Tastes

Take rough and rowdy, bar brawling Jack Daniel’s black, send him to boarding school and he comes out Gentleman Jack, right?. Well not quite, actually you send him through a second round of Tennessee charcoal filtering and then he comes out Gentleman Jack. So does this second filtering process make a difference to the most popular Tennessee whiskey in the world? Let’s find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no water added. On the nose, it took awhile but I do get banana pudding with vanilla wafers or possibly just banana bread with nuts. At first pour it was straight creamy vanilla, and I thought either the banana was a lie or my sniffer was defective (quite possible), but after sitting a bit in the glass, the banana starts to show up. And that does make this one a little more of a loveable Gentleman! On the palate, this Gentleman starts sweet and creamy, very smooth, with little spice or heat burn, and a bit of an oily feel. Flavors of vanilla cream puff, sweet fruit, again some banana with nilla wafers, and a nice back end of char smoke but not much barrel wood. Not overly complex, but a nice change of pace from your typical bourbon profile I'm used to. This Jack is certainly refined alright! Finish is short but sweet, literally, with more light banana, some vanilla and butterscotch, and some char notes. Overall, for someone who typically stays in their bourbon lane at most times, this is a decent change of pace. It’s one of the most non offensive whiskeys I’ve had. While being very smooth as a sipper, it does retain a nice flavor profile, if you like the vanilla wafer with light fruity banana profile. While standard JD is your rough and unrefined family member you only visit if you have too, Gentleman Jack learns some manners and polishes off all the rough edges of this Tennessee whiskey. It’s not the best drink I’ve ever had, but it’s certainly worth a try or buy if offered to you! Cheers!

Jim Beam Repeal Batch is the distiller’s throwback to 1930’s prohibition era bourbon, and the “vintage” old school style label reflects its ambitions. Despite the bottle being only $16, Repeal Batch is a non chill filtered bourbon, a definite rarity in this price class. Does the nostalgia and “limited edition” branding equal higher quality here or a clever marketing spin? Let’s find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no water added. On the nose, you get the very familiar Beam bourbon profile, albeit pretty weak, and nothing more. It’s straight light vanilla buttercream sitting on top of semi sweet dusty cornmeal and lots of grain alcohol. I assume like standard Beam white, this is a fairly young bourbon because there is no real oaky presence or richness and depth here, rather disappointing. On the palate, you first notice the more oily character thanks to the NCF process, and while nice, the feel is still rather thin owing to the relatively low ABV I’m sure. By comparison, JB Distillers Cut at 50% ABV, also a NCF expression, is far richer, even more oily, and coats the mouth in a nice thickness. As for flavors, the Repeal Batch is a straight ahead bourbon profile of light vanilla, hints of citrus zest, and corn grain alcohol. It’s not overly sweet, and more tart actually. There is little to no spice or burn to wake the palate, and oak flavors are almost absent, which again I presume is due to underaged product. Again, compared to Distiller’s Cut, the RB is just plain weak and uninspired. DC has tons of spiciness, nice burn, far richer more complex flavors, and enhanced oakiness. The finish for RB is also rather disappointing. It’s very very short, lacks anything interesting. You get fading vanilla caramel tart and faint hints at toasted wood and that's about it. I really think this bourbon suffers from being just too young to be interesting. Take JB White, and NCF it and bingo, you get this “limited edition.” Overall, for $16 it’s certainly not the worst you could do, but it’s far from the best too. Despite being a limited run product, there is absolutely nothing memorable, other than the label on the bottle, that stands out about this pour. In all honesty I question why it even exists in the Beam portfolio, and it should be “Repealed” if you ask me! If you want to experience a really good NCF bourbon for just a few $ more, do yourself a huge favor and pick up the JB Distiller’s Cut instead! It’s what Beam should taste like, without saying Knob Creek on the bottle! If you absolutely must stick to the near $15/bottle limit, I’d pick Evan Williams 1783 by far. While 1783 is a quirky flavor profile, at least it offers a good bit of varied flavors and is super smooth for the same money. Heck even EW Black offers stronger bourbon flavor of vanilla and caramel than this Beam expression. Bottom line, the NCF and fancy throwback label just aren’t reason enough to justify another purchase of this bourbon. I vote to repeal this batch of Repeal Batch, but long live Distiller's Cut! Cheers!

