Bourbon for the Masses
The Straight Bourbon Truth and No BS
Pinhook Bohemian Bourbon High Proof Review
About – “The first bourbon in half a century to be distilled, aged and bottled at the legendary Old Taylor Distillery (now Castle & Key) and Pinhook’s inaugural bourbon crafted from its custom Kentucky distillate. This limited expression of 100 barrels, aged more than 34 months, was blended and proofed by Sean Josephs, Pinhook’s Co-Founder and Master Taster.” As the first release from Castle & Key this is somewhat of a milestone release. The 75% corn, 10% rye, and 15% malted barley mash bill is custom for Pinhook. Bohemian Bourbon is bottled at 114.5 proof and retails for $50.
Nose – Caramel and Nuts. It almost reminds me of the notes you get from a lot of Heaven Hill products. As it opens up the nuts shift into more of a marzipan. There is a considerable sting of ethanol as well.
Palate – Hot, hot hot!! The spice stands out strongly as Bohemian Bourbon coats the palate with an oily mouth feel. There are some faint caramel notes from the nose that are mostly hidden by the spice. There is a bit of youth in the form of green wood on the mid to back palate. The heat and the young oak carry over into a medium-long finish.
Score – D+
Verdict – As a product that I have been looking forward to for some time I am mildly disappointed by this release. The positive thing that I can say about Bohemian Bourbon is the flavor profile leaves me feeling like it does have a lot of potential to round out with more aging, but I honestly think it needs a solid 4 years more time in the barrel.
What does the sale to Sazerac mean for the Early Times Brand?
Early Times is a brand that can be dated all the way back to 1860. Just stop and think about that. In 1860 Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and South Carolina seceded from the union and formed the Confederate States of America. So to say that this brand has been around for a long time would be an understatement. They remained in production until prohibition was passed in 1918.
During prohibition only six distilleries were allowed to continue producing whiskey for medicinal purposes. Brown – Forman was one of the distilleries lucky enough to be granted the medical exemption, and in 1923 they purchased the brand and bourbon stocks from Early Times. Brown-Forman has owned the brand since that time, and has seen varying degrees of success with it. During a period in the 1950’s Early Times was actually the #1 Kentucky bourbon in the U.S.
As bourbon began to fall out of favor with consumers the Early Times brand fell by the way side and became a whiskey that was looked down on as being low quality and even lost the ability to call itself bourbon. Fast forward to 2017 and Brown-Forman released Early Times Bottled in Bond to great fanfare (read my review here), and began talking about resurrecting the storied brand.
Today it was announced that Brown-Forman has sold the early times brand to Sazerac. So what does that mean for the brand? Obviously first and foremost the whiskey in the bottle will be changing. The deal to purchase the brand most likely including some stock of what is currently being bottled as Early Times Bottled in Bond, but that stock will be exhausted and will be replaced with stock from most likely the Barton 1792 Distillery. What will this mean for quality? There is no way of really knowing. Beyond that I would imagine several brand extensions coming in the next few years. That has been Sazerac’s MO in recent years as they have expanded the 1792 and Weller lines, and plan on doing the same with the Benchmark brand this year. Barton is sitting on a stockpile of 12 year plus bourbon that they have sourcing out to people as well. It would make a lot of sense for them to use some of that stock to release a highly aged Early Times label at a premium price. All in all I would say this is a good pick up by Sazerac, and will be good for the Early Times brand in the long term. Brown-Forman has resurrected the brand from the ashes, and Sazerac has the marketing juice to really make this brand fly.
Daviess County French Oak Finish Review
About – “With a heritage dating back to 1874, Daviess County Distilling Company was one of the first great bourbon distilleries of Kentucky. It also paved the way for more than a dozen other distilleries that opened in Daviess County pre-Prohibition. Now, in honor of the county’s rich history, we are reintroducing Daviess County Bourbon to the world. Featuring a unique blend of ryed and wheated mashbills, it’s a masterpiece unmatched in both flavor and heritage.” Lux Row has relaunched the Daviess County line with 3 variants, a straight bourbon, a straight bourbon finished in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, and a straight bourbon finished in French Oak barrels. Today we review the French Oak finish, in which the base Daviess County straight bourbon has been finished for 6 months in French Oak barrels. This release is bottled at 96 proof and costs $45.
Nose – Oak, caramel, a thick creamy vanilla, with a very subtle spice on the tail end.
