Tastes

My bottle of 1792 sib is a store pick from Warehouse package in Albany GA. The color is medium gold. The nose is lightly floral. I get honey sweetness and a hint of cherry. I don't get a lot of spice. This is fairly mellow with just the slightest bitter sweet citrus note on the finish. Overall this is an enjoyable pour. In my previous experience with 1792 offerings I've noticed they tend to come to life the longer they've been opened. I'm hoping that is true with this bottle as well.

First taste of Four Roses single barrel 100 proof. The nose is rich toffee and baked apple. I get a burnt caramel and mild oak. Sweet, but subtly so. There's a bit of spiciness and just a bit of dark chocolate. Finish is oak and spice with Iittle bitterness. I don't get much complexity in this pour, but it's solid. I'm enjoying this sip, but I'm thinking it may open up more in subsequent pours.

Bottle kill on my Blanton's store pick. This has been an enjoyable bottle. Worth the crazy hype? Probably not, but if you can grab a bottle a retail it's a great sip. It's not overly complex, but it has great sweet caramel and smoky tobacco notes. There's subtle oak and char that hit just right. Hate to see this one emptied, but I've enjoyed every drop.

My bottle of Woodford Reserve is a private selection from John's City Diner. The nose is light alcohol, faint oak and caramel. On the palate I get the classic caramel and vanilla notes with a hint of fruit and dark chocolate. There is a fair amount of sweetness, but not much spice. This is a very easy sipping bourbon, if you like something on the smoother side. My understanding is that this is a mix of Old Forester column still and Woodford pot still, and I can taste the OF influence. I definitely pickup some OF 100 flavors in this bottle, just much more mellow.

1792 bib bottle kill. This bottle went way to quickly. It has all the tastes I enjoy in 1792 but with kick if 100 proof. The nose is a honey suckle, and the taste is sweet cherry and banana. I don't taste a lot of the barrel, but there's a bit of oak and some roasted corn. The finish is pleasant with no bitterness. At less than $40 this one I would keep on my shelf, if I could find it regularly. Until I can find another, I'll just enjoy the standard 1792, which even my non-bourbon drinking wife enjoys.

I'm tasting a single barrel store pick version of Elijah Craig from The Bottle Shop in Columbus, Georgia tonight. This one is a little darker in the glass than the standard version. It has the usual great nose of most Elijah Craig expressions, fragrant sweet caramel. I get that typical Heaven Hill tastes, but with a fruity note that I don't typically pick up with Elijah Craig. There's light oak and char, and a much more subtle leather taste than I get with regular EC. I get less bitterness on the finish too. This store pick has all the things I enjoy with Elijah Craig and more, while the less appealing features seem to be more muted. This is a great store pick.