Bourbon for the Masses
The Straight Bourbon Truth and No BS
Cream of Kentucky 12.3 Year Old Review
About – “The Cream of Kentucky brand was originally introduced in 1888 by I. Trager & Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Just prior to the end of Prohibition, the brand was acquired by the famed Schenley Company and subsequently re-introduced in 1934. Through the 1930s and 1940s Cream of Kentucky grew to become one of the leading bourbon brands, with renowned artist Norman Rockwell provided much of the award winning artwork for the brand during its heyday. Cream of Kentucky is now owned by J.W. Rutledge, and Jim has recently purchased a limited supply of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey he feels is worthy of the rebirth of Cream of Kentucky Bourbon as a premium whiskey.” This is the brand started by Jim Rutledge former Four Roses master distiller. 12.3 Year old is the third release of Cream of Kentucky. It is bottled at 102 Proof and costs around $129.
Nose – The nose is fairly complex and carries a lot of traditional bourbon notes caramel, leather, honey, oak, vanilla, and are all blended very well together.
Palate – Sweet and buttery coating the entire mouth very nicely with baking spice and vanilla coming in along with a strong oak influence. The finish is on the longer side of medium starting as bitter oak before moving to baking spice. There is a slight tend of something vegetal on the back end.
Score – B-
Verdict – It is a good whiskey, but there isn’t anything that really jumps out to me. Would have scored slightly higher without the vegetal note on the back end. That is just something I don’t find appealing. I don’t feel bad about the price paid for this bottle, but don’t see myself grabbing another or likely grabbing future releases without tasting them first.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (A120) Review
About – “Each batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is an uncut Small Batch of 12-year-old Bourbon bottled straight from the barrel. The variance in proof from batch to batch presents a unique opportunity to explore the impact of the angel’s share and the resulting proof in a small batch of barrels.” Batch A120 is the first batch to be released in 2020, clocking in at 136.6 proof. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a limited release with an srp of around $60.
Nose – The first thing that comes across is a big whiff of roasted peanuts, like you just opened a fresh jar. That peanut is accompanied by a caramel, vanilla, and baking spice. This really comes a cross as the classic bourbon nose turned up to 10.
Palate – An absolute caramel and brown sugar bomb. Those flavors are quickly followed by a big blast of baking spice. Bitter oak tannin comes in drying the mouth and giving everything a nice balance. The finish is long starting with oak and shifting to a spicy butterscotch.
Score – A-
Verdict – Batch A120 is an excellent example of taking the classic bourbon flavors and aromas and turning them up a notch. This is the best batch of ECBP in recent memory. Definitely better than any batch from 2019. If these are still on the shelf around you buy it before it is gone.
Chattanooga Whiskey Cask 111 Review
About – Handcrafted from a single fermentation in small batches, Chattanooga Whiskey 111 Cask is the unfiltered, barrel strength expression of our signature Tennessee High Malt. By omitting the traditional filtration process, Cask 111 is able to retain every bit of flavor and complexity from the rich ingredients and long maturation process. Chattanooga Cask 111 carries an age statement of greater than 2 years and costs around $40.
Nose – Sweet butterscotch and what reminds me of rum raisin or fruit cake. A malty backbone that gives it a unique nose profile.
Palate – Very sweet. I am just being hit with loads of caramel, butterscotch, and honey. The raising from the noses is here along with vanilla. A quick blast of cinnamon / nutmeg spice at the beginning of a long finish that turns sweet and leaves the tongue tingling.
Score – B+
Verdict – I really didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. It is a fairly local product to me, and I have passed it over on numerous occasions. It is for sure a dessert whiskey. I would go as far to call it decadently sweet, but somehow not out of balance. Despite the low age statement I don’t really get any indication of youth. Tasting blind there is no way I would guess how young it is. Do yourself a favor and go buy a bottle.
