Tastes

Bull City Bourbon Club pick, "Ten From The Bullpen" Barrel No. 6179022 Warehouse Q; Floor 2 Age - 10 years 57.95% abv; 115.9 proof Open 2.5 months Nose - Creme brulee, vanilla cake, peanut butter, dark chocolate, cantaloupe, graham cracker, medium oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Reese's, blueberry muffin, cocoa nibs, gingerbread, grilled peaches, and cinnamon. Finish is medium-long with pleasant oak spice, brown sugar, black pepper, nutmeg, ginger, cocoa powder, and light ethanol. The lowest proof ECBP I've had, but still delightful. It has a lot in common with some of the lower proof ECBP batches I've enjoyed like C921 and B522. These "low" proof ECBPs are dangerously easy to drink compared to MGP cask strength bourbons at similar proofs. Heaven Hill does such a good job aging these to the point that the graininess is gone and the oak barrel does not overpower the sugars and fruits. For me, any ECBP pick is a must buy, even at $80.

Trying a pour at the distillery bar, really good stuff. Definitely an American malt with heavy oak influence and hints of fruits from the wine finishes. Also black pepper and rye spices, likely from the oak and wine barrels.

Bull City Bourbon Club pick, "BCBC 2" Mashbill - 95% rye / 5% malted barley Age - 8 years, 3 months 59.5% abv; 119.0 proof Open 4 months Did not purchase the bottle, received a 2 oz sample Nose - Strong herbal rye spice, clove, menthol, fruity gum, chalk, powdered sugar, frosted cinnamon bun, medium oak, and strong ethanol. Palate - Fresh conifer needles, pine sap, anise, cardamon, black pepper, light caramel, unsweetened gingerbread, and chalky gum. Finish is medium with bitter herbs, heavy rye spices including black pepper, clove, anise, and strong ethanol bite. My club (and many other enthusiasts) raves about Traverse City picks, but I've avoided them due to cost. It's pretty easy to get 6+ year MGP rye for a lot less money. Based on this pick I think I made the right call. This is classic MGP rye with the ethanol and spice ramped up a couple notches. Personally, I've had equal or better MGP rye from Sagamore, Smooth Ambler, Templeton, and O.K.I. Unless you get to try it first, I'd save your money and buy a pick from one of those distilleries.

Received 2 oz sample from a friend Open a few months Nose - Stewed berries, fruitcake, musty barn, plums, brown sugar, milk chocolate, gingerbread, medium oak, and light ethanol. Palate - Berry and plum jam, raisins, maple syrup, gingerbread cake, Milk Duds, and rich oak. Finish is medium-long with hints of dry oak tannins, cocoa powder, ginger spice, grain, tobacco, and light ethanol. This is delightful, easily one of the best American malts I've had. Rich, viscous, and complex berry and malt flavors without too much oak. Jack Daniel's just keeps hitting it out of the park with their barrel proofs and special releases. Would I buy this for an obscene markup? Absolutely not, But it's worth every penny at MSRP. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come like when the Special Release Rye Barrel Proof recently became a standard release. Give us barrel proof malt JD!

Open 11 months Nose - Corn dust, bubble gum, strawberry, vanilla frosting, light cinnamon, light oak, and light ethanol. Palate - Chalky gum, powdered sugar, watery baking spices, and light black pepper. Finish is short with chalky mineral water, strawberry gum, clove, and light ethanol. This gets touted as the most underrated 1792 bottle. I completely disagree, it is by far the worst 1792 I've had. It has all of those chalky dry gum notes I find in the crappy bourbon they source out to NDPs, and little to none of the fruity sweetness you expect in a quality Barton product. I get that the single barrel picks may be significantly better, but the baseline 1792 Single Barrel for the exact same price is so much better than this. Honestly I'd rather drink the 86 proof Very Old Barton.

Liquor City Uncorked pick, "Gallenstein's Selection #2" Barreled on 12-13-2014 Bottled on 10-01-2021 Age 6 years, 9 months, 18 days 58.5% abv; 117 proof Open 10 weeks Nose - Sweet clove and dill, caramel, cinnamon, allspice, rich oak, tobacco, pine needles, and medium ethanol. Palate - Oily rye spices, heavy clove, black pepper, gingerbread, and leather. Finish is long with hot oak, dry rye spices, black pepper, hint of cardamon, brown sugar, and medium ethanol. The Senator is excellent, but not the best value for an MGP rye. It is one of the older barrel proof ryes you can buy under $100 at nearly 7 years, so that is definitely a perk. Personally I think you will get a similar quality MGP rye with 5-6 year old Old Scout picks for $20 less.

