr old bottle....unequivocably yes. Is it a better value.....not really. I think the price increase cancels out the extra year. The old 6 yr bottle-- cheaper but definately thinner and less dimensional. New 7 yr. BiB- more flavor, richer, but twice as much. Not a bad bottle, but no need to hunt it.

So this might be a bit of bourbon nirvana for me, at least for this year. There are cherries and raisins on the nose, as well as oak and a little bit of caramel. The palate is amazingly coating but not oily at all. That ethanol kick is there followed by some nice creamy butter. I get raisin and cinnamon. Reminds me of warm bread pudding. A drizzle of caramel tops it all off. The finish lasts for days. There is a hint of that signature boozy cherry coke, then it gets tart with an oaky dryness, but not one that takes the wind out of you. This was a very, very good sip. I do not agree with some of the reviews out there that point out the lower proof as compared to all other releases as a flaw. I find it just enough to give you a big hug, and just low enough not to leave you gasping.

So I may not be the best person to rate this as I seem to avert malted whiskies for the most part. I will give it a try and tell you how I see it. Here we go (sigh). The nose is earthy. I do get chocolate but it seems like chocolate rolled in dirt. There is a dankness to the nose. The palate is best described as if I were eating clay and I am definately NOT a fan of clay! Then the sweetness came in. But not a nice even sweetness. This was as if a chocolate granola bar got dipped in rubbing alcohol and then rolled around in dirt......and I was now drinking it! I have had other malted whiskies and found them enjoyable. This one though......not a fan.

So I sampled this side by side with 2019 BB in what I called the "Battle of the Birthday Bourbons" after Thanksgiving Dinner. Where 2019 had cherry and vanilla on the nose, a spicy finish, and a welcomed bit of heat, 2017 was a bit of a polar opposite. I found the nose to have caramel and classic Old Forester green banana on the nose. It was a bit hard for me to find but I got there. The palate had vanilla caramels and a graham cracker crust. I like that alot. It was very traditional. The finish got a bit bitter after giving some oakiness and was short......not my cup of tea for a premium once per year release. Although some parts of this taste were really good, it fell short on others. I actually enjoyed 1920 better than 2017 BB. My guess is that the lack of abv robbed some of the richness. Overall: I prefered the 2019 over the 2017. The 2017 had no edge, where the 2019 was interesting and more complex, 2017 was Old Forester Birthday light in my opinion.

So I normally rate everything from the nose on down and then average my results for a composite. Not going to do that with this one because this bottle is not the sum of its parts, but rather a bigger picture. Let me break it down- Wonderfully vibrant nose. Oaky, butterscotchy, ethanol. It smells like I remember Jim Beam's rickhouses when I did the distillery tour in June. It is wonderful when a bourbon elicits a good memory rather than just the mental files of what it "tastes like." To me that is when a whiskey moves from really good to really special. The palate is so balanced. The spices, the caramels, the vanilla are in near perfect harmony. Not one outshines the other. I worried that this one might be too spicy, or too oaky, but it seems that 13 years in a barrel is just the right time. The 107 proof is not too heavy and not too light-- like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears it seems "just right." The finish gives you a warm hug. Not the bear hug of a high proof bookers, and not the "thanks for coming, see you later" hug of a whiskey at or below 100 proof. I call it a "grandma hug"- warm and welcoming. This is a great bourbon, period, simple. One part does not outshine the other. To give perspective we shared this at tasting table with a 2016 Vanwinkle Estate 12 yr, 2019 GTS (was may favorite but this was super close), Parker's Heritage Char Rye (just to spice things up a bit- reviews on that later, took my top spot for favorite rye of 2019!), and this year's OF Birthday. That's big company, that is an awesome lineup! The seven of us consistantly had Baker's 13 in our top 3. I have no problem with this as a premium. It far outkicks its coverage!

A little about the process and philosophy here, as I have always appreciated Michter's strategy as a true labor of love, and careful crafting. Michter's goes into the barrel at the lowest entry proof of any current bourbon or rye (105 vs industry standard of about 125) that is huge and was at ine time the gold standard for bourbon entry. Their barrels get lightly toasted, set aside, THEN are charred in a second process in order to release more sugars and less tannins. The distillate can get deeper into the wood, and their limited releases often utilize a second, naturally toasted barrel instead of a quick dunk in a former wine or additional used spirit barrel in order to add a more natural oak finish. What does all that mean, and why is it important to this bourbon? Let me break it down for you: 1. On the upside- Lower entry proof means less added water reach the final proof. You are getting more of the finished product closer to its barrrl proof. The yield is generally fuller, richer, and buttery. Downside- More angel's share yields less bottles and increases the price. When each barrel yield is less, the price goes up 2. Upside- The extra barrel toasting step imparts a delicious sweetness, and a more natural finish, (especially on the toasted barrel process like this one). Downside- it is expensive and time consuming as the barrels sit for longer aftrr the first step before filling, and the toasted finishing takes longer to achieve. It takes Michter's awhile to crank these out so their releases are sporadic. So on to this one. The nose is caramel and brown sugar. Not as sweet as their sour mash, but it is candy-like. The taste starts sweet and then pepper kicks in. A bit of bitterness is imparted that gives way to a more doughy, bread-type flavor. Think that yeasty pizza dough or fresh kneaded bread smell, but in a healthy taste. I am thinking this has alot to do with the toasted finish as I don't find this in the standard bourbon. It is different and well recieved. The finish is long and a bit spicier. Where the nose was sweet, the finish gives you more allspice and vanilla. All in all this is a pretty good one. Not my favorite Michter's (I prefer rye from them, and find their barrel proof and toasted finished rye to be among the best rye out there every year), but it is somewhere in the middle. If you can get this around the msrp of 69.99 it is a buy. Not worth some of the crazy secondary prices though.

Taste: 1.5 oz in glen cairn, neat Nose (4.0): Candy corn and brown sugar on the nose. There is some dark red apple as well. The nose certainly hides the high ethanol well without being overly sweet. Palate (4.25): Thick caramel, red apple almost like a taffy apple. I get some maple syrup with a nice smokiness in the background. The palate is full and rich. There is a slight bitterness on the final note that detracts a bit. Finish (4.0): honey and clove with a bit of cinnamon stick. There is some barrel spice and oak to round it out. The finish is rougher and more in your face. Overall: I enjoyed this one, and the name Country Ham really reflects it well. If you could put that initial whiff that you get when you walk into a Cracker Barrel restaurant into a whiskey it would be THIS bourbon. What struck me odd is that to me there isn't any signature peanut flavor. That's not a bad thing, but it is a bit of a departure from previous releases.