Very Old Barton 86 Proof Bourbon

Candy corn, maple and baking spices make up the nose on this super affordable starter bourbon from Bartons. Simple corn and wonderful oak finish off this great everyday offering with minimal burn.

First things first, the $23.99 price is for the 1.75L bottle at VA ABC stores. This is another bottom shelf “unicorn”. Buy it when you can find it. I have seen it compared to Basil Hayden’s and, to a point, I see the similarities. There is a nice balance of sweetness and rye spice. This one is a little more astringent than Basil’s. Still, for the price, this is a very pleasant sipping bourbon.

I made a review of this in fall 2018 under the 100 proof bottle. Now that someone has requested the 86 proof that is available in NC, I moved it here. Fairly good whiskey. A bit too much alcohol on the nose, and in the mouth. Not very complex, but no off notes or rot-gut flavors. A splash of water brought out sweetness and softened up the finish. I certainly recommend this with chilled water. This is by far a better pour for $11.95 a bottle than anything else I have tried. Give it a try.

Always been curious about this low shelf whiskey. The nose is very smokey with freshly baked bread with a subtle fruit note. The palate is nice and oily, was not expecting that. I get corn, some of those baking spices and smokey notes from the nose. Not too sweet. The finish is on the shorter side of medium, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Because this one is only 86 proof, I had to really dig in on the nose and palate, but it’s good. For how cheap it is, it’s really pretty good. No harshness. Definitely on Th younger side, which is to be expected.

Nose: ethanol and maple syrup. Almost like a Canadian whisky aroma Palate: creamier than the 80 proofed brother. Not as much flavor as the 100 proofed though but this is still such a solid bourbon to me. So smooth and sweet Finish: small amounts of caramel and vanilla but the maple syrupness is there all the way through $23 for a half gallon