Bourbon

Belle Meade Bourbon Cask Strength Reserve

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Belle Meade Bourbon Cask Strength Reserve
Batch 20, Bottle 342

56.65% ABV
$55 – $75
Website
Belle Meade Bourbon Cask Strength Reserve

What the Producer Says

Belle Meade Bourbon Cask Strength Reserve is a premium full strength whiskey created to quench the growing demand for well-aged, higher proof bourbon.

We taste every barrel in our inventory and reserve the ones that taste good enough to be a Single Barrel but don’t have a high enough proof to be a Single Barrel. We batch these reserve barrels with others barrels in our inventory that raise the proof of the batch while accentuating the flavors of those reserve barrels. When blended together, these barrels of well-aged bourbon create a product that is greater than the sum of its individual parts.

Each small batch of our Reserve is comprised of just seven of these exceptional barrels.

Belle Meade Bourbon Cask Strength Reserve is a bold bourbon for those who appreciate whiskey straight from the barrel. Try it neat, on the rocks, with a splash of water, or use it to kick the flavor of your favorite cocktail up a few notches.

POINTS OF DIFFERENCE
Bottled at Cask Strength
Small batch: 7 exceptional barrels
Not Chill Filtered to retain maximum flavor
High-rye content

TASTING NOTES
While every batch is slightly different, all Belle Meade Bourbon Cask Strength Reserve is rich and full flavored. Showing vanilla, caramel, spice, and stone fruits.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Oak prominent, slightly burnt caramel with a whiff of barbecue sauce, vanilla, spice, hint of molasses with a bit of burnt popcorn, fall leaves.
Palate:  Rich and spicy with dark chocolate, nutty rye spice with walnuts, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper and oak.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with chocolate and oak.
Comments:  Another really solid bourbon – a tad hot on the nose and a bit more oak than I prefer.  Definitely a step up from Belle Meade Bourbon. Water improves it quite a bit, tamping down the rough edges and bringing some fruity notes. I’d never argue for something to be bottled at a lower proof, but for my tastes – this really shines in the 100 to 105 proof range.

Rating: Stands Out

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Belle Meade Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Belle Meade Bourbon

45.2% ABV
$40 – $50
Website
Belle Meade Bourbon

What the Producer Says

In keeping with the history of the brand and to assure that only the finest quality Bourbon is labeled Belle Meade Bourbon, we painstakingly select barrels sourced from the nation’s finest distillers. To ensure that no other Bourbon in the world tastes like Belle Meade Bourbon, we created a proprietary blend using different high-rye content mash bills and complementary yeast strains. Each batch of our well-aged proprietary blend creates the signature flavor profile that makes Belle Meade Bourbon the award-winning Bourbon of choice for the discerning whiskey drinker.

The high-rye blend of Belle Meade was designed to make it a versatile Bourbon. It shines whether served neat, with a splash, or on the rocks but it’s also outstanding in a well-made cocktail. The high rye content and 90.4 bottling proof helps Belle Meade Bourbon to stand up to mixers that often mask other Bourbons, thus making it the perfect Bourbon for your favorite classic or craft cocktail creation.

Whoever said everything old is new again was dead on. So don’t drink like your Dad. Drink like your Great Great GREAT Granddad. Drink Belle Meade Bourbon.

POINTS OF DIFFERENCE
High-rye Content (30% rye)
90.4 proof is the ideal sweet spot for depth of character
Small Batches
A proprietary blend of differing mash bills and yeast strains
Never chill-filtered to retain maximum flavor

TASTING NOTES
Nose: Maple syrup and caramel with floral fragrances and a citrus zest.
Palate: Caramel and vanilla with bold rye spice and hints of apricot.
Finish: Long, smooth finish with mellow cherry and plum notes accented by cinnamon, all without the burn found in other 90 proof bourbons.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich vanilla with salted caramel and oak, maple syrup, allspice, cinnamon, orange zest, a note of cigar paper.
Palate:  Caramel and vanilla with cinnamon, pepper spice and oak, a touch of honey and chocolate.
Finish:  Short and drying with honey, vanilla and cinnamon.
Comments:  This is a solid, atypical bourbon – high rye mash bill for sure and takes water well. While I like it, not sure I like it at $40. It comes off a tad hot on the nose considering the proof. Had a chance to participate in a virtual Q&A with Charles Nelson of Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery this May, who produces Belle Meade Bourbon (and now have products starting to hit the market from their own distillate). They’ve been very transparent that Belle Meade is sourced whiskey, and primarily from MGP. They’ve also had some whiskey distilled by Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBC) as contract distilling rather than sourcing – which means they provide the specifics of the mash bill and how they want the whiskey made rather than buying stocks. In fact, Charles stated that they were BBC’s first client. He shared that their plan was to source to start and eventually evolve into distilling 100% on their own, but they’ll evaluate as they go. It may be a blend of their own distillate and contract or sourced distillate in the future. Given the current environment with the global pandemic, business plans for many companies are up in the air.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Cabernet Sauvignon Finish

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Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finish

48% ABV
$45
Website
Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Cabernet Sauvignon Finish
We would like to thank Lux Row Distillers and Common Ground PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

A nod to the past. A sip of the future.
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.

