My 9-Way 100-Proof Shootout

[IamMatt]

Noticing I had a lot of under-$30-ish, 100-proof bottles open, I thought I could blind them and see if I really needed that many.  So I picked 8 of them and threw in a more expensive bottle as a sort of ringer-Remus Repeal VI.  I did 3 rounds on 3 different nights, sometimes going all the way through all 9, sometimes breaking them up into 3 groups of 3, etc.  Each time I ranked them 1 to 9, then added up the scores to get a final ranking, with lowest score being best.  I started out ranking noses too, bit it was just too much so I concentrated on just ranking the palate.  To say I was surprised is an understatement.  

 

Here are the results.

 

A couple of impressions really stuck out.  First, two rounds in, bottle 3 was clearly my #1 pick, and I was convinced it was the Remus.  Second, as I was tasting, the other 8 were much closer on the palate than I expected.  I anticipated finding a couple of clear standouts, a couple of obvious dogs, and some in the middle but other than bottle 3, that didn't happen.  A better way to put it might be that all of them tasted enjoyable, depending on if I felt like something spicy, or oaky, or sweet on a particular night, not that some were "good" and some were "bad."

Once I ranked them and looked at the results, though, it was clear that there were some standouts and some laggards.  OF 100 and CC 100 were consistently #1 and #2 in all 3 tastings, and Rebel 100 was consistently at or near the bottom of the order.  Interesting too that three bottles--EW BIB, KC 9, and WT 101--consistently improved in score with each tasting while one--ET BIB--consistently got worse.    

 

For better or worse, I actually don't think this will affect my buying much.  I have enough experience with all 9 bottles to know I have enjoyed them, so I am not going to stock up on #s 1-3 and stop buying #s 7-9.  I have fun doing my own blinds and will keep doing them.  Cheers!

[Obree]

3 minutes ago, IamMatt said:

Noticing I had a lot of under-$30-ish, 100-proof bottles open, I thought I could blind them and see if I really needed that many.  So I picked 8 of them and threw in a more expensive bottle as a sort of ringer-Remus Repeal VI.  I did 3 rounds on 3 different nights, sometimes going all the way through all 9, sometimes breaking them up into 3 groups of 3, etc.  Each time I ranked them 1 to 9, then added up the scores to get a final ranking, with lowest score being best.  I started out ranking noses too, bit it was just too much so I concentrated on just ranking the palate.  To say I was surprised is an understatement.  

 

Here are the results.

 

A couple of impressions really stuck out.  First, two rounds in, bottle 3 was clearly my #1 pick, and I was convinced it was the Remus.  Second, as I was tasting, the other 8 were much closer on the palate than I expected.  I anticipated finding a couple of clear standouts, a couple of obvious dogs, and some in the middle but other than bottle 3, that didn't happen.  A better way to put it might be that all of them tasted enjoyable, depending on if I felt like something spicy, or oaky, or sweet on a particular night, not that some were "good" and some were "bad."

Once I ranked them and looked at the results, though, it was clear that there were some standouts and some laggards.  OF 100 and CC 100 were consistently #1 and #2 in all 3 tastings, and Rebel 100 was consistently at or near the bottom of the order.  Interesting too that three bottles--EW BIB, KC 9, and WT 101--consistently improved in score with each tasting while one--ET BIB--consistently got worse.    

 

For better or worse, I actually don't think this will affect my buying much.  I have enough experience with all 9 bottles to know I have enjoyed them, so I am not going to stock up on #s 1-3 and stop buying #s 7-9.  I have fun doing my own blinds and will keep doing them.  Cheers!

Impressive shootout! Surprising indeed to see that Remus relatively low on the ranking. Seems the Brown-Forman profile fits your palate well?

[PaulO]

Very interesting, especially since these bottles are in my wheelhouse.

I wonder about the ET BIB, since that brand is in transition.  When it was relatively new, I tried it and thought it was very much along the lines of the B-F house style (and quite tasty).  I don't know how it is now.  I recall it's going to be made by Barton going forward.

And that brings me to you could put Very Old Barton 100 in your shootout, or some of the other Heaven Hill bonded brands.

[IamMatt]

5 hours ago, Obree said:

Impressive shootout! Surprising indeed to see that Remus relatively low on the ranking. Seems the Brown-Forman profile fits your palate well?

I definitely like some BF products; big 1920 fan.  I wish they distributed the Coopers Craft in CA but at least it is available online.  Not sure how I feel about Remus' showing.  I have gone through about a half bottle and enjoyed it every time.

[IamMatt]

30 minutes ago, PaulO said:

Very interesting, especially since these bottles are in my wheelhouse.

I wonder about the ET BIB, since that brand is in transition.  When it was relatively new, I tried it and thought it was very much along the lines of the B-F house style (and quite tasty).  I don't know how it is now.  I recall it's going to be made by Barton going forward.

And that brings me to you could put Very Old Barton 100 in your shootout, or some of the other Heaven Hill bonded brands.

I actually started out with 5 bottles, then started with, "Oh, I can add this one"  "Oh, I should add that one."  At some point it is hard to manage.  Last year's expression of Kirkland/1792 BIB was basically indistinguishable from the VOB 100 so I didn't feel too compelled to add the latter to this shootout.

[mbroo5880i]

3 hours ago, IamMatt said:

I actually started out with 5 bottles, then started with, "Oh, I can add this one"  "Oh, I should add that one."  At some point it is hard to manage.  

