Starting my blind tasting journal

[b1gcountry]

Nose huge vanilla bomb. Strongly so. Some caramel, approaching caramelized sugar and a nice rye baking spice.

 

The taste was bold and hit well. I still wanted it turned up another notch though. There was a decent amount of nuance with complex vanilla/oak tannins and a good amount of rye influence. It did feel lacking some of the deeper notes although I may have been splitting hairs. The body was the weakest part, feeling slightly thin.

 

The finish was excellent warming and flavorful.

 

In a predictable manner, I enjoyed this and tasted some rye, so I automatically though of 4 roses. I am an unabashed fan boy and I attribute all hood bourbon to them  

 

62+ / 90

 

Spoiler

Elijah Craig 12 year 94p

(date on back)

 

I almost always get a cherry bomb on this. Getting the strong vanilla instead was very interesting. This is great, and now I'm going to watch for more of these flavors.

 

[b1gcountry]

Nose was really sweet. Young grain and weak.

 

The taste was not very complex but it was enjoyable. Tasted young. Nutty sort of sweetness that tasted sort of like beam.

 

Finish was enjoyably sweet. Not a complex sweet, more like cheap butter cream.

 

Despite the simplicity it was enjoyable.

 

39 / 90

Spoiler

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel 94p

Bottle from 2022

 

This bottle was frankly disappointing. I  wanted to get something other than sweet to justify the high prices on these, but they simply aren't worth the asking price.

 

I have tried this bottle a few times and kept trying to unlock its secrets, but I think the blind tasting just exposes the lack of depth and one-note nature of this one. Evan Williams black label actually scored significantly higher. 

 

It's even more disappointing considering the ec12 I opened just prior.

 

[b1gcountry]

The nose was the nicest part of this one. Pretty bold with a funky fruity pleasant corn aroma. Simple bright fruit like strawberry.

 

Flavors were subdued and lacked nuance. General sweetness and nutty char.

 

The finish was simply bad skewing towards a heavier char.

 

This was pleasant to sniff, but not pleasant to sip. Mixing would be fine if I wanted the bourbon understated.

 

35 / 90

 

Spoiler

Back Hayden 80p

 

This really is a pretty bottle. Unfortunately it just isn't very good. 

 

 

[b1gcountry]

Final review from Saturday was pretty simple. 

 

Nose, palette and finish were all so weak that I barely noticed any flavor. Nothing unpleasant, and very easy to gulp, but tasted like wedding bourbon once the ice melts.

 

Spoiler

Four Roses 80p

 

I was genuinely disappointed in this. I remember it being good. This definitely wasn't disagreeable. But the flavors were AWOL. 

 

For the record, this bottle is pretty old, from the days where this was like $13 a fifth. I barely drank it down past the neck pour. I don't think it is the bottle though. 

 

[b1gcountry]

Ok...I added a MM46 and a Jim Beam black label to the mix.

 

My pours Tues started with a clear dusty. Creamy sweet cherry with an abcius musty oak funk.

 

The taste was bold, with a lot of flavor. There were a few layers to the vanilla, with some interesting leather and oak influence. The taste was primarily spicy balanced with sweet in good proportions. The musty funk does build though and eventually became dominant in a way that reduced my desire to keep drinking it.

 

Finish was pretty mild, but it had an interesting progression, with funk fading into a growing vanilla custard sweet. This diminished as the funk built.

 

Spoiler

Antique 6yr 86p

 

This was my last dusty so it wasn't a surprise. I really like this decanter. The cork line sort of disintegrated though, so I used a few hdpe O-rings as a replacement.

 

The total score put this close to ancient Age (72) in total score, and above the OGD 81 (61).

 

[b1gcountry]

My first sniff was amazing bright caramel and clove. It did settle in though so I backed off my score a bit. I realized I had a caramel chew about 10 minutes before and I washed my mouth out some more...

 

Pallette is just really good. Solid sweetness in a few layers with a pleasant clove-nutmeg baking spice. There isn't a ton of variety though and not much oak or fruit or floral is present. The balance will work for anyone who likes caramel sweetness.

