1792 Single Barrel Bourbon

VERY light and sweet nose. Tea and vanilla on the nose. Lingering mild flavor. I like it

*Distiller Top Single Barrels under $100* It’s not my favorite dram neat but perhaps I will bump my rating as it mixes nicely for a Kentucky Mule. I still will likely not purchase again.

I was mildly disappointed with the 1792 Small Batch, so I picked this up a week after that purchase based on a conversation with an ABC employee. I definitely agree with his assessment, this is a great single barrel bourbon in this price range. For reference, the Small Batch is $30 in NC and the Single Barrel is $40. There are not many bourbons in my state that have generic and single barrel at affordable prices. The ones that pop in my mind are Evan Williams, Knob Creek, Four Roses, Jim Beam, and Bowman Brothers. I have not had the Knob Creek or Bowman Brothers Single Barrels, but so far the difference between the 1792 offerings has been the most drastic. I would say that the Elijah Craig Single Barrel Select was even more pronounced, but that was a store pick. I thought the Small Batch was hot on the taste, with mild notes of banana, oak, and caramel. The Single Barrel, with a slightly higher abv, is so much fruitier on nose and taste. This is like a boozy banana dessert, maybe bananas foster or fried cinnamon bananas you'll get at some Mexican and Brazilian restaurants. I tolerate bananas, I don't seek them out. But man does this flavor pair well with spicy caramel oak flavors in whiskey. Unfortunately the bottle provides ZERO information on the barrel, but it's affordable and worth picking up.

The quest to enjoy barrel proof products continues as another worthy contender steps up: Nose: lite sweet caramel and toffee, sweet pineapple and hints of mango with rich butterscotch, entirely appealing, if slightly unusual. Front: A load of butterscotch lemon, rich toffee and tobacco bitters help balance the sweetness and some of that legendary barton barn door oak peeks through near the end. At the top some caramels, brown sugar starches and fruit notes can be detected along with some black peppery heat and clove and kitchen spices. Finish: a bit rough as the richness tapers into some nutty wood after taste, nothing too harsh or unpleasant, just nothing like the smooth sweet start to this proofy liquid and the hearty middle bite it offers. Considerably less heat at the end than might be expected. Having a chance pickup of the 1792 Single Barrel on the cheap and given it is a single barrel and Bartons upper level product, I couldn't pass this one up and now I'm glad I didn't. Bottled at 98.x proof there is a good bit of flavor packed into this Bardstown offering and while some of the 1792 bottles are less than remarkable, the barrel strength is enjoyable if not quite on the high level as some of the BT and SunBeam barrel proof products. Worth picking up below 50-55ish or as a bar whistle wetter. Broke out an Archetype Axis Mundi for this sampling, the Axis is an amazingly smooth stick.

*Distiller Top Single Barrels under $100* Glass: standard amber color Nose: peppery with char & vanilla after it opens up Palate: I honestly find this briny/salty & peppery. It’s not bad it’s just not my favorite and was a little disappointing

Strong finish. May need an extra rock.