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Review
About – “At 17 years-old and hand-selected by Master Distiller Eddie Russell for its perfectly balanced flavor, Master’s Keep is the longest-aged whiskey released by Wild Turkey in the United States. Aged in both brick and wood rickhouses and at 86.8 proof, it starts out smooth and silky, transforms into a caramel, vanilla sweetness, and finishes with savory spiciness and oak.” This is the first release in the Master’s Keep series and it is bottled at barrel proof. Yes it came out of the barrel at 86.8 Proof. Master’s keep was originally released at $150.
Nose – Strong oak influence and a good bit of old funky musk. Kind of hard for me to get beyond the funky oak, but there is some dark honey behind there.
Palate – The first thing I pick up is that familiar honey covered grain that I associate with Wild Turkey. The rye influence is fairly prominent. You can taste the oak influence throughout with a touch of leather and a bit of musk from the nose. The finish is long and heavy on the rye.
Score – B+
Verdict – A very unique experience for bourbon and one that I really enjoy. I have long said that the Master’s Keep series is underrated as far as limited releases go. It isn’t every day that you get a 17 year old barrel proof product, and even more unique that you get an 86.6 barrel proof product. These are probably gone from most shelves, but if you see it at a bar it is worth the price of a pour for the unique experience.
Sazerac Rye Review
About – “The One and Only New Orleans Original. Sazerac Rye Whiskey symbolizes the tradition and history of New Orleans. Rye Whiskey that dates back to the 1800’s, around the time when saloons, veiled as Coffee Houses, began lining the streets of New Orleans. It was at the Sazerac Coffee House on Royal Street where local patrons were served toddies made with Rye Whiskey and Peychaud’s Bitters. The libation became known as the “Sazerac” and America’s first branded cocktail was born. This is the whiskey that started it all.” Sazerac is bottled at 90 proof and costs around $30.
Nose – Apricot blended with rye spice. Also in there are citrus, vanilla, and touch of peppermint.
Palate – Surprisingly floral. Traditional caramel and vanilla show up nicely along raisin and the apricot from the nose. Rye spices makes a quick appearance and the beginning the finish before shifting into more of a dark fruit. Finish is on the shorter side of medium.
Score – B
Verdict – A well composed classic rye whiskey. Hits the sweet and spicy notes very well. There is a reason it is considered a classic in the genre. This is one that everyone should try at some point.
The Clover Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review
About – The Clover is part of a larger collection of whiskeys named the Bobby Jones Clover Collection. Up until recently The Clover had only been available at select golf resorts around the U.S., but is now being released slowly into retail stores. The collection is made of a Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and a Straight Rye Whiskey. Today we are reviewing the Straight Bourbon Whiskey which is sourced from MGP. This is a Single Barrel release aged 4 years, bottled at 92 proof, and carries a retail price of $40.
Nose – Very floral with vanilla and dark honey. There is a bit of orange peel lingering around as well.
Palate – It is sweet and on the lighter side. The orange peel form the nose serves as the back bone for this bourbon and is accompanied by vanilla and a light honey. The finish is medium with honey covered grain and nutmeg shifting into a light oak.
Score – B-
Verdict – I will start by saying as a golfer I am a big fan of both the branding and the packaging of this product. The bourbon itself was a pleasant surprise. It is on the lighter side, but not lacking in flavor. It meets the bill of being a good clean spring / summer sipper. I could easily see this being enjoyed on the golf course. With a price point of $40 this is a winner. I recommend picking up a bottle if you come across it.
Old Forester Rye Review
About – “A historic recipe, acquired in 1940 by Owsley Brown I, Old Forester Rye features a mash bill of 65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, and 15% Corn. Such a high proportion of barley allows for a fully natural fermentation process, forgoing the need for artificial enzymes commonly found in high rye mash bills. Additionally, a generous percentage of malt yields a unique floral character, balancing the sharp, brisk spice of the rye grain. Continuing our legacy of quality and consistency, Old Forester uses its own proprietary yeast strain, produces every barrel, and distills every drop.” Old Forester Rye was released last year to much fanfare, and the price was a big reason for that. OF Rye is bottled at 100 Proof and costs around $20.