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut is Beam’s second attempt at an “extra oaky” bourbon, with their Double Oak being the other expression. While I thought the Double Oak fell a little flat in the “extra oak” game for me with frankly too little extra oak flavors, I am hopeful that Devil’s will fulfill that overly oaky bourbon at an attractive price point. I do rather enjoy an extra oaky expression at times, so I’m curious how well Devil’s can accomplish its aspirations here. For those curious about the technical difference in Beam’s Devil’s Cut and Double Oaked, the DO takes standard Beam and ages it a second time in new charred oak barrels, likely less than a year I estimate. Devil’s on the other hand utilizes a rather unique technique in the bourbon world, by extracting the remaining juice from within the barrel wood itself (hence the Devil’s Cut name) and adding it back to what they call “extra aged” bourbon. Does this process really create a uniquely oaky bourbon or just a marketing spin? Let’s find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no water added. On the nose, I am immediately greeted with a sweet maple and toasted new wood scent on top of alcohol and a bit of vanilla. Not the most interesting, rich, or complex nose for sure, but the extra wood scent is certainly present and accounted for, so I'll take it! It’s by no means an oak monster or anything though, but I would (or wood) say there is more of a oaky character on the nose here than the Double Oaked expression, so win on the nose to Devil’s. On the palate, I am greeted with more maple and an initial high spicy kick of cinnamon, with a little warmth, followed by a toasty wood backbone, and maybe some light vanilla and caramel trying to get through all the spice and oak. There is also the signature Beam nuttiness in the background. The taste starts pleasantly sweet but actually quickly turns more tart and astringent, likely from the additional oaky tannins released from deep in the wood in their extraction process. The Double Oak, by comparison, offers the more traditional bourbon flavors of sweeter caramel and vanilla than Devil’s, but less of the oaky spicy qualities. Again, I wouldn’t call Devil’s an oak bomb by far, but the process of deep extraction certainly has left a mark on the palate. The palate isn’t very complex or deep and definitely places emphasis on the oak tannins and the extra qualities imparted by it, like the enhanced spiciness and astringency. I’ll call a tie between this and the Double Oaked for flavors. The Devil’s does have more wood presence, but the DO has a little richer slightly sweeter bourbon flavors. They are both aiming to accomplish something fairly similar but the end result is definitely different on the palate. I can’t really say which I’d prefer more, except to say that Beam’s own Distiller’s Cut absolutely kills either of them in flavors for roughly the same price! The finish is fairly short but again it reminds of its wood forward nature, surprise! It's toasted new wood, a little bit of vanilla and maple sweetness, and a very faint tobacco and char note. Hey, I do like the wood flavors in a bourbon, so the slightly wood forward finish is alright by me, even if it isn’t very rich or lasting. Overall, I’d say Devil’s is a worthwhile sip if you are strictly looking for a bit of enhanced woodiness to your drink. Other than the enhanced woody character though, it really doesn’t offer anything outstanding, complex, or different even from other Beam expressions. Honestly, I’d skip the Devil’s and Double Oak and go straight to their Distiller’s Cut, which as far as I’m concerned is the best bourbon Beam makes that actually says Beam on the bottle. I really don’t find a compelling reason to buy Devil's unless you are super keen on trying it from a technical point of view in how they extract the juice from the wood and the effect on the bourbon flavor. Even then though, there are other (non-Beam) bourbons without all the fancy processes that possess just as tasty, or even more so, woody quality while retaining great bourbon flavor in the process. So in the end I have to call Devil’s a bit more marketing than substance, which is also how I felt about their Double Oak. I realize for a low $20 bourbon you’re not going to get a boutique super high quality oak monster with outstanding depth, complexity, and richness. That’s why Knob Creek exists I think. But even in the mid $20 range there are great choices with far greater character or complexity or even more wood presence depending on what you like. In this price class, my favorites are easily Wild Turkey 101, Beam’s Distiller’s Cut, Buffalo Trace, or even Bulleit. Each are very different but offer far greater bang for your bourbon buck! Sure Devil's is better than standard JB White and certainly has a much cooler name and story, but that's a pretty low bar to surpass anyhow in the Beam family. Cheers!

