W.B. Saffell Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Tried neat awhile back thanks to my distributor friend, T. Unfortuantly I wasnt able to write down notes then but i do remember not liking this one. Will have to try again!

The aroma and flavor profile of W.B. Saffell reminds me a lot of Kentucky Owl Confiscated bourbon. Very similar. I give it 3.75 because it is pretty good, but not something I tend to want first. I reach for this bottle to add a little variety to my pours.

Nose: it has a little bit of that Wild Turkey mustiness that you get from other bottlings but still a little light on the scents with maple and vanilla tounding things out. Pallate: tastes and feels lighter than 107 proof wothout overpower or strong flavors. Belvelty texture woth caramel and vanilla leading the profile. Finish: delicate finish and this is where the oak finally comes through with a little astringency at the end. Overall this is lighter and more “delicate” bourbon if you can say that. Drinks lower then its proof and doesnt have a huge oak influnece.

Great turkey product but does seem pretty young. Id love to see this aged or finished.

8.9/10 Maple syrup, vanilla, vegetation

Batch 1, purchaed in 2023 Nose: familiar russels nose. Caramel, grain, vanilla, some sort of spice Palette: rose petals (?), chicory, candied peanuts, spices on the mid. Vanilla and oak in the back, cinnamon. Few drips of water ipens up the sweetness more and tones down the spice, but still has good tannins. Some chocolate and apricot make an appearance. Fun one!

Maybe the most unique expression from Wild Turkey. If you are a fan of all things WT, this will definitely stand out from the standard WT & Russell’s offerings. W. B. Saffell has a strong wood component with little oil, some tobacco and even chocolate forward. It’s full bodied with baking spice throughout reminding me of some of the better Russell’s picks. Overall, it’s just a flavor profile and combo you don’t come across often. Makes sense they kept it’s release to only a pint. It might not be for everybody looking for a classic bourbon, but if you want an adventure, you will appreciate the experience and understand it’s limited allocation.

Great - well above average