Bourbon for the Masses
The Straight Bourbon Truth and No BS
Traverse City North Coast Rye Review
About – “This unique blend of two mash bills: 100% rye and 95% rye and 5% malted barley is barreled at 120 proof and bottled an 90 proof. This rye whiskey has a minimum age statement of three years and is the company’s newest addition to the whiskey line-up” This rye bares no age statement but is reported to come in at 3 years old. I can’t say for sure, but with the age I would assume that neither of the rye whiskeys use for this product are sourced. It is priced at $40.
Nose – Bright lemony citrus. I keep digging and there is a small touch of stone fruit behind that, but the lemon really carries the nose.
Palate – The lemon for the nose is leading the way into the palate as well. The rye is more prominent than on the nose showing up here as a light rye bread with a little bit of rye spice. The medium length finish is mostly rye grain
Score – C
Verdict – The flavors are enjoyable but light. There is nothing wrong with this whiskey it is really just lacking the maturity and depth that comes with time spent in oak. The lack of oak does make for a unique experience however allowing those bright lemon notes that would typically be overpowered by the oak shine through. Traverse City is doing things the right way and it shows with their product. All of the signs are there to indicate that they will be putting out some really good whiskey down the road when it has had time to mature.
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17 Year Bottled in Bond Review
About – Master’s Keep 17 Year Old Bottled in Bond is the 5th release in the annual Master’s Keep Series. It matches the age of the original 17 year old release, but is much different. The original 17 year spent time aging in brick warehouses and on lower floors resulting in a barrel proof release at a very low 86.6 proof. This release is much more in line with Wild Turkey’s traditional aging process and as a bottled in bond bourbon is bottled at 100 proof. Master’s Keep 17 Year Old Bottled is a limited release with only 14,400 bottles being produced and is priced at $175.
Nose – Caramel, oak, and leather are the first things I notice. The nose is very dense and has the musty funk that comes with a really well aged bourbon. As it opens up more sweetness starts to come through. It is most reminiscent of vanilla pipe tobacco. The longer I allow it to open up a very prominent black cherry note begins to dominate the nose. There is a lot going on here and it is all enjoyable.
Palate – Incredibly complex. I get something new on every sip I take. Vanilla leads the way along with the cherry from the palate, and what sounds odd to say, but buttery oak. The spice comes with a variety of black pepper, clove, and ginger. On the back palate some pear starts to come through along with the spice leading into a medium length finish that moves from pear and spice to antique leather.
Score – A+
Verdict – This is truly a masterpiece. It is a really tricky thing to age a bourbon this long and still maintain the balance that is present here. The oak plays a strong influence, as you would expect from a 17 year old bourbon, but it is still balanced out by the sweet vanilla and cherry. This is one of the most complex bourbons that I can ever recall tasting. It is a true experience, and something that you need to sit down and take your time to appreciate. Don’t second guess purchasing this bottle because of the price. It is the rare bourbon experience that stands up to a high cost of entry. A true experience to be relished.
New Riff Backsetter Rye Review
About – “The New Riff Backsetter® series offers profound evidence for the impact of the sour mash process on whiskey flavor. We are firmly committed to the production of sour mash whiskeys, according to Kentucky tradition; yet we are also committed to creating a new riff. For this release, we have used backset from peated malted barley in the mashing of our standard Bourbon and Rye recipe. The resultant smoky flavor is hauntingly unique, with layers of peat enveloping creamy-spicy Bourbon and Rye, respectively.” Backsetter is an exclusive release for the New Riff Whiskey Club. It is aged for 4 years, bottled at 100 proof, and costs $50.
Nose – The peat plays incredibly well with the rye. It comes through as a really nice balance of smoke and spice. There is some blueberry sweetness hiding behind all of that as well. Very nice nose.
Palate – Right away you get a fresh baked rye bread that is layered with lemon and blueberry. There is a subtle smokiness running behind all of that leading into a long finish that is all smoke and rye spice.
Score – B+
Verdict – This is just damn good. The Backsetter Bourbon was enjoyable, but the play between the peat smoke and rye spice just kicks this up to another level. The sweet lemon and blueberry adds a nice brightness that balances out the dark smoky essence you get from the peat. This has to be on my shortlist of contenders for rye of the year.
Budget Bourbon Battle Giveaway on Discord
Starting Monday July 27th at 10PM ET I will be kicking off a weekly video series aimed at finding the ultimate budget bourbon. 16 bottles all under $20 will square off in a march madness style tournament until only one is left standing. To go along with the video series I am doing a giveaway for members of my Discord community. Join my Discord by going to this link. Once you have joined to to the bracket-contest channel, fill out the pdf that is posted, and message it to me. The winner will receive a sample of each of the 16 bourbons in the tournament.
