FasterHorses Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 I was eagerly eyeing a gift today that was in the shape of a bottle. The inlaws had come over and although I knew it wouldn't be anything wonderful, my mind went to maybe a Basil Hayden or Rowan's Creek. I couldn't have been more surprised if I woke up with my face sewn to the carpet as I pulled a 1.75 Kentucky Tavern from the wrapping. I knew what I had suspected all along, I was a huge jackass in my previous life. Anyway for kicks I looked on SB.com in some older threads to see what terrible things people have historically said about this bottle. While doing so, I found this 2003 thread https://www.straightbourbon.com/community/topic/1380-kentucky-tavern-the-forgotten-wheater/ where EC12 was mentioned in the same breath as KT and was even said to be worse than KT by one or two posters. How long has EC12 been around and did it have a bad reputation in the first part of this millennium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonNit Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Need to come back to this. I highly doubt KT is a wheater but I’ve heard ok things about it. If I go into a crappy bar with only JD and JBW on the shelf and asked to see the well and it was KT, I’d be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FasterHorses Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 Ive had it before at their house, not terrible or harsh just a bottom shelfer with no character. The fact that those posters on page one of that thread said ... “Kentucky Tavarn...I've never tried it, but it can't be any worse than EC12! Talk about double duty....lets see....toilet bowl cleaner, grease remover,....No, I think you had it...paint stripper! See ya, H'wood “ had me scratching my head since EC12 is considered top shelf these days.. was it not always? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinbrink Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 23 hours ago, FasterHorses said: Ive had it before at their house, not terrible or harsh just a bottom shelfer with no character. The fact that those posters on page one of that thread said ... “Kentucky Tavarn...I've never tried it, but it can't be any worse than EC12! Talk about double duty....lets see....toilet bowl cleaner, grease remover,....No, I think you had it...paint stripper! See ya, H'wood “ had me scratching my head since EC12 is considered top shelf these days.. was it not always? I certainly knew a few people back then that thought drinking EC12 was like sucking on barrel char. I started buying it before I knew anything about bourbon or really whiskey even, it was the cheapest thing on the shelf over 10 years so I perceived it as a good value more than anything it took some getting used to, especially since most of the Whiskey drinking I had done to that point was Speyside Scotch, but it probably ultimately shaped my opinion of what bourbon should taste like. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonNit Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 That link to KT from the early 2000s is great.Mike Veach and Cowdery providing a wealth of information.It looks like Glenmore the original distiller was sitting on a ton of 10+ year bourbon they where putting into a super cheap bonded version in the late 80s to early 90s version until they sold to UD in 93 when they finally ran out. From 93 to 96 UD was using SW wheated for this, sounds nuts to hear now but that was what they had lying around to fill bottles of a bottom shelfer they just bought.I guess in 96 Barton bought it and started using one of there ryes for KT. I guess Sazerac got this when they bought Barton.Faster Horses I’m guessing this is 80 proof? Doubt it has a DSP listed but what Distillery does it say it comes from? Does it say Bardstown, Franklin or other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FasterHorses Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share Posted December 30, 2017 53 minutes ago, HoustonNit said: That link to KT from the early 2000s is great. Mike Veach and Cowdery providing a wealth of information. It looks like Glenmore the original distiller .... I guess in 96 Barton bought it and started using one of there ryes for KT. I guess Sazerac got this when they bought Barton. Faster Horses I’m guessing this is 80 proof? Doubt it has a DSP listed but what Distillery does it say it comes from? Does it say Bardstown, Franklin or other? It says “bottled by glenmore distillery, louisville, ky” as an aside it also says “bourbon whiskey with natural flavors” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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