Evan Williams 1783 may be the best sub $15 bottle of bourbon you can easily find. But to be honest, on the first few tastes I nearly wrote this one off because it's so different than the norm. After a while though, I started to warm to it and appreciate the flavors of 1783 and now it's in my rotation as a cheap daily sip. Enjoyed neat in a rocks glass. On the nose I get a strong sweetness, with smells of bubble gum, cola, butter, slight florals and nuttiness with a backdrop of light oak. First impression, this isn't a typical bourbon nose that I'm used to, kinda weird really. Compared to EW Black and EW BiB, I wasn't expecting such a huge difference. The sweetness here on the nose is greater than what you would typically expect, even from a wheater. The palate confirms the nose, it's very very sweet syrup. Sweeter than just about any other bourbon I've had, again including wheaters known for their sweetness. At first I was very put off by it, but now most of the way through the bottle, I actually like it. The mouthfeel is extremely thin and watery, which was again very offputting at first, but now that I’ve adjusted to it and expect it, doesn’t really bother me. The flavors here are also in another ballpark than regular EW Black or BiB, or most any other bourbon really. 1783 gives off more melted butter, cola, cotton candy, yet is also somewhat peanutnutty, again with a backdrop of light barrel to finish up the sip. It's honestly such a strange palate for a regular bourbon drinker, it took a while to appreciate the flavors. There is little to no spice and burn here, it's a smooth operator. This one would be a great starter bourbon for the non initiated because it's almost like drinking cola and certainly won't hurt you with spice or heat. I'm used to sipping fire breathing monsters at 120 proof or others with high spiciness, so 1783 is honestly like drinking water for me. It's a very relaxed sip and won't wake you up, but when that's what I'm in the mood for, it's just fine. The finish actually lingers a while with more residual light cola sweetness, light tobacco. Once the flavors are fully absorbed on the palate, the lingering light tobacco finish is worth the wait here. Overall, despite being very underwhelmed and a bit disappointed initially with 1783, I can now certainly appreciate what it offers, especially at $15 a bottle. The smoothness, sweetness, and fairly atypical bourbon profile have made this an interesting changeup in the daily rotation. While 1783 won't be unseating any of my regular inexpensive daily favorites, like Turkey 101, Buffalo Trace, or Beam Distiller's Cut, I have gained an appreciation for the product. I simply can't think of another sub $15 bottle I'd rather sip! It's cheap, it's different, and I like it! Bourbon can be a lot like women. Some are love at first sight and others you have to get to know better before you develop feelings. With 1783 it took a few dates but we're good friends now! Cheers!

Jim Beam Distiller's Cut is, quite simply, the best Beam bourbon you can buy that doesn't say Booker's or Knob Creek on the label. And for $23 a bottle this should be a regular Beam product, instead of a limited edition! Given the proof is the same as JB Bonded, I half expected the same bourbon profile, but the DC is an incredible sip at the price point. I image the non chill filtering is providing much of the additional quality and flavor here. Speaking of which, name another NCF bourbon at the $20 price point! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no water added. On the nose you can immediately tell this isn't your standard Beam, and that’s a very good thing! There are the delicious bourbon smells of sweet vanilla frosting, caramel, leather, and toasted barrel, but what really surprised me for Beam is the sweet floral and fruity scents, maybe some cherry mixed with something tropical. All combined together and you get a fairly complex nose that you might think would come from a bourbon at twice this price. On the palate, you immediately notice the thick velvety oily coating mouth feel, which I am sure is a byproduct of the NCF. It's the type of mouth feel you don’t get typically unless you spend significantly more on a bourbon! If NCF brings out this kind of quality in such a low price bourbon why aren’t more done this way!! Flavors are similarly complex and bold. There are the typical Beam flavors, albeit more savory than any regular Beam, of caramel, sweet vanilla and toasted barrel, but adds more complex notes of cinnamon and pepper, maybe some chocolate and a lovely light fruity note. The taste is both slightly sweet and a bit tart, pretty balanced. And for a 50% ABV, the DC is very smooth and drinkable neat, somewhat unexpected honestly at this price. Longer on the palate you get a nice peppery heat that lingers a bit. Again for a $23 bourbon, given the quality here, I feel like I could easily be tasting a much more expensive pour! While not as intense or deep, the flavors here are approaching my $38 bottle of 14-year-old Knob Creek Single Barrel. Not bad at all for a 5 to 6-year-old Beam!! The finish is also very nice with a sweet oaky flavor with light tobacco that lingers a medium to longer length. Not much to complain about here! Overall I must say at $23 I am highly impressed with this Jim Beam bourbon! The nose and the palate make me think I’m really drinking something special until I remind myself I barely paid over $20 for this. I am sure most of the extraordinary quality is coming from the NCF attribute preserving rich oils and flavors, which again makes me wonder why other inexpensive bourbons don’t employ the same technique! I could easily see myself drinking this on the daily but being a "limited edition", I almost feel like I should go easy on my pours. If Beam would make this a regularly stocked product going forward, I could see it being one of my favorite every day sips to rival my current daily favorite Turkey 101 or Buffalo Trace. Beam has made a damn fine bourbon in Distiller's Cut! Cheers!

