Excited for my 2023 Advent Calendar

[IamMatt]

Last year a buddy and I collaborated on a bourbon Advent Calendar, each of us contributing 12 samples.  It was a blast, tasting blind and chatting about each night's sample.  This year I invited a third member, so we each contributed 8 samples, and did the bottle switch tonight so we each have our identical set of 24 samples.  Can't wait til Friday!

 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by IamMatt

[Richnimrod]

Sounds like great fun!   Rave on, IamMatt!   (...As well as yer buds.)

[IamMatt]

Day 1)   NOSE: A little proof, dried fruit, mild baking spice.  PALATE: Better than the nose, more complex, fruit, leather, on the sweet side but not like OF sweet.

 

REVEAL:  Wolcott BIB.  Barton juice; pretty sure this is a Total Wine exclusive brand.  When I found out what it was, I did a SBS with Kirkland (also Barton) BIB.  VERY similar; they both had a sort of tropical fruit trail mix note, with the Wolcott having more mango and the Kirkland having more banana.  At $40-ish for 750ml it costs about twice what the Kirkland does for no material difference to my palate.

[Kepler]

On 11/29/2023 at 11:12 PM, IamMatt said:

Last year a buddy and I collaborated on a bourbon Advent Calendar, each of us contributing 12 samples.  It was a blast, tasting blind and chatting about each night's sample.  This year I invited a third member, so we each contributed 8 samples, and did the bottle switch tonight so we each have our identical set of 24 samples.  Can't wait til Friday!

 

 

 

 

 

A "home made" advent calendar is a really great idea.  I never warmed up to the commercial versions because half the selections were kinda lame.  But if we bourbon fans could design our own selections, .... well, now you are onto something good!  It's like our own "mix tape" of whiskeys.  Well done.

 

 

 

[PaulO]

46 minutes ago, IamMatt said:

Day 1)   NOSE: A little proof, dried fruit, mild baking spice.  PALATE: Better than the nose, more complex, fruit, leather, on the sweet side but not like OF sweet.

 

REVEAL:  Wolcott BIB.  Barton juice; pretty sure this is a Total Wine exclusive brand.  When I found out what it was, I did a SBS with Kirkland (also Barton) BIB.  VERY similar; they both had a sort of tropical fruit trail mix note, with the Wolcott having more mango and the Kirkland having more banana.  At $40-ish for 750ml it costs about twice what the Kirkland does for no material difference to my palate.

Indeed, Wolcott is a TW only brand, and the B.I.B. version has to list the DSP # on the label - one of the few or only TW brand to give that much information.

 

I've got a real evergreen wreath that makes the kitchen smell like fresh Christmas tree.  I also have the four advent candles (LED run on AAA batteries) to go with it.

My son has a Lego advent calendar.  Every day he opens a little door on the box and gets a little Lego toy.

[IamMatt]

For sure, gotta be bourbon enthusiasts.  Two of us did it last year, and we added the third this year.  Here is last year's lineup:

 

Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon

Blackened Cask Strength Batch 110

Wild Turkey 101

Maker's Mark FAE-02 2021

Old Forester 1920

Russell's Reserve SiB

Remus Straight Whiskey SiB Store Pick

New Riff SIB Store Pick

Doc Swinson's Alter Ego Cask Strength

My Own High-Rye blend

Starlight Cigar Blend

Sagamore Spirits Cask Strength

Good Times Cigar Blend

Hirsch The Horizon

Pinhook Rye 5-yr Store Pick

Knob Creek SiB Store Pick

Stagg Jr Batch 17

ECBP SiB Club Barrel Pick

Heaven's Door SIB Store Pick

Hancock President's Reserve

Redemption 10-year High-Rye Bourbon

Stellum Cask Strength Bourbon

Barrel Batch 33

Barrel Dovetail

Jack Daniel's SIB BP Rye 2022 Special Release

[mbroo5880i]

19 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

A "home made" advent calendar is a really great idea.  I never warmed up to the commercial versions because half the selections were kinda lame.  But if we bourbon fans could design our own selections, .... well, now you are onto something good!  It's like our own "mix tape" of whiskeys.  Well done.

 

 

 

 

There are only so many flavored Beams or Jack a man can or should drink.  

[PaulO]

38 minutes ago, mbroo5880i said:

 

There are only so many flavored Beams or Jack a man can or should drink.  

For me that means none.

