BOTM, 5/08: Ten High

[jeff]

With gas prices soaring and a sluggish economy, it might be time to take another look down at the bottom shelf, in search of an undervalued gem to hedge your bourbon portfolio against tough bourbo-economic times. This month we'll take a sip of Ten High.

Produced by Barton Brands, Ten High is inexpensive enough to be used as an everyday mixer, but pleasant enough to be enjoyed over a few ice cubes on a warm summer afternoon. And at less than $10 a bottle, you might be tempted to fill your tank with it, but rest assured gasoline is still cheaper, for now.

Sit and sip a little!

:893drillsergeant-thSound off:893drillsergeant-th

[snakster]

6.99 AND available in PA? I might just have something to say this month. Stay tuned.

[mozilla]

Tried my first sip of Ten High at the Bourbon Bistro, while enjoying brands that are considered far superior to it.

Having been a Barton fan for quite a while, I didn't have too many fears regarding my health and safety.....so I ordered one.

Fits right into the regluar Barton profile. Very similar to Ky Tavern if anyone has had that. From some of the posts that had likened it to paint thinner or swill, I did not expect too much from this label. I was pleasantly surprised. To my pallet and memory....it tasted much better than JB white. It was not a full flavored pour like VOB...I would say medium light body, medium on flavor and finish. It was very well rounded in its' flavor profile, which is not always found in a bottom shelfer. For the price, it could be a house pour or well bourbon in any bar around.

I feel that Barton's Ten High hits its' mark very well...inexpensive, not alot of ad. budget jacking up the price, decent flavor and packaging. What more could you ask from a bottom shelfer? Does it still rest ten ricks up, like it did with Hiram Walker?

[OldJack]

Yup- I'll be picking some up in the next few days. When I post notes, be kind. I'm an absolute noob and will more than likely write some terrible notes.

Then again, I think booze tasting is right up there with golf and sex as things you don't have to be good at to enjoy.

[dale1038]

Wow, what a coincidence...My mother in law got this bottle for me a few weeks ago for my birthday. She went to the store to try to find the worst bottle of bourbon she could as a joke. When she told the store manager she wanted something terrible he told her, "it's bourbon, it's all good.":grin:

So I popped it on my birthday and was actually quite surprised. Nothing offensive at all here. Not great either, but really easy to drink. I don't drink much bourbon at 80 proof so it was a nice change of pace. I could see this being a good mixer...my brother in law even liked it neat, and he can't drink bourbon neat, which made it all the better.

[CorvallisCracker]

I dunno about this one.

It's not the money - it's only $7.75 - it's that I've already tried several inexpensive bourbons in the last few months, hoping to find something I liked as much as BT and Weller Antique, and been disappointed in every case. The last thing I want right now is another 750 of something I have to get through.

If I see a 375 or 200 of it, maybe. Otherwise I guess I'll sit this one out.

[mozilla]

This is how Barton describes this one:

Ten High Kentucky Straight Sour Mash Bourbon Whiskey 80 proof.

Bright amber hue. Restrained grainy, woody aromas. A lean entry leads to a medium-bodied palate. Fiery, drying finish. Rather coarse, with a decided burn.

[mozilla]

Found an interesting note regarding this months bourbon.

Ten High is the 2nd highest selling KSBW in the state of Iowa. It comes in at #26 out of the top 100 selling brands of booze at 3000 cases a year. The next closest brand following is Old Crow at #55 and 1377 cases a year.

[bluesbassdad]

At last! A bottling that's available here in outback Arizona.

Come to think of it, I may have it on hand. IIRC, it's what they call a "travel pack" (i.e. plastic) bottle.

I never expected to devote my next, meager ration of bourbon to such a lowly bottling, but if you guys can drink it, so can I.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[OldJack]

Goody Goody was out of 750ml bottles- they said they've had a run in the last day or so. Maybe this forum is more popular in Dallas than we think. The 1.75 bottle was only $15.99, but I didn't want to commit to a whole handle before I tasted it. I was able to find a bottle at a near-by Centennial for $8.99 plus tax.

OK- here goes nothing.

Nose: All I get is corn, charcoal, and alcohol. Maybe that's because my nose isn't very refined yet, or maybe Ten High isn't that refined. Maybe both. In any event, the nose made me expect some serious burn.

Neat: The first rush is vanilla, followed by heat, then a very pleasant almond sensation followed by a less pleasant medicinal bitterness in the finish. If I've got to take this neat, I'd rather shoot it than sip it- and please give me a chaser.

On the rocks: The heat is mostly gone, the almond and vanilla are quite balanced, and there is a slightly floral finish. This is surprisingly enjoyable on the rocks. I wouldn't add water, though, as the soft flavors would fade in an instant.

As a mixer with cola: It just doesn't stand up to cola. It tastes less like bourbon and coke and more like aged rum and coke. Not bad- just not enough bourbon character for my liking.

Overall: I've seen some local bars use this as their well whiskey and I think it fits the bill. To me, this is a step up from Early Times but a step down from McAfee's Benchmark.

[mozilla]

I see that in Alabama you can get Ten High on closeout for a whopping $6.88/Ltr. That is very inexpensive for any KSBW...I would be tempted to fill the well slot in my bar, for a good many years, with that kind of pricing.

[PhilsFan]

Fits right into the regluar Barton profile. It was not a full flavored pour like VOB...I would say medium light body, medium on flavor and finish. It was very well rounded in its' flavor profile, which is not always found in a bottom shelfer. For the price, it could be a house pour or well bourbon in any bar around.

