T W Samuels

[bvscfanatic]

I bought a bottle of T W Samuels 100 proof BIB today. I was just looking around and grabbing a 750ml bottle of practically any BIB bourbon that I'd never tried before. Since I was least able to find anything in writing about the Samuels, I decided to break it open after I had had a couple of shots of VOB BIB. I was expecting the worst.

Here in Lexington, it was $9.19.

Okay, I'm a newbie at this, but here goes:

My impression is that it rather is lacking in taste. It's not BAD tasting, but it really isn't particularly interesting or robust tasting either. And to me it IS sweet and a bit creamy. Other than that, it is unobtrusive and not unpleasant. It's not like any other bourbon that I have tried to date (not that I have tried so very many).

I like it much better than the four year old Jim Beam white label that I once made the mistake of buying.

Okay, so now it has been sitting for awhile (neat), and the entire nature of it has changed. It's still bland, but what began as an aroma of smoked ham (with a hint of sweaty sneakers) out of the bottle now smells sweeter and more like vanilla, maple, and a hint of melon or citrus, but very, very weak. To me the taste is sweet with a hint of orange with vanilla and possibly even cinnamon, but too faint to really distinguish. A slightly creamy texture. Smooth. No heavy alcohol taste at all. It's not bad. Pleasant. I can't speak badly of it. It's just not terribly flavorful or robust like the bourbons I've been drinking of late. Mild. And yet, BIB. No age statement. It IS interesting. Maybe next time I'll try ice. I'm sure I'd drink it again if I were in the right mood.

[bvscfanatic]

... I felt obligated to try it out. It might be good for paint thinner, but it is unfit for human consumption.

I am now given to suspect that perhaps fogfrog and I experienced a similar phenomenon.

I'm thinking that my tastebuds (and smellbuds) must have been just a little bit numb and/or over worked last night whenever I tried this stuff for the first time. It definitely improves in direct proportion to how much you've had to drink.

Taken as an initial drink, the initial aroma is very smokey and leathery and faintly musty or woody. Not so sweet as I thought I tasted the night before. More dry and a little spice like black pepper or citrus peel or something. Any flavor fades fast. The alcohol taste is far more noticeable. There is a faint aftertaste that lingers when drinking it neat. Not sure what it is. Might be the soapy taste that fogfrog was referring to. Not as bad with a little water though, but not good enough to be worth buying.

I tried it smoothered with some Dr. Pepper (something that I never do with bourbon -- I drink neat or on the rox), and that worked okay. Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures. Probably not bad if you're looking for something cheap to serve to guests who drown their bourbon in soda pop or wanting to get blitzed this way, since the taste improves with each shot.

But why buy it when you can have EW Black Label or VOB for the same price or less and actually ENJOY the taste?

Any further commentary on this pour will be found on that vatting thread to be sure as I try to salvage this bottle. Will probably try vatting with the wonderfully flavorful EW.

I really can't recommend this stuff at all and will NOT repurchase.