RANDOM BOURBON SHOWDOWN ROCK HILL FARMS BOURBON HENRY MCKENNA 10-YEAR BOTTLED-IN-BOND BOURBON I’m beginning to revisit whiskies that I haven’t reviewed in some time, and found that I hadn’t written notes on either Rock Hill Farms or Henry McKenna since May 2022. Time for another Showdown. ROCK HILL FARMS BOURBON Clear amber, a shade lighter than the Henry McKenna (Pantone 144). The nose leads with a distinct apple note (more like apple juice following the McKenna), along with vanilla wafers, sweet hay, mulled cider, rosin, alcohol, oak, a touch of menthol. Lightly viscous mouthfeel, with oak and vanilla on the palate. The 100-proof alcohol makes its presence felt, and the finish shows not-insignificant espresso bitterness, chai spice tea, and lingering oak. Rock Hill Farms bourbon is something of a paradox. It starts out gently with that apple note, then finishes tight with a bitter streak that is both espresso-like (a positive) and akin to woody tannins (not so positive). The effect is more disappointing than off-putting. RKF is difficult to obtain, however, and if you can find a bottle, expect to pay north of $400 at today’s prices (I traded for the ones I have some time ago). I’m kind of glad I have a couple bottles left—perhaps I’ll be able to trade them for something else. To be fair, these are single-barrel offerings, which means that there may be more bottle variation than normal. Perhaps my barrel(s) weren’t as good as others. Would I buy it again? No. It’s nice to have in a collection, but having tried it now on multiple occasions, I wouldn’t seek it out. 3.5 on the Distiller scale (vs. 3.75 on my previous review, 5/4/22). 100 proof. NAS. HENRY MCKENNA 10-YEAR BOTTLED-IN-BOND BOURBON Orange mahogany; a touch darker than the Rock Hill Farms (Pantone 152). Chocolate-covered cherries, cocoa powder, plums, light clove, oak, some raisins, brownies, and a whiff of spearmint. Very sweet on the palate with more cherry and oak. The 100-proof is very well integrated; the finish is long, with copious pipe tobacco caressed in vanilla, along with some char. I’ve loved Henry McKenna from my first sip years ago. It’s complex; has great depth of flavor; wears a 10-year age statement; and carries a higher-than-average proof. If you look hard enough, it can be found for around $75, though I typically see it around $100. Would I buy it again? Yes, especially at the retail price. It’s a value considering the experience it delivers. 4.25 on the Distiller scale (vs 4.5 on my previous review, 5/24/22). 100 Proof. 10-year age statement. CONCLUSION Despite their similar proofs, these two bourbons are very different. The Rock Hill Farms starts out with a wonderfully evocative nose but goes downhill from there—a decline exacerbated by the initial high expectations. The Henry McKenna is not quite at the “great” level (I rated it 4.5 on my previous review), but it satisfies on the nose, palate, and finish. Showdown reviews aren’t intended to be about winners and losers per se, but rather to serve as exercises to illustrate what context—in these cases, different whiskies side-by-side—can do to sensory perception. But I didn’t get anything particularly different from either of these when tasted next to each other. Rather, my opinions were reinforced. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.