I like VOB a lot, and IMO it's a great value...my question is, except for the amount of Ten High you can get for the money...Is there any other advantage in buying Ten High over VOB?

-Joe

[mozilla]

I like VOB a lot, and IMO it's a great value...my question is, except for the amount of Ten High you can get for the money...Is there any other advantage in buying Ten High over VOB?

-Joe

I can't think of any :skep: ? They should be very similar from top to bottom. Their only different by VOB, being at least 6 yrs of age and that it is from one seasons distilling(assuming that it is Bib and not just 100proof). Ken Pierce will tell you that they are both batched around 80 barrels/batch. The last difference would be that he probably profiles each to a different standard. To what degree he makes them different is probably only known by a few individuals, factually. We can guess what he does by tasting and contemplating.

I would keep it around for occasions that required a low priced alternative. Otherwise, stick with the VOB Bib.

[OscarV]

I have never had Ten High, I get it confused with Early Times which I have never had either.

[drunkenjayhawk]

I like Ten High well enough, its a decent mixer. I recently quickly polished off a bottle mixing it with Ginger Ale. Its flavor seemed to go nicely with the Ginger Ale. Neat its not bad, very light and thinner than most I like due most likely to being only 80 proof maybe.

[Jazzhead]

I have an old uncracked bottle of this, from about 1990 with a faux tax stamp. Time to unscrew and savor!

I wish I had some other open Barton product to compare it with. I just buried a soldier named 1792 a couple of weeks ago, and I most definitely enjoyed Barton's premium offering. VOB is great stuff, and also long gone. Allright, it's either sink or swim, Ten High.

[sound of faux tax stamp being untorn, screwtop gently released from its moorings, and the dark yellow concoction poured into a proper snoofter.]

I like it. It's refreshing and drinkable. It has a citrus-y, grassy taste - the Lowland of low-shelf bourbons? Finally on the finish some cherry notes start to seep through. The nose is the weak point - it promises alcohol burn but in fact the stuff's quite balanced and all in all a pleasant sip.

The bottle notes this is three years old, so it would be interesting to see what aging will do for this fair spirit. I look forward to Ten High Ten being bottle of the month!

[TNbourbon]

Grabbed a current 'handle' tonight @ $13.38 after my store discount. Corn, yeast, doughy nose. Very light-bodied on the palate -- heck, it almost disappears! The yeast/doughiness shows up on the swallow, and the finish actually lingers pleasantly.

A little water added, and even the nose goes away, leaving only the slightest hint of violets. Oddly, though, the water makes the whiskey's apparent only taste note -- doughiness -- broaden a bit on the palate. But, the finish lessens both in strength and length.

Add cola (in this case, Diet Pepsi) @ about 2-1/2:1 -- not a bad simple cocktail, at all.

Nothing at all offensive about Ten High, great price, innocuous palate presence = decent well bourbon. I don't know that I'll always keep some onhand, but I won't steer away from it, either, if it suits a current need.

[sharkman]

Ten High, huh?

I gotta say, some of my favorite bourbons are the cheap ones. Don't get me wrong. I love Stagg and Weller but can't afford them for an everyday pour. So I do drink a LOT of the cheapos!

Ok... I like the TH. It does have the burn I like. The nose is light (like bigger... like Corner Creek Reserve... my favorite nose.) Get vanilla and char (wood). Get the burn upon entry and the finish is decent. Now here is the kicker. Wanna get the REAL nose of this stuff? Use a 2oz. shot glass... drink it... leave the glass sit for 5 min. and then stick your nose in it...sniff..... AWESOME!. Just like sniffing an empty barrel! Bet nobody ever told you to sniff the empty glass, huh? The alcohol goes away and leaves the true nose behind. Try this with others, you may be very surprised!

Finally impression? I'll buy another bottle when this one is gone. Got about 6 oz. to go... May need to go to the store tomorrow!

Barry

[Dr. François]

I picked up a half pint of Ten High while this weekend. I agree with others: it fits right into the Barton profile. In fact, when I drank it on the rocks, it was nearly indistinguishable from VOB 100. Of course, you have to let the 100 proofer dilute a bit more to perfectly match them, but I could tell I was drinking siblings.

Thus, I'm a big fan. You really can't beat the price.

Jeff: Thanks for picking some widely available BOTMs for us to try!

[craigthom]

I have a bottle of Ten High made in Peoria. It's my understanding that it's a better bourbon now that Barton is making it, so I'm going to leave it in the bottle for now.

[mozilla]

I have a bottle of Ten High made in Peoria. It's my understanding that it's a better bourbon now that Barton is making it, so I'm going to leave it in the bottle for now.

I also have a Hiram Walker Ten High....I would not say it is better.....just different. They are totaly different from the get-go....with the HW version being lighter and more sophisticated in the nose and front and mid pallet. The Barton version is a more traditional bourbon style with more action in the char and barrel range.

Neither is a full bodied bourbon. They are really two different ends of a bourbon flavor spectrum within the medium body range.

[mrt]

I have a bottle of Ten High and I do not prefer it neat since it causes a stomach burn. I'd prefer JBW or Early Times if I'd drink sth. neat. However, I use it as a mixer with lemonade ove ice cubes or for preparing mint julep, and this time I can enjoy.

[ggilbertva]

I have a dusty (mid 80's) of HW Ten High but it's in a 1.75L jug. Not gonna pop that open just yet. It's interesting as the bourbon, even at 80 proof, is a dark, rich color. I had another bottle that I gave away that was a much lighter color. My belief is that the bottle I have contains glut whiskey.