Bourbon

Old Bardstown Estate Bottled

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Bardstown Estate Bottled
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50.5% ABV
$30 – $35
Website
Old Bardstown Estate Bottled

What the Producer Says

Small Batch – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
tasting notes
Nose is sweet, herbal, citrus. The palate is herbaceous, sweet fruit, vanilla, on a layer of oak and earthiness that goes on like a champion marathon runner.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Musty oak with vanilla, cinnamon, hint of anise and fall leaves.
Palate:  Starts sweet with caramel sauce, vanilla cream frosting and walnuts; sharpens with a cinnamon bite, white pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and a bit of clove with oak throughout.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with a lingering vanilla frosting and baking spices.
Comments:  This isn’t ‘Willett’ distillate (at this time), and is a decent enough 101 proof bourbon. Non-age stated, but that musty oakiness is typical of some older whiskey – along with the sharper palate. Not overoaked, but a health dose of wood if you like that sorta thing.

Rating: Stands Out

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William Heavenhill Single Barrel

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William Heavenhill Single Barrel

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 14 Years
57.5% ABV
$250
Website
William Heavenhill 14 Yr Single Barrel

What the Distillery Says

Nothing unfortunately (no mention of it on their website).
This particular William Heavenhill single barrel was offered at the Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, KY. During a visit, my dad and I had a chance to try it as part of a tasting, and he liked it well enough to buy one (and was generous enough to provide me a sample to review!)
Additional details from the bottle include:
Barrel 24
Barreled: 2/6/2003; Bottled: 7/11/2017

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich salted caramel, fudge, charred oak, vanilla bean, a slight tannic, smokey, sulfur note, subtle cinnamon with hints of anise and clove.
Palate:  Thick and creamy mouthfeel, nutty dark chocolate with bits of caramel, black cherries, dates, oak and pepper spice; a tad hot.
Finish:  Long and drying with oak and pepper spice.
Comments:  This is a bit more oak prominent than I prefer, but not overly oaked. I remember loving this when tasting it in Bardstown (although not enough to buy a bottle). I struggled with what felt to me like a very good single barrel version of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof w/ 2 more years – at triple the cost (or more). So I didn’t buy one, but remember thinking it was delicious all the same. I was disappointed to not love it nearly as much when I sat down on three different occasions to make tasting notes (I suspect something with my sample, although not sure what – who knows).  It takes water well, maintaining that lovely mouthfeel and tamping the hotness enough.

Rating: Stands Out

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Blanton’s Gold

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Blanton’s Gold

51.5% ABV
$70-$90
Website
Blanton's Gold

What the Distillery Says

Blanton’s Gold Edition was created for discerning bourbon aficionados who appreciate exceptional smoothness and complexity in their bourbon whiskey. The nose is first marked by spicy rye and tobacco notes. Caramel and honey follow soon after, mingled with dark fruit and citrus notes. The palate emulates the same complex nose with rye, tobacco, and honey at the forefront. Round and bold notes of charred oak and vanilla carry you through to an extremely long and harmonious finish. This bourbon consistently delivers on balance and character, on par with the world’s finest whiskey. Best served neat or with a splash of water. Bottled at 51.5% alcohol by volume.

*Not available in the United States. Only available in select international markets.

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich sweetness, brown sugar, oak, toffee, vanilla, cinnamon, dark chocolate, hints of dark cherries.
Palate:  Sweet and thick, salted caramel, vanilla, notes of chocolate with cinnamon and a hint of . . . root beer?
Finish:  Moderately long with trailing notes of chocolate, root beer, and pepper.
Comments:  Delicious bourbon, wish this was available here in the United States. Takes water well, bringing out a little blood orange. The ‘root beer’ notes were a pleasant surprise (don’t get that often!) As a single barrel, maybe this one was really unique – I don’t know. While it is delicious, it isn’t always easy to get in those international markets where it is offered (so I might buy it on-sight just because you might not get another chance). A cut above Blantons, although not sure it is the cut that the price (and scarcity) would have you believe.