Palate – Very much in line with the nose. Caramel and Vanilla lead the way with a very nice creamy mouth feel. There is a pleasant oak influence serving as the backbone for the whole experience. Finish is medium-long shifting from sweet oak to a subtle spice leaving behind that creamy mouthfeel.
Score – B
Verdict – This French Oak finished bourbon is very enjoyable and dangerously easy to drink. Whereas the Cabernet finish caters to those who enjoy a bold spicy bourbon, the French Oak finish caters to those who prefer bourbons with the sweeter caramel and vanilla notes. All in all the Daviess County line offers some nice choices that should appeal to majority of the bourbon market, and all have a very affordable price tag.
Daviess County Cabernet Sauvignon Finish Review
About – “With a heritage dating back to 1874, Daviess County Distilling Company was one of the first great bourbon distilleries of Kentucky. It also paved the way for more than a dozen other distilleries that opened in Daviess County pre-Prohibition. Now, in honor of the county’s rich history, we are reintroducing Daviess County Bourbon to the world. Featuring a unique blend of ryed and wheated mashbills, it’s a masterpiece unmatched in both flavor and heritage.” Lux Row has relaunched the Daviess County line with 3 variants, a straight bourbon, a straight bourbon finished in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, and a straight bourbon finished in French Oak barrels. Today we review the Cabernet Sauvignon finish, in which the base Daviess County straight bourbon is finished for 6 months in Napa Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. This release is bottled at 96 proof and costs $45.
Nose – Rich and Spicy. Dark fruits and vanilla with a big blast of black pepper.
Palate – A deep berry note followed by the huge blast of black pepper from the nose that carries over into a long finish. When the pepper finally subsides there is a nice cola note lingering around. A drop of water tames the spice down and introduces some caramel to the profile.
Score – B
Verdict – This is a big bold pour. It drinks a bit hot out of the bottle but rounds out with a drop of water. The most surprising thing to me is the amount of spice the base bourbon picked up from the Cabernet finishing. At $45 a bottle this is a no brainer for anyone who like bold spicy bourbon.
Daviess County Straight Bourbon Review
About – “With a heritage dating back to 1874, Daviess County Distilling Company was one of the first great bourbon distilleries of Kentucky. It also paved the way for more than a dozen other distilleries that opened in Daviess County pre-Prohibition. Now, in honor of the county’s rich history, we are reintroducing Daviess County Bourbon to the world. Featuring a unique blend of ryed and wheated mashbills, it’s a masterpiece unmatched in both flavor and heritage.” Lux Row has relaunched the Daviess County line with 3 variants, a straight bourbon, a straight bourbon finished in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, and a straight bourbon finished in French Oak barrels. Today we are reviewing the straight bourbon bottled at 96 proof with an retail price of $40.
Nose – Has a soft sweetness to it with honey immediately followed by rye spice and faint peanut behind that.
Palate – The first thing that grabs my attention is a nice substantial mouthfeel coating the entire palate. On the first pass the flavors are well melded and it is hard to pull out anything specific. Digging in oak is the main influence with a cinnamon that carries through to a medium-long finish.
Score – C+
Verdict – The two mash bills really do blend together and make for an enjoyable easy drinking bourbon. It is one of those bourbons that as I sample it I keep reaching back for another pour. Nothing really jumps of the page with Daviess County Straight Bourbon, but it is well put together and serves as a very nice base for finishing.
Peerless Rye Review
About – Peerless is one of the many distilleries that have been resurrected of late. Bringing back a name that hasn’t been seen in the bourbon industry since prohibition. Cork and Carson Taylor (grandson and great grandson of the former distillery owner Henry Kraver) renovated the old distillery in Louisville, and barreled their first whiskey in March 2015. Peerless began releasing their rye at two years old, three years old, and now this rye is aged for a minimum of four years, non-chill filtered, bottled at barrel proof, and costs around $110.
Nose – Leading the way are dark honey covered cereal grains along with an interesting cherry note, vanilla, and a faint hint of dill.
Palate – Like the bourbon this is a sweet drinker lead by the honey and vanilla from the nose. The dill is much more pronounced than the nose. Rye spice jumps in on the back end leading into a finish that is joined by a caramel note that comes out of nowehere. The finish is medium in length.
Score – B
Verdict – This is a very solid rye. Has a lot of that classic dill character and rye spice that most people associate with the category. Unlike the bourbon there is no hint of youth. I have to say I am a big fan of what Peerless is doing and the whiskey they are putting out. I am really looking forward to their future.
