1792 Small Batch Bourbon

Solid smooth sipping bourbon. Definitely will buy again.

Great value. Smells and drinks a little young but nothing some ice can’t fix

One-time series introduction (I promise I won’t repeat): Milliardo collects things. Milliardo discovers bourbon. Now Milliardo collects bourbon. Sometimes his collections go well, like collecting all the letters in Blanton’s gold just before the gold rush. Sometimes his collections go super-duper poorly, like when he collected 4 years worth of Booker’s before he realized he didn’t actually like Booker’s. Or that time he collected a 5th year of Booker’s because he plays to win—even when winning is really just losing with a nose of denial and a stubborn finish. One thing Milliardo collected was 1792. Because they were pretty. That was literally the only reason. The tops were shiny and the collars were colored differently. Done. Take my money. Almost a year later, it’s time to see if these are any good. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1792 Series (1 of 10): Small Batch Did you know: Woodford Reserve sued the Barton 1792 distillery for initially calling this product Ridgewood Reserve. And the bastards won. I guess 69% of your name can’t match anyone else’s name. Ever. There goes Milliardo’s dream of distilling a wildly overpriced bourbon called “Kentucky Fowl” that’s such a poor value that when I later tint the label green, turn the dial slightly, appeal to an alcoholic holiday, and reduce the price to “only mildly overpriced” people will praise me for my improvements and forgive my prior failures completely. After the suite, this juice became Ridgemont Reserve until Sazerac bought Barton 1792 and changed this product’s name to small batch. My takeaway from all that history: much like Milliardo, this juice has a valid reason to hold a grudge against Woodford. I feel a bond forming already. Nose is astringent… which is odd for this ABV. Past that there is sugar, lemon juice, green apple, cantaloupe. Banana. Incredible nose once you get past the burn. Body is a juice bomb. Smooth too. Orange, fruit punch, sugar, caramel apple. Grapes. Gummy bears. Normally I don’t go for that last one, but it works for me in this drink. There is a bubblegum finish. I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced that before. There’s mild cinnamon, and the juice from the body lingers a bit, but that bubblegum note is not going to be denied. Cough syrup at the end? Don’t love that. I really expected this to be mediocre, but overall I love this whiskey. Huh. Can’t believe I’ve been sitting on (and not enjoying) this readily-available, mid-shelf whiskey for over a year now. I could easily see this becoming an every day sipper in my future. Looking forward to the next on-deck: Bottled in Bond, aka “yellow label”

Burnt orange hue, medium legs. Light brown sugar and citrus nose with some/little ethanol. Leather and dry oak, burnt brown sugar and scorched grain, with a little ethanol in the mouth. Sweet and yet tannic, coating mouthfeel. Initial taste felt thin/light, but that filled and rounded nicely after a few healthy sips. Finish is a big dry and spicy rye flash that lingers a long time. Bang! That's worth the price of admission right there. No one-note sweet bourbon in the mouth, nor sour off flavors in the aftertaste. Have tasted the full proof and single barrel 1792 products with positive regard in the past. At $30 this is a great entry point for the brand, well worth a try. The high rye content and spicy finish cut through the sweetness and do it for me.

My least favorite of the night. Hot with not much discerning flavor. Bottle nearly gone. I’ve been on the fence about this bottle for a couple weeks. I’d try maybe the SB or sweet wheat.

corn, tobbacco, oak, black cherry, pear, nutmeg, spicy, nut brittle, cupcakes.