I greatly enjoy Bulleit bourbon, so wanted to give their rye a go. Admittedly I'm not nearly as experienced in ryes as bourbons, and my only other comparison is Rittenhouse. I hear Bulleit rye is typical MGP sourced juice that is used by many rye bottlers but maybe Bulleit can put their signature on it, so let's find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. Nose shows an interesting mix for me consisting of dill, eucalyptus, and possibly spearmint with the classic Bulleit undertone of spiced tobacco that I just love in their bourbon. Definitely not your typical bourbon nose here though! The palate starts sweet with a nice spicy kick in typical rye fashion. Flavors are herbal, spicy, with more dill, maybe pine or mint and a backend of that nice tobacco that I love in their bourbon. Finish is medium in length with more tasty sweet tobacco, toasted barrel, and light herbs. Overall, I'm not generally the biggest rye fan in general, but the Bulleit is a nice change of pace from the norm. I'd say this is a fairly typical rye profile but the Bulleit influence definitely shines through, particularly their sweet tobacco notes in the finish. Not a bad sip for something different but I'll probably stick with their bourbon though on the regular! Cheers!

Tried Four Roses SiB at Thanksgiving feast, what a treat! For $35 a bottle a great bourbon from Four Roses. Enjoyed neat from a Glencairn. Nose is darker and richer than the FR Small Batch (FRSB). I'm picking up dark fruits, dark chocolate, and barrel notes, whereas the FRSB is much lighter, fruiter, and more floral. Both are great expressions from FR, but very different. On the palate dark rich notes continue with more chocolate and dark fruit, especially cherry flavors with cinnamon spice and nice heat on top of a tartness. Some tasty toasted barrel wood also comes out here and the SiB is more barrel forward than SB. Again FRSB is lighter, fruiter. Both are excellent in their own right. Finish is medium to long in length, with lingering dark chocolate, and long toasted barrel notes. Quite nice. Overall the FR SiB is another great bourbon from FR at an attractive price point for the quality of flavors it provides. I love the FRSB just as much but it's flavor profile is much different, I'm sure by design. If the mood calls for a lighter more floral fruity expression, the Small Batch will never disappoint. But if you like a darker richer experience, the SiB is it in the FR line. Both great! Well done FR! In the $35 range I feel this is a perfectly acceptable bourbon for the quality. I also really like Henry McKenna BiB and Eagle Rare though at this price point, much more actually. And my bottle of 14 year old Knob Creek for $38 beats the pants off the FR SiB in flavors. So while I really like the FR, I think superior options in its class certainly exist. Cheers!

The "rare" Weller and BTAC Bourbons are hitting shelves now (mid Nov) and I finally found a retailer willing to sell the Weller 12 without BS. Tried 3 stores, one was holding their stock for a stupid raffle in a month despite a paying customer standing right in front of them. Another likely sold all their stock immediately to "friends" and a third sold me one no questions asked but there was a limit of 1 bottle. Finally scored! Should we really have to endure these crazy shenanigans just to grab a bottle of 12 year old bourbon? I've never had the Weller 12 so I hope it's worth the trouble. Let's find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no water. On the nose fairly similar to regular Weller SR. I get similar fruity notes with more of a vanilla buttercream and butterscotch undercurrent and surprisingly fair amount of alcohol burn. On the palate, starts pretty sweet maybe sweeter than the WSR and nice velvety feel. While the WSR gives off a honeyed note for me, I do get a more mature maple pecan note here with sweet caramel but it's not overly strong, likely due to proof. Very smooth with little warming burn and some nice spice. The finish brings more sweet notes and light barrel but also a nice light maple note. I really thought there would be more barrel notes here being aged longer than standard SR. I think I get more barrel, and particularly a light tobacco from the SR than from the 12. I will admit I miss the tobacco note but the maple note present in 12 is nice. Overall very pleased with the Weller 12. I am a big BTrace fan in general so this doesn't disappoint. It's good wheated bourbon for sure, but I'm not sure it's good enough to go through all the hoops to acquire. It's not life altering or anything, and it's not my favorite bourbon by far. Although as far as wheaters go (compared to Makers, Larceny, or standard WSR) it probably is my favorite. Even so, given its rare nature it can't be a daily drinker for me because it can't be easily reacquired. So I'd stick to WSR as a regular daily wheater, given it's much cheaper (half the cost of the 12 here), fairly available, and you really don't lose that much in flavor to the 12. I paid $40 at retail for 12 and thought I overpaid until the next retailer was asking $50 for it but was already sold out. I love BTrace products but the supply and demand pricing and "rarity" of many of their products is frustrating, whether real or just genius marketing of "scarcity" from BTrace I'm not sure. Cheers!