Peerless Bourbon Review
About – Peerless is one of the many distilleries that have been resurrected of late. Bringing back a name that hasn’t been seen in the bourbon industry since prohibition. Cork and Carson Taylor (grandson and great grandson of the former distillery owner Henry Kraver) renovated the old distillery in Louisville, and barreled their first whiskey in March 2015. Fast forward to today and we have Peerless Small Batch Bourbon. Peerless is aged at least four years, non-chill filtered, bottled at barrel proof and costs around $75.
Nose – Nice and sweet. There are just layers and layers of honey covered grain with a touch of vanilla backing it up.
Palate – A bright citrus jumps out immediately, followed by vanilla, and more oak than I would expect from a four year bourbon. The honey covered grain from the nose shows up on the mid palate. The finish is on the shorter side of medium, starting with oak before moving to a strong cinnamon. There is a small touch of youth on the finish.
Score – B-
Verdict – The flavors from this strictly sweet mash bourbon are developing really nicely. In a few years when it has had time to develop more depth and complexity, I would expect Peerless to have a truly exceptional product. I commend them for taking their time and doing things the right way instead of rushing out an inferior product.
Bulleit Blender’s Select Review
About – “Limited-edition 100 proof bourbon that selectively mingles three of the ten distillates used in our flagship Bulleit Bourbon. These three distillates are each aged for a minimum of nine years. Hand-selected from more than 100 distinct liquids, this blend was painstakingly crafted by our blender Eboni Major to achieve a unique taste profile that is distinctly Bulleit in character.” This was released alongside Diageo’s Craftswomen program, looking to put more focus on women inside the spirits industry. Blender’s Select is a limited edition release and only available in select states. Retail price is around $50-$60.
Nose – A big bold bouquet of classic bourbon aromas. I am picking up caramel, vanilla, and baking spice. There is also an orange cream running throughout all of that in the background.
Palate – Very vanilla forward accompanied by cinnamon and some darker fruit flavors. The oak shows up at the beginning of the finish with a slight spice along for the ride. The finish is medium in length.
Score – B+
Verdict – Bulleit Blender’s Select went far above and beyond anything that I was expecting. It packs more of a flavor punch than anything I have had from Bulleit in the past. The price is a relative bargain in the current bourbon market, especially when considering that this is a limited edition product as well. I highly recommend picking up a bottle.
J.W. Dant Bottled in Bond Review
About – J.W. Dant Bottled in Bond is a bourbon you have probably passed by 100 times sitting by on the bottom of the shelf and you never bothered to pick it up. It is a label that has been passed around a couple of times and it currently owned and produce by Heaven Hill. It is at least 4 years old, bottled at 100 proof, and costs around $15.
Nose – Sweet corn, caramel, oak, vanilla. Simple and well balanced.
Palate – Just like the nose caramel, corn, vanilla, and a touch of peanuts. Not very complex, but enjoyable. The finish is long with mostly oak and black pepper spice.
Score – C
Verdict – This is a very middle of the road straight forward bourbon. It won’t wow you, but it won’t disappoint either. At the price point I have to recommend picking up a bottled. If nothing else it is a good cheap bottle to keep around for that friend that always wants a bourbon and Coke.
Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Rye Review
About – “After aging our award-winning spirit for four years, we place it into a second oak barrel — and wait. The new toasted staves reenergize the aging process, creating flavors full of caramel and dark vanilla and colors that radiate amber and warm chestnut. It’s a straight rye whiskey perfect for the spirit of celebration.” The base rye for this is sourced from MGP. Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Rye is available in most markets, bottled at 96.6 Proof, and retails for $59.99.
Nose – Deep toasty, sweet oak, behind that there are some stone fruits. The rye comes into focus the longer it opens up with a touch of spearmint.
Palate – Toast hits first reminiscent of a vanilla toasted marshmallow, That is followed by a lighter pear. The rye influence is there, but none of the spice you expect from a rye. Finish is medium length and is mostly toasty vanilla.
Score – B-
Verdict – All in all the flavors are nice and it is an enjoyable pour. The base rye could use a bit more time to mature and develop some more complexity. If the they used a 6 year rye for this product I think it could be really remarkable. As it stands it is good enough to warrant a bottle purchase form anyone who enjoys those toasted notes.