Rating: Must Try

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Heaven Hill Select Stock Bourbon SB.com Pick 2

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Heaven Hill Select Stock Bourbon
StraightBourbon.com Second Barrel Pick

62.3% ABV
$75
Website
Heaven Hill Select Stock

What the Bottle Says

(Why the bottle? Well, this isn’t mentioned on Heaven Hill’s web-site. The “Select Stock” label is something they’ve used for some one-off barrels (like these) or for limited gift shop releases. This is the 2nd private pick by Straightbourbon.com under this label)
Barrel Serial No: 00004828
Lot ID: 03I24A
Rickhouse/Floor: J-6 | Rack/Tier: 0-0
Special Characteristics: 8 year old Wheated Bourbon Finished in Cognac barrels for 27 months
Bottle 176 of 426
Distillation Date: 9/24/2003
Bottled Date: 5/2/2014

Hand Selected for StraightBourbon.com to raise funds for the Parker Beam Promise of Hope Fund and fight against ALS.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Damn near the same as the first barrel pick, heavy vanilla, caramel, nice oak with a bit more of the dark cherries, a slight floral note along with some chocolate orange in the back.
Palate:  Very similar, warm, thick and sweet, a bit more velvety mouthfeel, caramel fudge with loads of vanilla, black cherry with a little more cinnamon and nutmeg (maybe a hint of clove), freshly cracked pepper.
Finish:  Long, slightly drying with cinnamon more prominent.
Comments:  Tasting this side by side with the first barrel pick, they are incredibly similar.  I had already opened my bottle from the first barrel when the opportunity for this one came around, and I signed up for basically as many as I could get.  Spending an extra 8 months in the cognac barrel – I thought there was a chance that it might be more heavy handed.  Not the case, at least for my palate.  The differences are very subtle and nuanced.  Again – not likely you’ll ever see this, but if you do – highly recommend trying it!

Rating: Must Buy

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Heaven Hill Select Stock Bourbon SB.com Pick 1

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Heaven Hill Select Stock Bourbon
StraightBourbon.com First Barrel Pick

63.8% ABV
$75
Website
Heaven Hill Select Stock

What the Bottle Says

(Why the bottle? Well, this isn’t mentioned on Heaven Hill’s web-site. The “Select Stock” label is something they’ve used for some one-off barrels (like these) or for limited gift shop releases. In fact this may have been the first release under the label, but I’m not positive. It is definitely one of the first!)
Barrel Serial No: 00004826
Lot ID: 03I24A
Rickhouse/Floor: J-6 | Rack/Tier: 0-0
Special Characteristics: 8 year old Wheated Bourbon Finished in Cognac barrels for 19 months
Bottle 249 of 366
Distillation Date: 9/24/2003
Bottled Date: 9/19/2013

Hand Selected for StraightBourbon.com to raise funds for the Parker Beam Promise of Hope Fund and fight against ALS.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich vanilla bean, salted caramel, summer rickhouse oak with nutmeg, cinnamon, dark cherries, chocolate, a hint of clove and a faint hint of black tea.
Palate:  Warm, thick sweet caramel/vanilla fudge, black cherry ice cream with cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, a bit of freshly cracked pepper.
Finish:  Long, slightly drying with floral vanilla and cinnamon notes.
Comments:  On the nose this is a tad sharp, but at 63.8% that’s understandable. When this was offered to a select number of active community members on Straightbourbon.com, I was honored to be included – but also a bit nervous. At that time, $75 was a LOT of money for me to spend on a bottle of whiskey. I had tried the Parker’s Heritage Collection 5th edition, which was a rye-mashbill bourbon finished in cognac barrels, and I wasn’t overwhelmed. But, the proceeds were going to a good cause, so I definitely wanted to participate, and I only asked to purchase two of these. DOH! I wish I had gotten more. The cognac finish is subtle, giving it a little bit of black cherry notes, but not overpowering the bourbon. Unfortunately with only 366 bottles (and all going to members of that community, who each pledged NOT to sell them – although a couple have been), your odds of ever seeing this are close to nill. But if you ever happen upon an open bottle at some gathering, I’d make sure I got a taste!  As I prepare for Thanksgiving tomorrow, giving thanks for having had the opportunity to be part of the amazing Straightbourbon.com community.

Rating: Must Buy

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