BOTM, 4/06: Rock Hill Farms

[jeff]

This month's BOTM is another single barrel bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery. At 100 proof this bourbon is full-bodied and bold, but with a genteel, polished refinement, complementary to the palate of a true Kentucky gentleman. The stylish decanter evokes memories of warm spring days in the rolling hills of central Kentucky, while the whiskey inside will comfort the coldest winter spell. The bourbon deserving of the title of April BOTM is:

Rock Hill Farms

Let's all gather 'round the hearth and reminisce of good times and RHF!

:893drillsergeant-thSound off:893drillsergeant-th

[NorCalBoozer]

Thats a good coincidence, I just bought my first bottle of this two days ago! looking forward to opening it.

[SBOmarc]

I have had 3 different bottles of RHF and I list it among my Top Ten for the same reasons that are stated so eloquently on this and other boards.

It has never failed to deliver. I prefer it over Blanton's for the price hands down. I am anxious to see the reactions to a fine selction as BOTM.

[doubleblank]

I like this choice Jeff. One of my favorites and the only one I got right at the tasting competition at Bettye Jo's during the last Fest. I call it Buffalo Trace on steroids.....even though they are different mashbills. Richer and a longer finish than BT....and thats a compliment for sure. Currently have a "gold chain" one open from '96.

Randy

[lifeisgood]

The discussion about WTRB caught my eye because that is what I am rubbing on tonight! (Off this week). This is my first time to talk about burbon except to my brother (fri is cig and whiskey night)! However the Rock Hill Farms would be a new one to try and assess. What is the name of it?

[TNbourbon]

The selection spurs me to remember to post this, at Ed's request (though, frankly, I don't remember why). So, here you go, Ed (pepcycle):

[lifeisgood]

The address does not work for me!

elg

[TNbourbon]

Like Randy, I have a (plastic) gold-chain bottling from '96 open (Barrel 45, dumped 9/23/96). It has a velvety vanilla-caramel nose, with little display of the proof. Caramel syrup entry, a hint of orange peel which semi-bitterness is covered up finally by some heat. Medium drying-leather finish. Traces of tobacco throughout -- I suspect you cigar smokers will enjoy this.:bandit:

This has an existential elegance to it that makes me want to don my dressing jacket, put on my slippers and prop my feet up on the ottoman while reading Sartre or Camus. Since I have no dressing jacket, I guess I'll just follow up with Pappy 20 and revisit a Harry Homewood WWII submarine thriller.

[lifeisgood]

Just finished the WTRB! Will have to look for the RHF stuff. Thanks for the info!

elg

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Ah! At last in phase with the choice of BOTM. Got myself a new bottle the other week (not opened yet, though).

I also have one of those certificates. It came enclosed with my very first bottling of RHF (the gold chain variety). That one came with a box which I haven´t got since that.

RHF is usually in my top ten so I´m really looking forward to crack this one open.

[Ambernecter]

Super choice Jeff!

This is by far the best Bourbon to have ever crossed my lips... I really don't see anything alse coming close!

Anyone who has not tried this superior drop is missing out in a big way.

I have said in other posts that while RHF has varied slightly from bottle to bottle (from my 1st bottle in 2003) every one has been the best whiskey I have ever tasted by a country mile.

Bourbon of the month on here - Bourbon of a lifetime for me!

[jburlowski]

One of the best and one of my top ten as well. Also one of the classiest looking bottles on the market. Always a delight!

[Virus_Of_Life]

Well I guess this is just the excuse I was looking for to go out and finally acquire a bottle of RHF, but it is going to have to wait a few days for a try as I just returned from Vegas and after I finally sober up I am not having another drink for at least 3 or 4 days!

All the praise has defenitely made me anxious to try it, but for the first time in a long while bourbon just doesn't sound very good right now...

[barturtle]

A great BOTM selection...hopefully I can get it down here or I'll be waiting 'till I get home in 2 weeks.

Back when I was bartending I used to have a guy come in who would always tell the server, " That bartender makes the best manhattens, just tell him I want the best and charge whatever." I always made them with RHF(and had the server ring something else to hide my secret). add some bitters, vermouth(sweet and dry), shake with a cherry, serve with a twist.

Oh, NO! My secrets out!:bigeyes:

[pepcycle]

I don't have anything with Gayhart's signature and found this fascinating.

All the Rock Hill I've ever purchased was Sans Documents.

[AJ123]

A great choice. Based on this forum, I've been wanting to try this one for awhile. I just now picked one up after lunch and looking forward to this evening.:grin:

There were three bottles on the shelf and one of them was about 15-20% down in volume. I pointed it out to the store and they said bad seal and evaporation were to blame and simply took it to the back - I was going to offer to take it for a few bucks, but didn't get the chance. Interesting... in an expensive bottle. The third one had the metal chain around the neck pulled off (it is glued on and you could see where the glue had been pulled). The one I got had no metal chain and the owner said it was a "newer" bottling and the ones with the little chain/emblem were older. Anyway, a very good looking bottle. Price here in Dallas was $43.

[bluesbassdad]

Your experience with the bad seal and evaporation loss reminds me of my own mishap with a bottle of Rock Hill Farms.

