BOTM 12/13: J.W. Dant BIB

[fishnbowljoe]

Happy December! And yes, I'm on time this month. :woohoo:

I'm gonna flip flop this month. Instead of something on the "top" shelf, we're headed back to the "bottom" shelf. Not in a bad way though.

The BOTM for December is J.W. Dant BIB.

There's been several different "variations" of Dant BIB over it's long history. The label is currently owned by Heaven Hill. I've had at least five different bottlings of Dant BIB, including the current version. I like 'em all. :yum: However, as with most labels that have been around a while, the dusty varieties seem to taste a bit better. To me, the current version has that HH citrus flavor and a slight oaky spiceyness to it. The finish is pleasant, but a bit on the mild and dry side.

Most of the older bottlings I've had, have that dusty caramel or butterscotch nose. The flavor mirrors the nose in most aspects, and the mouth feel is oily/viscous. The finish, though not a long one, is nice and warming. Like I said in so many words before, they're all good.:grin:

So, new, old, or in between, let's hear your comments on J.W. Dant BIB.

Cheers! Joe

[squire]

The Dant we got 40 years ago was a richer whisky than the one today, rounder, more butterscotch flavored in the style we generally associate with ND dustys.

Bottles in recent years have been good, reliable, expressions in the medium/full style of traditional Heaven Hill Bourbon. It's 4 years old and could stand to have the edges rounded off but for a BIB that costs less than $12.00 it's a solid choice.

[DrBob]

Have one of these handy, from a stop in Louisville last summer, grabbed every BIB I could find! Will crack it tonight and give it a taste.

[mosugoji64]

The only one I've had was a pre-fire HH bottle. That one was so overwhelmed by the old HH eucalyptus flavor that it came off as fishy and unpleasant That said, I will buy a bottle of the current stuff when I get a chance as I'm a big fan of current HH bonds.

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[Eskwar]

Great choice! It's uncommon in North Texas, though hardly rare. I first tried this one mid-2012, and that particular introduction to the brand was labeled DSP-KY-31 (Bardstown) and seemingly bottled in 1998. It was dark and delicious. I tried to repeat the experience with one or two DSP-KY-1s: one was pretty good, while the other was much lighter in color and not so good. The light one was enough to scare me off the brand for the past year. I'd have thought that it would be as consistent as HH BIB 6, HH BIB, and EW BIB have been for me, and was surprised that such was not the case, for me at least.

[squire]

The only one I've had was a pre-fire HH bottle. That one was so overwhelmed by the old HH eucalyptus flavor that it came off as fishy and unpleasant

I haven't found anything like eucalyptus in DSP 31 whisky and I drank a helluva lot of it. I have noticed a touch of mint in whiskys containing rye but that isn't brand specific.

[HighInTheMtns]

Great choice, Joe.

I don't have any left, but thanks to a great SBer () I drank a 200ml of Dant distilled at DSP-KY-2 and bottled at DSP-KY-16. The thing that stands out to me still is what Joe already mentioned, it was very oily and viscous. I really enjoyed it, and if I ever stumble upon DSP-KY-2 Dant, I'll be buying them all.

[michaelturtle1]

The only bottlings that I have found approaching drinkable are the 2/16s.. All the other iterations have been oily funky tasting abominations. Can't say I have tried all the bottlings yet but I am not overly excited to try them. Would love to try a Gethsemane distilled Dant, I have an Old Stagg distilled there but have yet to see a Dant from there.

[WAINWRIGHT]

I will have to go with the group on this one and enjoyed the 2/16's I have tried.I find the other others overly corny with almost a vegetable oil backbone which I find to be a bit odd myself.

[TunnelTiger]

This is one Bourbon I've yet to try so my goal this week is to pick up a bottle.

[PaulO]

This is one that got me interested in bourbon. Back in the 1990s, I think the Dant I was getting must have been some "glut" whiskey. It really seemed older than four years old. Joe's description is spot on. To me, the current Dant is ok, but not better or worse than four year old HH BIB or JTS Brown. It's still a lot of bang for your buck. I think the calico corn on the label is cool too.

[DrBob]

SO the Whiskey tree has Dant as Heaven Hills rye bourbon, with the same recipe as a host of other whiskey. Is the only real variation amongst all of the HH BIB's in barrel location or some other method of selecting a flavor profile?

[Flyfish]

Dant and some others are 4 YO. Some, like HH White, are 6YO. McKenna BIB is 10 YO. So, it's not just location but age as well.

[PaulO]

I think it has to do with HH having rickhouses in different locations, different levels in the same rickhouse, and barrel selection. Some BIBs are older too, such as HH 6 year, and McKenna (10 year). Old Fitz is the only one they have with with a different mashbill.

[squire]

Is the only real variation amongst all of the HH BIB's in barrel location or some other method of selecting a flavor profile?

Pretty much, variations on a theme if you like, but be mindful HH has something like a million barrels aging in different warehouses in different locations so they can blend to match a lot of profiles.

[Young Blacksmith]

I've had Dant's from BT, DSP-KY-2, old HH, and new HH. My favorites so far have been the 2/31's and the 2/16's. I will post some reviews later this week when I get some slow time to relax with a few pours.

[DrBob]

had my first pour of this tonight, its sweet and corny, but not in a bad way. It doesn't remind me of EW BIB as much as I thought it would, but blindfolded I would have said it was Heaven Hill whiskey, at least I like to think I would

[squire]

That's my take on Dant, not the same as Evan Williams but identifiably in the Heaven Hill family.

[soonami]

I have a bottle of new make Dant that I picked up on sale for $10, but haven't cracked it yet for comparison. The bottle of DSP-2 (forget where it was bottled) it had went down like liquid candy. It was dangerously easy to drink. I had a rough morning after drinking at least half the bottle the night before, which is probably why I've stayed away from it since

[squire]

Hope you're not too disappointed, that older version had a lot of admiring fans.

[Grain Belt]

I have only tasted the current version in the past 5 years or so. I really like the stuff. The only reason I stopped buying it is because I can get 4 year old HH bonded for $10 a L vs. the Dant BIB at $20. The Dant is a tough find in MN and seems to be getting more scarce. I like Dant BIB on the rocks and have had nice old fashioneds and Manhattans with it. There is enough rye to make it decent in a mix. It will be interesting to see what the powers that be do with some of these quality yet "bottom shelf" brands. I seem to really like many of them.

[squire]

I've also seen that (Florida I think) Dant marked up quite a bit. Doesn't make sense, locally the Dant BIB is less than EW white label BIB.

[boneuphtoner]

Dant BIB has become the "table bourbon" in my house. I tried the current version back to back with current EW BIB and they were nearly indistinguishable. Since the EW is $12 for 750 mL and I can buy handles of Dant for $24, but Dant is clearly the better buy. Its big brother Henry McKenna BIB has also become a house favorite these last few weeks, but that is nearly twice the price of the Dant.

[squire]

Table Bourbon, that's a good description of the role Dant serves.

[BMartin42]

Ok ok. This thread has put me on a mission to grab a bottle.