 

Finish Lasts a decent length and matches the rest of the experience

 

This is an excellent daily drinker and I really enjoy the profile. It doesn't quite have the depth, boldness or variety to go into the super premium price points for me though.

 

62+ / 90

 

Spoiler

Maker's Mark 46 94p

 

This had a decent amount in common with Jack Daniels. This one didn't surprise me and I usually like these bottles a lot more than the standard MM. I  also like that everyplace seems to have these in pints, which is great for getting more variety on your shelf.

 

This bottle I do find boring. It's hard to differentiate from standard MM now. I wish they brought more to their other bottlings...

 

[b1gcountry]

The next one presented fairly young with a nutty sweetness approaching peanut butter. The aroma was moderately strong and smelled good. I docked a point for the youth though.

 

The body felt a bit off. Sort of like a speaker with all the mids scooped. There was a hint of banana and sweetness. Overall pleasant but I wanted more of everything.

 

The finish was surprisingly decent, although young. Some nutty sweet char that faded moderately fast.

 

This had enough taste and nothing off-putting that I could see people slamming down a lot of this, but I didn't get enough flavor or complexity to recommend it.

 

47 / 90

Spoiler

Gentleman Jack 80p

This might have been obvious from the notes. It certainly wasn't a surprise to me. I am impressed just how much better the old no 7 did compared to its premium offering. This is definitely the same whiskey with all the rough edges polished away, but also rounded over so much there isn't as much left over. I do like the bottle and find it unique and interesting. 

 

This was one of my go to Bourbon when it first came out and I have had many bottles throughout my life, but I do think I've outgrown it.

 

[b1gcountry]

Aroma was bright but indistinct with a slight ethanol burn. Not unpleasant but not great

 

This had an off, Almost savory profile. There was some sweet (almost) mint with some black pepper spice and char. It didn't combine well though and I even got a slight sour note. 

 

The finish was unremarkable. 

 

39 / 90

 

Spoiler

1792 small batch 93.7p

 

I would not say this was off-putting, but I don't think it's worth drinking if other options are around. The bottle is very cool, but the stopper feels cheap. 

 

 

[b1gcountry]

This aroma was very weak. Some rye bread toast was the only note I could detect.

 

This didn't taste like bourbon. Something was way off and it just tasted like hot garbage. The taste wasn't mild either...it was strong hot garbage. 

 

The finish was disgusting and it lingered, although it got nearly pleasant before it faded. 

 

If you like malort, then this might be the perfect bourbon for you! 

 

20 / 90

 

Spoiler

Heaven Hill 80p

 

I asked a friend to pick some up in Kentucky once I heard the HH 6yr was discontinued. He couldn't find it and got me this instead. Wow is this terrible! I expected this to be at least as good as EW Black...

 

[b1gcountry]

My 28th and last sub-100-proof bourbon!

 

The aroma was nice. Nutty, fruity with some deep dark stone fruit included. Not super strong though. At a higher proof I think this would have been amazing.

 

The flavor was a bit of a let down. Good sweet vanilla but very nutty with a little funk and a peppery char at the end that was a bit on the hot side.

 

The finish tasted like generic bourbon, but was surprisingly pleasant.

 

Overall its about average. A little rough around the edges but decent flavor and a pleasant nose.

 

42 / 90

 

Spoiler

Jim Beam Black 86p

 

You know what it looks like. I picked up a 50ml bottle to add to the mix. You could do much worse for a $15 bourbon, but you can also do much better with a few bucks more.

 

[b1gcountry]

95 proof and under overall summary:

 

100-point scale (includes blind score plus 5-point scales for value and aesthetics)

 

21 Evan Williams 1783 (old round bottle)

23 heaven Hill

23 Samuel Berton's Single Barrel 

29 Four Roses

36 Basil Hayden

39 Bulleit Bourbon

42 Elijah Craig Toasted

43 Larceny Small Batch

44 1792 Small Batch

45 Jim Beam Devil's Cut

46 Jim Beam (Black label)

46 OF Statesman 

50 Bowman Brothers Small Batch

53 Gentleman Jack

53 Evan Williams (black label)

59 Maker's Mark

62 Woodford Reserve

64 Old Grand-Dad (1974)

64 Dickel 8-year

65 Elijah Craig SmB12-year (2015)

68 Maker's Mark 46

69 Buffalo Trace

70 Jack Daniels

75 Antique 6yr (1968)

76 Ancient Age (1968)

83 Four Roses Small Batch

 

There you go...the definitive winner was 4 Roses SmB.

