Pure Kentucky?

[brian12069]

Anyone ever heard of or tried Pure Kentucky? I'm in upstate NY and had never seen it before. It is a 107 proof 15 year, comes in a nice velvet bag and it is absolutely DELICIOUS!

[wadewood]

This is from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd. It is listed in their small batch collection.

[ratcheer]

I saw it when I was shopping in Atlanta a few years ago, but I passed it up because of the high price (I think it was $50). It looked good, though.

Tim

[brian12069]

This was like $26.00...

[robbyvirus]

I picked up a bottle of this last summer when I went through Kentucky. I like it a lot...it's very tasty, and a bit woody, which I like. I think I paid about $26 for it, and it's well worth it. I've never seen it outside of Kentucky.

[brian12069]

My friend owns a liquor store so I'm able to get a lot of neat things. I saw it in one of his catalogs and and to try it because I had never heard of it.

[drew_kulsveen]

Pure Kentucky is not 15 years old, but rather a blend of 10-12YR Bourbon. If the retailer is asking $50.00 a bottle, I probably would never step foot in that store again. A reasonable price would range from $30-35. It is an excellent bourbon, a true small batch, and it also won a Double Gold at the San Francisco Spirits Competition this year.

[brian12069]

Says right on the back...handmade in 1988 bottled in 2003...thats 15 years my friend

[TNbourbon]

Well, Drew's family bottled it, so...

Plus, bourbon doesn't always remain barreled between distilling and bottling dates. So, if a bourbon distilled in 1988, for example, is transferred from barrels to stainless steel tanks -- as Julian has done with his rye -- in 1998 or 2000, it would be between 10 and 12 years old forever, regardless of when it was later bottled.

[ratcheer]

Maybe I am mis-remembering the price. It was about three years ago or maybe even four.

Tim

[ratcheer]

If it was bottled in 2003, then I couldn't have seen it three or four years ago. Maybe I am completely mis-remembering it!

Tim

[drew_kulsveen]

We don't store our whiskey in stainless especially in such a small batch of 5-10 barrels.

[Virus_Of_Life]

OK, hope I don't get in trouble for posting in such an old thread but I just came across one of those deals I couldn't refuse. This place I was in today is apparently trying to clear out there Pure Kentucky XO and have it marked down to $15.99, needless to say I COULD NOT pass up one and probably should have bought them all I know it's typically a ~$26 bourbon.

So I have searched and searched and really cannot find much info on this, I don't plan to open it for a while, other than a one person who liked it very much (Brian12069). That was a while ago so I am hoping to somewhat revive this dead thread, you like that rhyme? and get some further info.

Thanks!

[brian12069]

You got a good deal!

[robbyvirus]

I've started seeing Pure Kentucky out here in California recently at BevMo. Before that I'd only seen it in Kentucky, so maybe they're going for a wider distribution. I enjoy this bourbon quite a lot...definitely a no-brainer if you can get it for $15.99!!

[BourbonJoe]

I know in one of our very early bourbon tastings, Pure Kentucky XO, 11 y/o, 107 Proof won against Sam Houston and Old Charter Proprieters Reserve.

[photogjunkie]

Funny this thread should appear. I was in Houston this weekend and stopped in at Spec's to pick up some Buffalo Trace which is not available in the Austin market. While I was there, I also grabbed a bottle of the Pure Kentucky XO which I had heard about, but never tried. The price was fair at $26.00 and my bottle says the pour was put in oak in July 1992 and bottled in December 2005. Haven't opened it yet, but it is in line.

[Virus_Of_Life]

Yeah that is why I was asking, I will not get around to opening it for a while either. I wanted to know, and think I do now, if I should go get the other 2 at that good of a price, I'll get over there this weekend - I just wonder if they'll mark it down even further in the next few weeks if it sits there...

[Sijan]

I tried all four of the small batch boutique collection bourbons at WhiskyFestNY a couple years ago and Pure Kentucky and Noah's Mill were my two favorites of the lot.

Curious what others think of Pure Kentucky if they've had a chance to try it since acquisition...?

[cowdery]

I don't know if there is a Pure Kentucky other than the Pure Kentucky XO, but I find the Pure Kentucky XO to be over-the-hill wood-wise, just too much.

[photogjunkie]

Opened and finished my bottle of Pure Kentucky XO about a month or so ago. Very hearty and full-bodied, and over the top in oak. Maybe a year or two less time in the barrel would have improved the pour, but all in all, it is what it is...and that is some pretty good 107 proof bourbon.

[Virus_Of_Life]

I suspect this is one that varies greatly depending on the batch as I have one opened that is not in the least woody to me. My last ETL and RHF were so woody by comparison that I felt I was chewing on a bourbon soaked 2x8! And I am no beaver, even though I come from the beaver state...

Anyway I have the one open PK XO that I enjoy quite a bit and another from a different batch that has not been opened yet. IIRC the ages on the two are different.

[Sijan]

I suspect this is one that varies greatly depending on the batch as I have one opened that is not in the least woody to me.

You may be right. I don't recall noticing any strong woodiness in my taste of Pure Kentucky, and I'm generally pretty sensitive to that sort of thing. Of course, I'd also had quite a bit of bourbon by that point in the night, so my taste buds were probably not in the best shape ever.

[cowdery]

I suspect this is one that varies greatly depending on the batch ...

Without question that is the case, as the producer of Pure Kentucky XO is a bottler but not a distiller who is at the mercy of his bulk whiskey suppliers. This difficulty maintaining consistency from batch to batch is one of the many reasons I don't have much interest in these non-distiller bottlings.

[Virus_Of_Life]

This difficulty maintaining consistency from batch to batch is one of the many reasons I don't have much interest in these non-distiller bottlings.

Good point Chuck and further reason I don't really understand the distiller selling bulk whiskey to others to be bottled under a different name...