Wild Turkey is one of my favorite distillers and 101 is, by far, a favorite bourbon of mine. So I have been itching to try the barrel proof Rare Breed, among others in the line. I am not disappointed. I believe Rare Breed, while being a barrel proof, is a combination of 6, 8, and 12 year old Turkey bourbons, which provides a nice mix of flavors in the expression. Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. On the nose I am greeted with spice, vanilla, and toasty char mixed with a minty whiff. Sort of a subdued nose, even compared to the weaker 101. But don't let that fool you into thinking this will lack flavors, because on first sip it's an explosion of spice, warmth, deep caramel, and classic Turkey flavor. On the palate you first instantly notice the warm heat of the barrel proof and the classic high Turkey spiciness, but also a creamy sweet syrup. Then lots of cinnamon, toasted marshmallows, burnt sweet caramel, and light toasted barrel. I was surprised there wasn't more barrel flavor here, as 101 is way more barrel char and ash forward which I love. It seems you lose the strong cherry syrup and cedar flavor of 101 too. Although I detect a little pine in the RB. Late in the taste is more tart than in 101, perhaps due to hints of a bit of dark chocolate. Beautiful barrel strength bourbon from Wild Turkey! Finish is somewhat short for the strength, surprisingly, but leaves a nice dark sugar, lingering tobacco and char barrel notes. Overall, for $45, this is a fantastic WT expression at barrel strength. It's like 101 but much more refined. But honestly I think I like 101 more at times, just because it's less refined. 101 actually seems more flavorful, rustic, and wood/char forward. A lot of these edges are rounded off with Rare Breed. It's still got that classic WT flavor profile, but seems to lose some of it's character in the process. Maybe it's best to describe it as a mature 101, more of a domesticated turkey if you will. So if you like 101 but would like it richer and deeper on the toasted sugars this is it. Personally I love that 101 is rough, rowdy, and edgy, just full of flavor. I think that really sets it apart from the others from the big distilleries. I still highly recommend RB if you love Turkey bourbon like I do. I look forward to trying others in the line, including some of the Russell's products. I am so impressed with what the Russell's have accomplished in WT bourbons!! Cheers!

My first time with Stagg Jr as allocations have arrived in stores now and I was lucky to snag a bottle. My bottle is 63.2% ABV. Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no water added. Nose is straightforward, but offers very rich tones of brown sugar, maple, and vanilla, with an undercurrent of old cedar wood and spice. Given the high proof, I expected high alcohol and burn on the nose, but it’s honestly only faintly noticeable. At times I seem to detect a savory note, almost like a tangy bbq or A1 sauce, but it comes and goes. The palate is just really good here, with an oily type mouthfeel that is delicious. Sweet flavors of toasted sugar, vanilla, cherry hit hard first then opens up citrus and leathery toasted barrel. A very rich and rewarding sip. Blistering spice and heat bite you hard, asserting dominance and presence. For such a high proof, the level of alcohol flavor is much less than anticipated, a nicely balanced rich palate. The flavors here, while not crazy complex, are all so balanced and delicious, but watch that spice and heat, it'll let you know this isn't for the weak! Late in the palate I get that savory bbq note again. Finish is nice and long, with maple, vanilla sugar, barrel wood all balancing in harmony. And speaking of that savory note, I get it in spades when sniffing the empty glass. Smells just like an A1 or bbq sauce, so maybe I wasn’t imagining it in the nose and slightly on the palate. Overall, outstanding as usual from Buffalo Trace!! Although I will admit at $60 a pop, it is overpriced. Whether Buffalo Trace’s limited yearly releases and scarcity of stock is real or manufactured publicity I’m not certain, but it has driven their prices and demand higher than it should be. Don’t misunderstand, my first time trying Stagg Jr is great and it’s a fantastic savory balanced pour, but not really worth more than $45 to $50 if you ask me. That’s mainly because I find my bottle of 14 year Knob Creek SiB to be even stronger, spicier, and more rich than Stagg, all while being only $39 a bottle and regularly available anytime of year. So I’m paying BTrace another $20 just because it’s “special and limited” when the reality is there are cheaper, just as tasty, and more readily available options. Although to be fair, other barrel proof bourbons regularly hit $50 to $60 or more so maybe it’s not vastly different, and I’m just getting a good deal on the KC making it a slightly unfair comparison. But whatever. Maybe when I finish the bottle I’ll feel differently and declare Stagg is worth it, but as of now, it may be my one and only bottle, and stop the insane hunt and chase just to get it. I love BTrace, easily one of my favorite bourbon distillers next to Wild Turkey, but let’s not get out of hand with supply and demand, or insanely effective marketing, whichever is the case. Cheers!