Guest **DONOTDELETE** Posted October 5, 1999 Share Posted October 5, 1999 Hi all,I saw this small-batch bourbon in the store yesterday and didn't know much about it. The Jim Murray book lists a couple of the other bourbons (Noah's Mill) from this bottler, but I don't think this bourbon comes from that distillery. They had a little propaganda card stuck into the shelf that gave a rating from some Louisville, KY newspaper or magazine poll or such that this was the #2 rated small batch bourbon. Is this just advertising hype or is it a very good bourbon? The price seemed reasonable at around $30, just a few dollars more than the Wathen's that Jim gave a thumb's up.Your opinions please?Cheers,Bushido Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbutler Posted October 5, 1999 Share Posted October 5, 1999 Ahh, Bushido-san;My brother picked up a bottle of Rowan's Creek last fall ... just because it was one we hadnt tasted yet. I didnt keep any tasting notes from the experience, but I recall that it was a "competent" bourbon. We didnt feel ripped off, though we also didnt feel that the whiskey posessed any unique/extraordinary qualities that warranted the $$. We finally agreed that the most unique thing about this bottle was the label.Just my $30 worth,Regards,Jim ButlerStraightbourbon.com Staff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 I'd like to reply to this post of some years back in an attempt to revive a discussion about Rowan's Creek.About a year ago this bourbon was being sold at our Provincial liquor store (government monopoly). I didn't buy it. The price was high and I thought likely it was just a variation on someone's 12 year old stock and wouldn't be special. How wrong I was.I tried it today in a bar. Bottles like this tend to last a few years in some restaurants' inventory. I saw it on the back-bar and thought, here's my chance in case I missed something. Well, I had.This bourbon is indeed very fine. Having read in the last year the earlier discussions about it possibly coming from the Willett's Distillery, I believe this bourbon may in fact come from that source. The reason is, I have written on the board about an article the Willett's distiller wrote in the 1960's describing traditional bourbon. He said it had to have bouquet, a good body from a grain-rich mash bill and a taste which disclosed fruity-like notes. He spoke of a "ripe apple" taste.This is exactly how Rowan's Creek tastes. It is delicate and yet hearty, with a brandy-like aftertaste. I have read on the board that Rowan Creek was sourced either from Willett's (which left much maturing stock bottled by Evan Kulsveen into the 1990's at least), or, Heaven Hill.Well, I don't believe this Rowan's Creek is from Heaven Hill. It lacks the signature taste of most Heaven Hill products which is a caramel/smoke/cereal-like taste. There is one Heaven Hill bourbon though that is more in the rich fruity vein. This is Evan Williams. It is atypical in my view to most of the Heaven Hill products. Even the EW Single Barrel bottlings don't taste like regular Evan Williams to me. It is my view Rowan's Creek is either 1970's-distilled Willett's (and therefore older than the 12 years stated on the label), or, it is the regular Evan Williams of Heaven Hill but aged 12 years or so. I'd like to think it is the former, the now-lost whiskey of Willett's whose distiller in the 60's Mr. Thomasson had started in the business before World War One as a lad.Anyway, Rowan's Creek is bourbon at its most refined. I don't know any branded mark today that achieves a similar palate. I am hoping our liquor board still has a few bottles in a warehouse somewhere, and will make inquiries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendaj Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Cyress,I think the gentleman you are referring to is Thompson Willett, distiller of Old Bardtown. I have a cookbook that was circulated in the 60's. </font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /> It is my view Rowan's Creek is either 1970's-distilled Willett's (and therefore older than the 12 years stated on the label), or, it is the regular Evan Williams of Heaven Hill but aged 12 years or so. I'd like to think it is the former, the now-lost whiskey of Willett's whose distiller in the 60's Mr. Thomasson had started in the business before World War One as a lad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyc Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 If I may....... Charles Thomason was Willets Distiller for 50 Years at the writing of Bluegrass Belles and Bourbon. (P142) He felt strongly enough about one thing to be Quoted in this book, and that was he felt the" Red Light" district of a town be licensed and regulated same as the whiskey industry. Don't ask me why! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendaj Posted February 8, 2003 Share Posted February 8, 2003 Bobby, I stand corrected and I'll hush-up... But, I am intrigued to hear about Bardstown's 'red light district'...what a hoot. What years are we talking about? Does it give street names? Obviously, that's one book I haven't read. Beej Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyc Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 </font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /> and I'll hush-up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 Exactly! And thanks for the response. The distiller of Willett's in the 1960's was a Charles Thomasson, and he worked for the Willett gentleman you mentioned. I know they switched to ethanol in the 70's, so maybe the whiskey in question was made, say, circa '71'72 and bottled 20 years later by Evan Kulsveen. A bit of a stretch, but possible. I say it only because the Rowan's Creek seemed unlike the "signature" of Heaven Hill.Cypress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 That's really interesting that Thomason did not drink whiskey. In the article I was referring to (included in one of the brochures distributed at the last Bourbon Festival) he did not say that. He did focus a lot on bouquet, so clearly he judged his whiskey on that basis. He showed such an in-depth understanding and feel for the art it is hard to believe he never took a drink! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyc Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 I find that hard to believe as well but it says so in that book , BTW Mike Veach says there are a lot of inacuracies in it. Don't know if this is it. The Author writes as though all this part of the book is firsthand. They also claim Bill Samuels Sr drank very little and did all his tasting with the nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurphyDawg Posted February 9, 2003 Share Posted February 9, 2003 Is Bardstown big enought to have a "red light district"?? Maybe a red light intersection. . . .TomC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendaj Posted February 10, 2003 Share Posted February 10, 2003 Cypress, Ya know, anything is possible. Damned unlikely... but possible. The reason I say this is, I knew a couple of fellas that worked at the distillery while they made ethanol. If there had been barrels of sleeping whiskey anywhere near 'em, I know these guys would have found 'em... They have stories of all kinds of equipment disappearing when the place finally shut down, none of it was Bourbon... </font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /> I say it only because the Rowan's Creek seemed unlike the "signature" of Heaven Hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted February 10, 2003 Share Posted February 10, 2003 Cypress,I tried Rowan's Creek again last evening. I had a sampler pack which included Rowan's Creek, Noah's Mill, Pure Kentucky and Kentucky Vintage. All of these were included in a Bourbon tasting that I did with friends during the summer. My recollection was that as a group we did not like RC that much.So, as I said, I tried it again last PM. I do not think it is a bad bourbon, however it seemed very one dimensional to me. I got a lot of charred oak in the aroma, as well as flavor. I kept looking for more, but that seemed to be it for me. The finish was smooth, and although it was enjoyable enough, it is not something that I would buy, as there's lots of complex, fine tasting bourbons out there that I like much more.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Well of course each of us has a different taste, I found Rowan's Creek outstanding. Then too, the fact that some posters feel it is good but not great makes me feel better because apparently there is not a bottle left in Ontario! However I continue to search.Regarding the earlier from Brenda, of course what I tasted could have been from Heaven Hill, but this Rowan's Creek just seemed so different, different even from Evan Williams which is the closest to RC in the HH range.I find the following in Sam Cecil's,"The Evolution Of The Bourbon Industry In Kentucky":"In view of the oil crisis of the 1970's, the Willetts decided to convert the distillery to a fuel alcohol plant. The conversion was completed but interest in small operations abated, and the project was dropped..... at present, Evan Kulsveen, son-in-law of Thompson (Willett) is operating a specialty bottling business in the bottling house. The four warehouses are still standing, but most of the other buildings have been razed".True, he doesn't say the whiskey bottled is (or was) Willett's. I should say though, on a number of U.K. wine merchants' lists, both Rowan's Creek and Johnny Drum are identified as coming from "Willett's Distillery".This could mean though that the whiskey was bottled there (as we know) but sourced elsewhere, so the mystery remains.I just thought, if whiskey was distilled until about '71-'73 (as appears the case), surely there was some in casks aging to ... 1986? Johnny Drum has a fifteen year old version, so it seems possible some of this stock got into that bottling and Rowan's Creek. I don't know when E. Kulsveen started bottling though. Unless he started in the mid-80's or was bottling 20 year old + whiskey in the 90's as 12 and 15 year old whiskey, I may be wrong..It is a little frustrating not to know for sure. I understand Mr. Kulsveen does not disclose the source of his products. One thing is sure, they are all very fine!Cy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ambernecter Posted February 12, 2003 Share Posted February 12, 2003 Hi guys. It may surprise you to know that I came across a bottle of this fine spirit in Manchester England about 4 years ago - at a fine wine store I frequent when I visit the family. (I live in London.)The label was authenticly "hand written" with a sketch of Rowan's Creek on it. I'd hate to tell you what I paid for it but instantly shared it with a guy who worked in the Chinese take away over the road, as my drinking buddy only likes Scotch. I remember the Bourbon was slightly cloudy and appeared the real deal to me. The proof I remember not but it was strong and full to the brim with flavour. I remember the owner of the take away moaning how sweet it was. ( What did either of us know!!)All in all a good expeience for me but I have found better since then. Believe me you have to look over here. This site is a Godsend!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendaj Posted February 15, 2003 Share Posted February 15, 2003 'Dawg,Whoohoo...I can't believe I missed this post the last time I read thru here: </font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /> Is Bardstown big enought to have a "red light district"?? Maybe a red light intersection. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CL Posted February 15, 2003 Share Posted February 15, 2003 How far is that from the Gazebo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendaj Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 oh yer bad.... Actually, it's too far to stumble, but a taxi would only be a few bucks... Beej Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CL Posted February 16, 2003 Share Posted February 16, 2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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