A combination of two bourbon mashbills – a wheated and a ryed – and finished for six months in cabernet barrels for an unforgettable layer of complexity.

The Cabernet Sauvignon Finish has been rested for six months in cabernet sauvignon barrels from the Napa region in California for an additional level of complexity.

“The secondary aging in the cabernet sauvignon and French oak barrels adds a nice extra layer of flavor with a slight sweet fruitiness and oaky caramel undertones,” adds Rempe.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Honey, vanilla, and caramel
PALATE: Smoothness from the barrel finish with hints of fruit and oak
FINISH: Long, warm finish with a hint of spice

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fresh hewn oak, toasted vanilla, honey, hint of berries with wine cask and spice notes.
Palate:  Sweet with berries, orange and honey, vanilla, a bit of cinnamon and pepper.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with fruit notes and pepper.
Comments:  This is the third in the lineup I tasted, and is a bigger departure from the non-finished straight bourbon than the French Oak cask finished. Very similar on the nose to both of those, and just a touch less smooth on the palate while also not being as sharp. More fruity for sure, and also a bit more dry. I’m not a big wine drinker, so apologies there – although as there aren’t a ton of cabernet sauvignon cask finished straight bourbons on the market, if you’re a fan of that this might be in your wheelhouse.

Rating: Stands Out

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Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon – French Oak Finish

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon
French Oak Cask Finish

48% ABV
$45
Website
Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon French Oak Finish
We would like to thank Lux Row Distillers and Common Ground PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

A nod to the past. A sip of the future.
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.

A combination of two bourbon mashbills – a wheated and a ryed – and finished for six months in French oak barrels for an unforgettable layer of complexity.

The French Oak Finish has been rested in French oak barrels for six months for a hint of dry oak.

“The secondary aging in the cabernet sauvignon and French oak barrels adds a nice extra layer of flavor with a slight sweet fruitiness and oaky caramel undertones,” adds Rempe.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Honey, vanilla, and caramel
PALATE: Smoothness from the barrel finish with hints of chocolate and oak
FINISH: Long, warm finish with hints of spicy oak

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fresh hewn oak just toasted, vanilla, spongecake with subtle baking spice, honey, hint of caramel and chocolate.
Palate:  Sweet with honey, vanilla, bit of milk chocolate and more pronounced spices of allspice and nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderately long with honey and pepper spice.
Comments:  This is fairly similar to the non-finished bourbon with a bit more spice and chocolate notes (and the finish is a tad longer). Nicely done where the finish is adding something without overwhelming the bourbon, and keeping that familial profile.  Hate to provide spoilers, but this is my favorite of the three Daviess County Bourbon’s I tried, but only slightly.

Rating: Stands Out

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Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon

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Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon

48% ABV
$40
Website
Daviess County Straight Bourbon
We would like to thank Lux Row Distillers and Common Ground PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

A nod to the past. A sip of the future.
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.

A unique combination of two bourbon mashbills – a smooth wheated and a traditional ryed – for a balanced sweetness and spice.

“The combination of mash bills really sets this bourbon apart – the smooth wheated mash bill and the traditional spicy ryed mash bill come together for a balanced taste profile,” says John Rempe, Head Distiller at Lux Row Distillers.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Honey, vanilla, and caramel
PALATE: Smooth notes of honey, vanilla, and caramel
FINISH: Long, warm, sweet finish with a hint of spice

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fresh hewn oak, vanilla bean, roasted corn bread with butter and honey, subtle baking spices, a hint of caramel.
Palate:  Sweet and smooth with honey, vanilla, a hint of caramel corn followed by a touch of allspice and gentle pepper.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with honey and soft spice.
Comments:  This is a pretty nice bourbon. Appreciate it being bottled at 96 proof, although it drinks like a lower proof bourbon to me. Nice balance, and definitely softer than a typical rye-mashbill bourbon, but a bit more spice than a typical wheater. Lux Row Distillery hasn’t been distilling long enough to have a no-age statement straight bourbon (and to be clear, their label doesn’t try to claim that in any way). I inquired if they would share who distilled this particular product, and their response was as follows:  Yes, this is sourced bourbon as the Lux Row Distillers distillate is still resting comfortably in their barrels. We have many relationships in the bourbon industry that have been great partners over the years. There is nothing wrong with sourced bourbon, and if I had to guess, the distillate came Heaven Hill (who make some pretty damn good whiskey).  All that said, other than striking a solid balance between wheater and rye, this one didn’t leave a memorable impression.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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