Nose – The rye spice jumps out first followed by honey. The rye spice fades into rye grain as it opens up with a touch of green apple on the back end.
Palate – BANANA. Wow this has a serious banana note. Not a fresh banana but more reminiscent of banana runts. Rye spice moves in on the mid palate and eventually gives way to baking spice. Banana is the predominant on the medium length finish along with baking spice.
Score – B
Verdict – Very interesting flavor profile. I can’t recall a time that banana was the predominant note that I got from a whiskey. When you put this on ice the banana becomes even stronger. It is a pleasant profile, but because of it being so unique I can’t see myself making this a daily drinker. OF Rye is a tasty rye at an even tastier price point. There is no reason why you shouldn’t stock this in your bar.
Wild Turkey Longbranch Review
About – “8 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon made in small batches and refined with Texas Mesquite and American Oak charcoals. This unique process results in an extraordinarily balanced and smooth sipping whiskey with subtle hints of smoky sweetness.” If you haven’t heard by now this bourbon was crafted as a collaboration between Eddie Russell and Matthew McConaughey, and according to all reports Mcconaughey was very involved in the process. This isn’t just a product with a celebrity name tacked on. Longbranch is available nationwide, bottled at 86 proof and retails for $40.
Nose – It has the typical Turkey calling card of honey covered grain with a slightly smokey backbone running through it, and a bit of pear poking through.
Palate – Interesting… the first thing that comes across for me is apricot and very nice oak character. The longer that it sits on the tongue the smoke from the nose begins to come through. The finish is all oak and smoke and on the short side.
Score – C
Verdict – Underwhelming is the best descriptor for Longbranch. It does have a few unique flavors for a product in the Wild Turkey line, but they come across too lightly. If this was a 100 proof product I get the feeling that it would be a bold and flavorful pour. I assume with the celebrity name it has been proofed down to please the masses. While I do understand that strategy, it doesn’t work for me.
Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel Review
About – “Aged in charred oak barrels for 10 years, this bourbon boasts a unique flavor profile specific to each batch. It’s one-of-a-kind, just like the rebels who drink it.” Rebel Yell is a product of Luxco. The current bottling have been distilled by Heaven Hill, but are custom mashbills for Luxco (Rebel Yell is a wheated mashbill). As the name state this is a single barrel bourbon aged for 10 years. It is semi-allocated, released several times per year, bottled at 100 proof and retails for $60.
Nose – The first thing that jumps out to me is oak. This is obviously well aged. Behind the oak is butterscotch. You can smell that sweetness straight from the bottle as soon as you pop the cork. There is also a bit of baking spice and everything rests on a background of roasted nuts.
Palate – The butterscotch from the nose really stands at the forefront along with those roasted nuts, and a nice presence of vanilla and baking spice. The finish is medium length starting out as butterscotch and moving towards cinnamon and oak.
Score – A
Verdict – Fantastic! Really enjoy the flavor profile it is almost reminiscent of a nice baked good that you would eat for breakfast. As far as wheaters go Rebel Yell holds its own with the Weller line. I recommend buying a bottle if you come across it.
Willett Family Estate Bottled 4 Year Rye Review
About – As with most Willett offerings there isn’t a ton of backstory to be found with this one. It was first released a few years ago as a 3 year and has now been bumped up to 4 years. Every batch is released at barrel proof, and are somewhat allocated. I have seen it priced anywhere from $42-$80.
Nose – Cherry and dill are very prominent and drown everything else out initially. The longer it sits the more cherry I pick up. As it opens up it really smells like cherry and fresh baked rye bread.
Palate – Sharp hit of dill followed by a blast of rye spice. Cinnamon and vanilla dance in and out throughout the palate. Not very much heat give the higher proof. The finish is along fading from cherry to oak and it slightly dry at the end.
Score – B+
Verdict – This is a bottle I have passed on many times and now feel foolish for doing so. Unbelievable complexity and depth for a 4 year old whiskey. It has an interesting flavor profile, and is actually a good value as well. I highly recommend buying a bottle.