That experience taught me to inspect both the fluid level and the bottle itself before I buy.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[AJ123]

It doesn't surprise me how great this bourbon is with all the positive comments around this forum and no negative comments I can recall. Even after only one evening of tasting, this easily makes one of my favorites. [Actually the tasting quickly became drinking.]

Molasses and honey flavors abound. The delightful sweet flavor/aroma in this is about 2/3 molasses and 1/3 honey. It’s like somebody threw a shot of super premium rum in my bourbon bottle. If you told me that some of the aging of this had been done in rum casks, I wouldn’t be surprised. If I think about it hard enough, I can even detect some sugarcane flavor, but that’s after having drunk several glasses and thinking about it too much. If the wine language/analogy were applied, I’d say it’s not as dry as a WT Rare Breed (which I also like).

Mint. I do detect a tiny hint of mint. It’s not much, but it’s just one of many aromas/flavors, most of which I’m not sure I recognize or can pin down.

Oak and smokiness. There is a touch of oak and smokiness. Not too much at all. So I’m guessing that this is not aged for over 12 years???? Or maybe has several vintages mixed??? By comparison, it's not as woody as a PVWFR 20 (which I also like).

Rye. There is a nice flavor of rye mixed in, but there is absolutely no harshness at all.

There is some kind of hint of spring flowers and a hint of some kind of fruit that occurred to me at one point, but too elusive for my taste buds.

Overall, the phrase well-balanced comes to mind. There is always something interesting and pleasant in the flavor from first whiff through to the aftertaste. Because of the balance, I don't care at all to try any Bernheim wheat whiskey mixed in (a common experiment of mine). I may try a single glass with some Distiller's Masterpiece mixed in just to see what the cognac flavor does. But this whiskey is so multi dimensional and balanced that I doubt that it's a great candidate for the vatting mixes that some people on this forum like to try.

I tried it neat, on ice, cut with water, and seriously watered down after I let the ice melt. It was good in all forms.

Finding a whiskey like this is a wonderful reward for finding this forum. :bowdown:

Next step will be a few side by side glass comparions with some of my other favorites. But I'm definitely taking a day off because I had too much last night for a weeknight!

[Ambernecter]

I am very pleased to hear you enjoyed your 1st taste of this surefire winner and my all time No.1 whiskey!

I haven't ever "overdone" it on RHF but I can see how easily it COULD happen! Tasty stuff indeed!

Darn fine tasting notes as well - I will be looking for those flavours when I open my next bottle...

[Frodo]

This is by far the best Bourbon to have ever crossed my lips... I really don't see anything alse coming close!

Hi Ambernecter:

Might be interesting for you to try RHF HTH with Blanton's and see what you think. Both are single barrell expressions from Bufallo Trace, and both are roughly the same price ballpark-wise. Unfortunatly we don't get RHF up here, although vintages may bring in a limited shipment one of these days...

What I really mean is, I'd like to hear a HTH as I can't get RHF. Thought I'd better play it straight here!

[bluesbassdad]

. . . and no negative comments I can recall.

Here's one, and it comes from someone who has far more experience with bourbon than I do.

He once did a fascinating series of posts on "How to Taste Bourbon", paraphrasing.

(Where is Marvin, anyway?)

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[bluesbassdad]

I knew I'd commented on Blanton's and Rock Hill Farms in the same post on several occasions. Accordingly, I did a search on keywords: blanton's rock hill farms, with userid: bluesbassdad. The search returned an astonishing 20 posts.

I picked one of the more lucid ones for your perusal. Also note the several relevant comments among the replies.

Speaking of "astonishing", which I was earlier, one of those 20 threads contained a post from a former member here who said he would never buy another bottle of Stitzel-Weller whiskey. Incredible. Of course, he was a Blanton's lover, too. Maybe that tells me something. :grin:

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Ambernecter]

Hi Ambernecter:

Might be interesting for you to try RHF HTH with Blanton's and see what you think. Both are single barrell expressions from Bufallo Trace, and both are roughly the same price ballpark-wise. Unfortunatly we don't get RHF up here, although vintages may bring in a limited shipment one of these days...

What I really mean is, I'd like to hear a HTH as I can't get RHF. Thought I'd better play it straight here!

Hey Frodo!

I have sampled Blanton's (from the cask, Original and Gold) on numerous occasions but not ever head to head. I have always found it slightly lacking... Super marketing and packaging but the whiskey, although very good, does not quite live up to it's promise.

Blanton's also has a very dry finish that reminds me of VW 15YO - not pleasing to me at all.

RHF leaves me grinning from ear to ear and leaves Blanton's hanging it's head in floods of tears about how it was close, but no cigar!

[Frodo]

Thanks! Another whisky I'll be on the lookout for from the LCBO...

[gothbat]

Here's one, and it comes from someone who has far more experience with bourbon than I do.

I'm going to have to agree with the linked review, the flavors do not compliment one another imo. I'm not good at picking out different flavors when I taste most bourbons and this one is no exception but whatever I taste, while not bad, just tastes odd to me. I don't dislike this bourbon but of all the ones I have tried so far I would have to say that this one is among my least favorites. The fact that I am drinking it as I type this after drinking a glass of VWSR definitely isn’t helping this but these are the same feelings I had when I tried it the first time.