 

Maker's 46, Jack Daniels, Dickel 8-yr and Buffalo Trace got my daily drinker awards. I would keep a bottle around

 

Evan Williams, Jim Beam Black, and Makers also stood out as value contenders.

 

Elijah Craig Toasted, and Basil Hayden may be the biggest let-downs.

 

 OF Statesman was also disappointing, although I want to see if the char is diminished next time around...

[Kepler]

7 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

95 proof and under overall summary:

...

There you go...the definitive winner was 4 Roses SmB.

 

Scanning through that list I can actually see this.  The high rye content of 4R gives it some extra oomph and complexity that most of the others can't match.  I am surprised that EC12 didn't do better compared to some of the others around it, but blinds are funny that way.

Good work.

[b1gcountry]

I will do a second round at some point. I find some nights things just taste better than others. 

 

I actually felt the same about ec12. Statesman as well. I drank those both tonight, and they both landed pretty well. 

 

The OF had a large bouquet of DEEP dried cherries, strawberry, and raisons mixed with some nice baking spice and clove. The char was still present but I must have been sensitive to it the first night. It wasn't quite the breadth of flavor as some, but there was a lot of nuance, and something different to taste every sip. I'm certain I would have scored it in the mid-to- high 70s. 

 

The EC12 honestly tasted a bit simpler in comparison. The cherry was present, but it wasn't as sweet and less complex. There was a large tanin influence, and the vanilla still came through. Overall though, less flavor than the Statesman, but fewer rough edges. 65-70 is about the range u would have scored it. 

[PaulO]

22 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

This aroma was very weak. Some rye bread toast was the only note I could detect.

 

This didn't taste like bourbon. Something was way off and it just tasted like hot garbage. The taste wasn't mild either...it was strong hot garbage. 

 

The finish was disgusting and it lingered, although it got nearly pleasant before it faded. 

 

If you like malort, then this might be the perfect bourbon for you! 

 

20 / 90

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Heaven Hill 80p

 

I asked a friend to pick some up in Kentucky once I heard the HH 6yr was discontinued. He couldn't find it and got me this instead. Wow is this terrible! I expected this to be at least as good as EW Black...

 

It sounds like fishnbowljoe needs to get on this.  

[b1gcountry]

Continuing on with my 95-111 proof bourbons...

 

The contenders are

* bottom row are last pours of Blanton's Gold 103p, Old Fitz BIB, and a Rebel Yell 100p.

Edited June 29 by b1gcountry

[b1gcountry]

Tasted 6/22

 

Aroma had INTENSE caramel, pleasant baking spice with nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and allspice, and a red jam. I would have said this was perfect except for a slight grain ethanol smell I was getting. So close to a 10 for aroma!

 

The flavor was intense and flavorful with a very dark set of tasting notes, oak influence is present and rounds everything over. There is a slight bit of funkiness to it like a mild WT vibe, and some complex stone fruit and baking spice came through. Lots of body. The one aspect missing is anything on the "bright" side of the flavor spectrum. It felt like some of my taste buds just weren't involved in this. I dinged balance and breadth a little for this.

 

Finish lingered with a lasting profile that matched the taste spot on.

 

This was amazingly drinkable with zero burn and enough flavor and complexity to drink all night. Perfect 10 for drinkability.

 

90 / 100

Spoiler

Four Roses Small Batch Select 104p

 

I did not guess thus as 4R, and actually though it was a WTKS, but this was really good. It drank like 90proof if that. I was on a family trip when I tasted this one, so maybe I'm scoring higher because of that? Maybe not though.

 

Overall, I'm so happy they came out with this bottling. The Select is such a dependable pour for me, I've bought 4 bottles so far and this one might be the only one that gives even that slight bit of ethanol.