Liquor City Uncorked pick, "Gallenstein Selection #6" Sourced from MGP - 60% corn / 36% rye / 4% malted barley Barreled on 03-04-2016 Bottled on 11-30-2022 Age 6 years, 3 months, 10 days 59.32% abv; 118.64 proof Open 2 months Nose - Bright caramel, candied apples at the fair, toasted marshmallow, vanilla, strong baking spices, musty grain, cracked white peppercorns, medium oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Caramel covered Red Hot candy, clove, allspice, sweet tobacco, and graham crackers. Finish is medium with strong and spicy oak, pepper, dry caramel, clove, sawdust, and medium ethanol. Proof and Wood Ventures produces some popular single barrels that I know NC friends pick up when they visit Kentucky, with Tumblin' Dice and The Senator the two most common purchases. I decided to try this first because it's a really good price for this age of MGP bourbon. There are no standout features of this bourbon excluding price, although I've enjoyed it more compared to recent BCBC picks of Remus and Old Scout. This has a toned down grain note which I greatly appreciate. Otherwise, it's not complex and drinks a little hot due to its age and high rye content. I think in the world of $50-70 MGP bourbons this falls squarely in the drinkable but forgettable sector.

Liquor City Uncorked pic, "Gallenstein's Selection Batch #9' Date: August 2022 Stave Profile: Baked American Pure: 3 Seared French Cuvee: 5 Maker's Mark 46: 0 Roasted French Mocha: 2 Toasted French Spice: 0 54.45% abv; 108.9 proof Open 5 weeks Nose - Caramel, toasted oak, cinnamon, vanilla bean, allspice, honey roasted almonds, and medium ethanol. Palate - Butterscotch vanilla cream, gingerbread, sweet oak, black cherry, and cardamon. Finish is medium-long with slightly dry oak, cinnamon powder, brown sugar, stale gingerbread, and light ethanol. This pick is eminently drinkable and reminds me of the recent Wood Finishing Series BRT-01. It's not too complex, but it hits all the right sweet and toasted oak notes that Maker's is great at. I normally pass up these store picks because they're everywhere. I can always buy one next time right? But for me they're just like Rare Breed or Jack Daniel's SBBP. I'm never disappointed when I have this type of bottle on my shelf.

Specially selected by Chris Fletcher Master Distiller (2021) Barrel No. 22-01655 Barrel House 2-11 Bottled on 02-18-2022 65.8% abv; 131.6 proof Open 2 weeks Nose - Hot banana bread pudding, vanilla icing, cinnamon, allspice, sweet oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Cinnamon bun, soft gingerbread, banana bread, caramel vanilla cream, maple candy, and tobacco leaf. Finish is long with sweet and spicy oak, burnt maple, black pepper, cigar smoke, and medium ethanol. Back to regularly scheduled programming with this single barrel. I think the last one I bought was an outlier because this is delicious. It drinks sweeter and lighter than its proof. I've never thought Jack Daniel's SBBP were complex, but to me it doesn't matter because it hits the right dessert notes. As an added bonus, this 375 mL bottle was only $33 when they could've easily marked it up to $40. I'm very appreciative that 375 mL are available in my new home base, I get to try 2 single barrels for the same price as the full size.

Open 3 months Nose - Ginger, mint, pine needle, dill, peppercorn medley, lemon oil, cinnamon, spiced black tea, caramel, and strong ethanol. Palate - Spicy and savory herbs, lemon peel, black pepper, pine needle, gingersnap cookie, light tobacco, and clove. Finish is medium-long with bitter, astringent rye and oak spices, citrus cleaner, black pepper, dried herbs, and significant ethanol bite. I thought I'd give this a second chance a few years after its release. It was difficult to find that first year, and now it's readily available for $60 at most stores I've visited in 2023. I bought it when it first arrived in NC amidst a lot of hype, and was let down by the bottle. Given how amazing the Rare Breed bourbon continues to be, I thought the rye would be better. Since its release, countless YouTube reviews continue to heap praise on the Rare Breed Rye, and I don't get it. It's not bad by any stretch, but at this price point it's one of the worst ryes I've had. It has a savory, velvety quality but lacks the sweetness of a low rye mashbill or higher aged rye. And it also lacks the spice and herbal punch of an MGP rye. I'll take a Knob Creek or Smooth Ambler pick every time over this.