Very Old Barton 86 Proof Bourbon

Very good and excellent price point.

Carmel apple

Bit of ethanol on the nose and mouth at first. Very sweet, almost cotton candy? Gets more complex as it rests. Oak, corn. Medium finish: like a light tobacco? Leather? Very drinkable. Another excellent value from the geniuses in Frankfort.

Soft nose Light forward taste Nice finish Easy drinking

If I adjusted for value, this is a 4, or 4.25. Pretty nice flavors, caramel mocha, chocolate and oak. Thin mouthfeel and a weak finish are the negatives here. This is a $12 bottle with a $12 finish, but a $40 nose. I could sniff this all day!

1.75L from VA ABC. These show up on the shelves in VA 3 or 4 times a year in limited supply, and only in the big bottle; recently customers are limited to one bottle per day. Odd for a budget bourbon, but it is pretty scarce around here. When I started really getting into bourbon a couple years ago, I had researched some articles about best budget bourbons, and best bourbons only available in Kentucky. VOB made several of these lists, and so when I saw it in the local ABC I grabbed a few bottles and have grabbed a bottle whenever I happen to see it ever since . I think I always have one handle in reserve for mixing or everyday drinking in a pinch. Surprised I have not reviewed it until now. Here goes ... Neat in Glencairn at home. Nose has oak and meadow grasses, hint of banana, mild spice. Eh. Taste is sharp on the front, with oak, red hots, crabapples, then some dried grasses and a touch of heat on the finish. VOB is fine for what it is. Here, in NOVA, it remains relatively unknown, and that makes it stand out a little from the usual Old Granddad or Evan Williams on the shelf. What makes it truly worthwhile for me is the crazy low price and its utter inoffensiveness. 7/16/20