 

Consistent high quality pour.

 

[b1gcountry]

Tasted 6/23

 

Aroma was very fruity with some oak caramel and baking spice. The aroma was intense but not as strong as the last sample. Very slight ethanol hit at times.

 

The flavor was about as robust as anything I've had outside of barrel proof bottles. This was a step below JDSBBP, and ECBP, but not by a lot. Complexity was a perfect 10 with deep flavors taking turns and standing out at different points of the sip. The dark fruit again stood out and some vanilla and deep oak got introduced. The baking spices were distinct and perfectly balanced with the rest.

 

The finish lasted a long time and as it lingered, it evolved so different aspects took their turns standing out. There was a nice rye-like finish that evolved as well.

 

The body was the only thing that wasn't amazing on this. The body coated my mouth well, but never felt thick.

 

94 / 100

Spoiler

Four Roses Single Barrel

 

With some of the oak influence and spiciness, I was leaning towards this being the Calumet 16, but I was very wrong. This could definitely be my bias for the 4R profile standing out here, but considering these were all blind, I'm convinced that the marketing isn't influencing my preference here.

 

Being a single barrel, I have had a few different experiences, and I think this is one of the better bottles I picked up. At one point, total wine had these on sale for about $33 and I picked up a 6-pack. This is my last one, so I'll have to keep an eye out for more sales...

 

Edited June 29 by b1gcountry

[b1gcountry]

Tasted 6/23

 

Aroma was funky floral and young with a red-hots vibe to it.

 

Flavor came through with a significant bite to it. Some sweet apple was nice but other aspects tasted young and nutty. Rye, floral components and spices were nice, but this is a little rowdy and rough too, and balance was just fair. This isn't a bourbon o would give a new bourbon drinker. Some aspects were a little punchy, but still enjoyable.

 

Finish wasn't bad and wasn't amazing. Some of the peppery char built up over a few sips, and it had a nice warming sensation.

 

Overall I thought this was a knob creek type of bourbon that would go well with dinner.

 

63 / 100

Spoiler

Ben Holladay BIB

 

I picked this up after enjoying a sample of the sweet wheat at a local retailer. I picked this over the sweet wheat because I don't typically enjoy wheaters, but I don't think this is as good as their sweet red wheat bottle.

 

Overall, this tasted a little like KC or WT101. I am impressed for a craft distiller, but for the price, you aren't getting much unique. I think there are much better options at the $50 range.

 

[b1gcountry]

Tasted 6/24

 

Aroma was heavy caramel floral spice and corn. Pleasant. Bold. 

 

Very robust palette some floral and deeper spices. Brash. Caramelly. The balance wasn't great. This bourbon does what it wants and you are along for the ride. Not a first bottle for new bourbon drinkers.

 

The finish trailed off a bit fast. Some oak comes through that wasn't present elsewhere.

 

73 / 100

 

Spoiler

Wild Turkey 101

 

I was pretty much expecting this to be wt101 from the aroma alone. I guess that should maybe get it an extra point for uniqueness. 

 

This really tastes different from the last few bottles I've had. It tastes quite a bit more tame than the old sportsman's turkey bottles. I even tried the bottle I got my brother in law years ago, and I'm pretty sure this is less funky than older bottles. It's still great though. Maybe even better. 

 

Value- wise, this is a great deal for $18-21 around here. 

 

[b1gcountry]

Aroma is a nice general bourbon smell with something approaching (but not quite) a slight grass note. Nicely sweet, but not overly strong.

 

Palette was somewhat subtle and a funky bright mix of sweet, funky almost herbal taste, and corn. The body was very good, and it felt thick in my mouth. The balance was very good, but I docked it a tad because some of the peppery char built over time. There was absolutely zero alcohol burn the first few sips. After a few sips, some burn did build, but still mild.

 

The finish was very nice with some complex subtle sweetness. Sort of a marzipan.

 

69++ / 100

Spoiler

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit rickhouse: Camp Nelson-F

101p

 

This one sort of flummoxed me. Deinkability and Body were absolutely amazing, and it tasted like an expensive bottle. The flavors were pretty subtle and reserved though.