New Riff Backsetter Bourbon Review
About – “The New Riff Backsetter® series offers profound evidence for the impact of the sour mash process on whiskey flavor. We are firmly committed to the production of sour mash whiskeys, according to Kentucky tradition; yet we are also committed to creating a new riff. For this release, we have used backset from peated malted barley in the mashing of our standard Bourbon and Rye recipe. The resultant smoky flavor is hauntingly unique, with layers of peat enveloping creamy-spicy Bourbon and Rye, respectively.” Backsetter is an exclusive release for the New Riff Whiskey Club. It is aged for 4 years, bottled at 100 proof, and costs $50.
Nose – Caramel and citrus lead the way. The peat is there but it is fairly light and dances in and out of the nose. If anything it boosts the bourbon notes.
Palate – Very nice velvety mouthfeel that coats the entire palate. The smoky peat is more evident on the palate giving the experience a darker note than other New Riff bourbon I have had. Caramel gives way to baking spicy leading to a long lightly smoky finish.
Score – B-
Verdict – I like this more than I though I would. The peat plays well with the bourbon profile. The darker, smoky peat notes lift the bright citrus notes of the bourbon. Would I reach for this every day? No, but it does fill a hole I didn’t know collection had. New Riff continues to push the edge of innovation, and as is becoming the norm for them have put out another interesting, high quality release.
New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon Review
About – “A unique, first-of-its-kind bourbon. Beer Barrel Bourbon is aged in new American oak barrels before finishing in our legendary Dragon’s Milk barrels. The Dragon’s Milk barrels provide a softer, more rounded flavor with notes of vanilla and smooth dark malts.” There is no age statement on this product. It is bottled at 80 proof and costs around $35.
Nose – The Dragon’s Milk aging is very evident and surprisingly after 6 months of finishing it all but drowns out the bourbon. There is some caramel and vanilla but they come across as coming form the beer more than the whiskey. Overall it is a pleasant nose.
Palate – Very thing and lacking any real flavor on the palate. The finish heads in a different direction though. It is not very pleasant to say the least.
Score – F
Verdict – The nose is fairly enjoyable, but that is all this bourbon has going for it. The idea of finishing it in the Dragon’s Milk barrels is a worthwhile endeavor, but the low quality of the bourbon sends it off the rails. This would probably be a good product if they just sourced a decent bourbon to use. New Holland themselves should stick to making beer.
George Dickel Bottled in Bond (2020) Review
About – Geroge Dickel Bottled in Bond is back with a new release for 2020 and it has seen a couple of changes from last year’s release that took home my bourbon of the year award. This release is aged 11 years, down 2 years from last year, but still a solid age statement. The bottle now features and aged statement on the side so no need to do the math to figure that out this year, and lastly the price has increased slightly from around $32 to $40.
Nose – A dark dense caramel leads the way along with cocoa powder. There is a touch of toasted notes and sweet corn hiding behind that. The typical Dickel notes are there if you dig, but they have been supplanted on the nose with a really nice and dense dessert note.
Palate – Strong milk chocolate hits the tongue first. A nice spicy cinnamon follows behind that creating a nice Mexican hot chocolate vibe. Some bitter oak comes through that leads into a medium length finish that flashes trademark Dickel minerality before fading back to oak and chocolate.
Score – B+
Verdict – Another excellent release. The release last year was fairly divisive to say the least. This release is much more middle of the road and will be much more approachable to those who are not accustomed to the uniqueness of Tennessee Whiskey. I would rate this slightly lower than last year’s 13 year old release. The flavors are enjoyable it just doesn’t have the same depth in the finish. At $40 this is still an excellent bargain as many sourced Dickel products in the same age range sell for $100 or more. I highly recommend everyone grabbing a bottle.
Evan Williams Black Label Review
About – “Named after Evan Williams, who opened Kentucky’s First Distillery along the banks of the Ohio River in 1783, it’s aged far longer than required by law. The result is a Bourbon that’s smooth, rich, and easy to enjoy.” Evan Williams Black Label is one of the most recognized bourbon labels out there, and has been one of the highest selling bourbons in the U.S. for a long time. Produced by Heaven Hill Evan Williams Black is 86 proof and will set your wallet back around $13.
Nose – Classic bourbon notes, caramel leads the way with a dense vanilla following behind that. As it opens up sweet corn starts to come on and behind it all is a nice layer of oak.
Palate – Much like the nose this is classic bourbon through and through. The sweet corn and caramel from the nose combine with that dense vanilla that is closer to an artificial vanilla flavoring. There is a touch of spice that leads into a medium finish that transitions from barrel spice into nuts and more sweet corn. There is the slightest touch of youth at the end which would have to be expected with something in this price point.
Score – C+
Verdict – A lot of those people who mixed this with Coke in college are now coming back to Evan Williams Black Label and finding that it does have an enjoyable experience to offer on its own. It has all of those classic flavors that an entry level bourbon should have. There are some minor flaws, but overall it offers a good bourbon experience at a very low price. It is one of my go to bourbons for tailgating or hanging around with friends, and I always keep a bottle on hand for people who want to drink bourbon and Coke.