Kentucky Owl Bourbon (Batch #8)

The nose falls somewhere on the spectrum between old dusty leather, a deep, dark caramel, buttercream frosting, and freshly baked blueberry pie. Well damn. I was really hoping this wasn’t going to be that good. The palate is similar, coming across like Riesen chocolate caramels, burnt sugars, and a heavy hit of vanilla, allspice, and toasted walnuts. There’s also a note that reminds me of a slightly overcooked blueberry pie, where the filling has bubbled through the crust and overcooked slightly. The palate, while delicious, doesn’t quite match up to the promise of the nose, which is really the star here. The finish is long and spicy. Surprisingly hot even for its 121 proof, but laden with baking spices, caramel, and barrel char. After a moment though it transitions into toasted marshmallow, campfire, and slightly burned pie crust. A long amazing finish. A delicious pour, though perhaps not worth the $300 asking price. Definitely worth trying in a bar though.

We had the pleasure of trying this $300+ bourbon at Old Owl Tavern, the bar/restaurant at the Beaumont Inn. The owner of the Inn and Tavern is the same person who revived the Kentucky Owl line and selects the batches that go into this highly coveted product (although it's since been bought out by Stolichnaya). Essentially, what we have here is a sourced bourbon picked by a person with generations-long connections in the industry, but which goes for a sky-high price. Online sources suggest that it's a blend of at least four different batches, ranging in age from 5 years -- which is quite young! -- to 14 years. Its impressive start recalls a berry-picking trip to a gentleman's farm, with ephemeral early chords of strawberry, brown sugar, buttercream frosting, and shortcake that emphasize that this is going to be a sweet pour showcasing the fruit-forward nature of young, high-quality juice. After about 15 minutes, a decent amount of dry cedar and guaiac wood announce their presence. Its nose is its highlight, as the palate reverts to a classic but spicy profile: caramel, charred oak, some chili oil and cinammon, no significant tannic grip. It almost tastes better after the swallow, when dark fruit and cherry flavors reemerge to duet with the charred oak and chocolate swirling around the back of the throat. This is a great bourbon but a bad value.

This is an amazing bourbon. Creamy mouthfeel that explodes with oak and vanilla. Coats the mouth and has a long drawn out oaky finish. Drank with confiscated and was an amped up version of that. More flavor in every way