 

When I drink this, I normally get more floral and fruit notes, and I've thought highly of it. I wasn't getting much of that blind. I do think the subtlety hurt this one. I also like WT a lot, so the blind may have exposed some of my bias. 

 

Still very good, but probably not a $70 bottle. 

 

[b1gcountry]

AROMA was excellent with a clove and rye spice, sweet bread (like banana bread without the banana) and a strong oaky Vanilla.

 

Flavor was robust and complex. The flavor was spicy rye, sweet marshmallow fluff, and oak. There was some interesting flavor notes coming through with a yeast like funk, pastry sweetness, and complex oak. Body was excellent, but the balance was a little off with the spice and oak overpowering other notes just a little.

 

The finish was lasting, but the complexity was much reduced and only the spice and oak lingered.

 

Overall this tasted old and expensive, but the oak was the main uniqueness to it.

 

78+ / 100

Spoiler

Calumet Farms 16yr 106p

 

Overall, this one depends on how much you are in the mood for oak and tanin. 

 

After trying this a few nights my experience varies between "pretty good" and "amazing" depending on how much I'm in the mood for the oak and spice.

 

The age on this is definitely driving the price and from that aspect, this is pretty unique. Otherwise, I do think the experience is slightly inconsistent for a $150 bottle. I wouldn't say it is disappointing at all, but it is a special occasion dram.

 

[b1gcountry]

Aroma is maple and red fruit. Quite bold and pleasant.

 

Complexity is great with a floral and a foggy spice. Some moderate old leather and oak. Lots of overlapping flavors. It is hard to pick them all out. Good balance and very unique and drinkable.

 

Finish has a lasting floral spice. It lingers and tastes amazing.

 

83+ / 100

Spoiler

Wilderness Trail Wheated BIB 100p

 

This was an impulse purchase that was on sale for $30. It is very unique and I'd recommend it as part of your collection. Even at full price, $50 is pretty good.

 

It is good to see more small distillers putting out good bourbon!

 

[b1gcountry]

Aroma is rye spice and sweet bubblegum with some oak influence. 

 

The taste is really robust and sweet. There is a nice spiciness to it and decent balance. Everything is very pleasant, but not overly complex. Stand out traits are deinkability and uniqueness.

 

Finish was very lasting and evolves a little the more you drink. Like the taste, it isn't overly complex.

 

73+ / 100

Spoiler

Jack Daniels BIB 100p

 

This is a solid pour. Nothing complex, but if you like the taste, then you are going to like it. 

 

The simplicity here is sort of nice and you're going to get the same experience every time you drink this.

 

[b1gcountry]

Aroma had an almost dusty aroma to it. Candy corn, rye spice, and fruity almost like peach tea. If it was a little stronger it would have been perfect.

 

Flavors were varied and robust. Oak, rye spice and dark cherry predominate. Some caramel and floral aspects are present in the supporting role. This is very unique. Great balance.

 

Finish is nice. Oak rye and spice all carry through from the palette. Long lasting.

 

91 / 100

Spoiler

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7yr 99p

 

This is my favorite bottle of all time and I definitely recognized it. The balance of rye, fruit and caramel are great. It's almost like 4R, but it is unique.

 

 

[b1gcountry]

Aroma is robust sweet cord and vanilla. Simple and sweet.

 

Tast is young and grainy with a very nice Mellow Corn pallette. The taste is pretty simple but also pretty pleasant. Quite sweet. Decently balanced and drinkable.

 

The finish is just meh.

 

60 / 100

Spoiler

Starlight Carl T Huber's cask strength finished in VDN barrels

107.3p

 

This really didn't come across as a finished barrel. The VDN is pretty subtle, and I think the wine was coming across more as char.

 

I'm not impressed with this bottle for the $80 it normally sells for. I didn't pay that much, and I'm glad I didn't. The youth isn't a selling point for sure, but it still isn't a bad profile and the balance is pretty good. I actually do think the VDN finish adds a bit of refinement to this, and the finish is pretty subtle. All that said, I probably won't pick up any more starlight without a really good reason.