[jvd99]

20 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

A "home made" advent calendar is a really great idea.  I never warmed up to the commercial versions because half the selections were kinda lame.  But if we bourbon fans could design our own selections, .... well, now you are onto something good!  It's like our own "mix tape" of whiskeys.  Well done.

 

 

 

Agreed...to get a truly exciting commercial one, you need to spend over $500 on the premium ones, and then it's just not worth it. The homemade one sounds like a great idea! 

[IamMatt]

Day 2) NOSE: vanilla, light spice, a faint overtone of soap or rose (thinking maybe something finished?).  PALATE: Similar to nose, not too proofy, medium finish.

 

REVEAL:  Bardstown Rye 96 proof.  That was a surprise!

[IamMatt]

I thought it would be too pretentious to post every evening with the day's sample, but I'll go ahead and post the synopsis:

 

1) Wolcott BIB:  Total Wine brand,  Barton juice but twice the price of Kirkland Barton BIB or VOB 100.

2) Bardstown Rye 96 proof:  I actually thought this might be a low-rye MGP.  Wrong!

3) Ben Holladay BIB:  I liked this before and liked it now.  Apple, peach, sweet spice cake or pie crust, vanills.

4) Black Ridge KSBW 90 proof:  Vanilla, caramel, spice on the nose; dark fruit on the palate.  Good amount of flavor for the proof.

5) Buffalo Trace store pick:  I would have told you I am not a BT fan but this was just an awesome low-proof sipper.  I would buy this pick if it were available.

6) Blue Note Juke Joint UCUF barrel pick 120 proof:  Tea and spice on the nose, proofy palate with brown sugar, honey, and leather.

7) Buffalo Trace:  Not bad.  This non-BT fan liked it, but would probably pass in favor of a store pick. 

8] Tumblin' Dice store pick (MGP): Apple pie, tea, and citrus on the nose; fruit pie, tangy vanilla, honey, leather on the nose.

9) Lucky Seven Proprietor 6-ys SiB:  Vanilla, honey, tea, leather, tobacco, apple spice.

10} Malahat Spirits 100% Rye 92 proof:  Cherry, allspice, orange pekoe tea; I thought it had finished notes like sherry or rum.

11) Prideful Goat 6-yr Rye (MGP) 118 proof:  Lemongrass, light tea, peach, pear on the nose; honey, tea, spice on the palate.  Reminded me of a lemon cough drop.

12) Coppercraft bourbon store pick 110 Proof:  Cinnamon toast, vanilla, honey, tea, wood, apple tart.

13) 1792 Full Proof:  VANILLA!, brown sugar, baking spice, dusty caramel, light leather.

14) Elijah Craig TW store pick:  Dusty rose soap or lotion, sweet lemon, vanilla ice cream. cayenne like a pepper candy.  Not a fan.

15} Old Forester SiB BS from the distillery 126 proof:  Vanilla, brown sugar, dust, tobacco, creamy, chocolate orange.  Yummy.

16) Willett SB Rye 114 proof: Muted lemon, cardboard, sweet tea on the nose; rye spice, caraway seed, lemon, tea, and oak on the palate.

17) Boone County 7-yr store pick 111 proof:  Lemon, tea, cardboard, classic bourbon notes.  This was a favorite.

18) Thirteenth Colony Southern Bourbon:  Reminiscent of a good MGP; I got so fixated on guessing I didn't write many specific notes.

19) First Call Double Oak  90 proof:  Another TW bottle.  Nose like the gum from a baseball card, cola, woody.  Not a fan.

20) Westward Single Malt Cask Strength 125 proof:  Not usually a fan of single malts, but this gave me ECBP/Stag Jr vibes.  A hitter.

21) Broken Barrel KSBW 115 Proof:  Buttered French toast w/maple syrup, vanilla ice cream, age notes like wet cardboard, good finish.

22) Blanton's SIB 93 proof:  Vanilla, spice, candy dots, plum, apricot, apple, tea, vanilla.  Reminiscent of some Barton full proof bottles.  Lot of flavor for the proof.

23) Jack Daniel's SiB BP Rye 137.5 proof:  Rich, sweet, dark fruit, plums, berries, spice, like blackberry pie; creme brulee, leather and wood on the finish.  Killer.

24) Found North Batch 5 116 proof:  Apple, pear, leather, vanilla.  Dark, rich palate like a fruit compote.  Like dark fruit wrapped in leather and oak.  Delicious.

 

My favorites were 5, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 21, 23, and 24.   All three of us were sad to see it end.