 

Yet, like a pro, you did manage.  Your served your brethren well by sacrificing (yeah, I am sure) your time and taste buds.  

 

While I absolutely love OF100, I would guess that it would finish 3rd regularly in tastings compared to KC9 and WT101.  I have had enough Barton to know that very few offerings are in my wheelhouse.  VOB 6/100 is ok.  1792/RR is ok as a Single Barrel, but I don't care for the standard offering or full proof.  I have never had the BIB.  

 

My comeuppance on blind tasting was confusing a wheated bourbon for a rye bourbon.  Doh...

 

I absolutely love the concept of blind tasting at the same proof. 

 

Thank you for sharing.  I love hearing thoughts on tastings like this. 

 

 

 

 

[Jazz June]

To echo some of the other comments, is the Early Times B-F distilled or Barton distilled?

[IamMatt]

8 minutes ago, Jazz June said:

To echo some of the other comments, is the Early Times B-F distilled or Barton distilled?

I don't know who distilled it but it is the Saz release.

[PaulO]

DSP numbers should be on the label.  If only one number, then distilled and bottled by same.  If distilled one place, bottled another, both listed.

[Richnimrod]

Thank you for doing such a broad comparison and posting the results, IamMatt!   I'm not a bit sure my taste buddies could have worked their through that many different selections at 100-proof and remained reliable.   ...Nor my noggin' ...Ha!

It's plain that the BF offerings suit you to  'T'.   Some of their stuff has found a fan in me.   ...Chiefly the old version of OF 100; Signature, and the Early Times BIB, though they are not very similar overall.

In my experience almost any BIB that has passed my lips has been at least decent and enjoyable, as you mentioned your experience to be.

Keep up the hard (fun?) work, buddy!

[IamMatt]

3 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

Thank you for doing such a broad comparison and posting the results, IamMatt!   I'm not a bit sure my taste buddies could have worked their through that many different selections at 100-proof and remained reliable.   ...Nor my noggin' ...Ha!

It's plain that the BF offerings suit you to  'T'.   Some of their stuff has found a fan in me.   ...Chiefly the old version of OF 100; Signature, and the Early Times BIB, though they are not very similar overall.

In my experience almost any BIB that has passed my lips has been at least decent and enjoyable, as you mentioned your experience to be.

Keep up the hard (fun?) work, buddy!

I did three rounds with 2-oz samples so each round was roughly 2/3 ounce times 9.  The first round was straight tasting of all 9 so it was a little hairy.  The next two rounds were some swallowing and some tasting and spitting, which made things easier.

 

I like most of the OF products, especially  OF 1920.  I have had a couple of OF SiBs and was not blown away.  Not a fan of Woodford.  I am glad to find another fan of the old Signature release.  I get up on my soapbox and insist that the current release is OF 100, NOT Signature because it no longer labeled that way; more importantly, I am convinced that Signature is older juice than 100.  Just as Elijah Craig and Knob Creek dropped their age statements because there was not enough older juice to meet demand, I believe B-F did the same thing with Signature.  But what do I know?

 

I have only one bottle of Signature left but I would love to do a blind with OF Signature, OF 100, Coopers Craft 100, ET BIB (B-F version) and ET BIB (Saz version).

[IamMatt]

8 hours ago, PaulO said:

DSP numbers should be on the label.  If only one number, then distilled and bottled by same.  If distilled one place, bottled another, both listed.

My bottles have both DSP numbers.  Are there Saz releases now with only one DSP number?

[smokinjoe]

Everything I have seen on ET BIB’s has DSP 354 for distillation location.  I believe that distillation at Barton did not start until sometime in 2021, so if that is accurate, the Saz Distilled ET BIB won’t be ready for bottling until at least some time in 2025.  
 

 

[jvd99]

Time to go shopping...

[IamMatt]

So here's a little update to this project.  I was so surprised at these results that I have spent some time with my bottom finishers to see if they were really that "bad."  Well, they're not.  I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them.  So, to hell with all my efforts?  I dunno.

 

The good news is I don't have a bunch of bottles to avoid drinking.  The bad news is there is no bad news.

 

Trying to figure out why there is a disconnect between my impressions doing the blind and my impressions just drinking the bottom four over the last couple of weeks.

 

1) The blind was done with tasting glasses but I drink from a glencairn, so maybe the tasting glasses affect my nose and taste?  I'm really starting to not care but I think I'll do some SBS tastes with the same stuff in a tasting glass and a glen to see if there really is a difference.

 

2) Maybe I am just in a different state of mind when I am "performing an experiment" than when I am "enjoying a glass of bourbon."

 

Bottom line for me is that I am probably overthinking the whole thing and I will just buy and drink as fits my pleasure.

[Richnimrod]

I think both sentences in your item 2) are likely pretty valid, IamMatt.   I've found it to be so in my enjoyment / or lack thereof more than a few times.

[smokinjoe]

I’ve said here for years that IMO, blind SBS comparatives in determining ones “preferences” or “best” are grossly over-rated in our hobby.  Whiskey drinking at the level that we enthusiasts are involved, is SO multi-dimensional and goes much beyond a this-or-that determination on any given night.  To limit ones self to just “taste” at a point in time, seems to me to eliminate too much of what makes our passionate hobby so special to us.