Bourbon

Forged Oak

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Forged Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 15 Years
45.25% ABV
$80
Website
forged oak
What the Distillery Says:
A pillar of strength rooted in time and wisdom, Forged Oak was found while foraging through the historic Stitzel-Weller rickhouses. This Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey spent 15 contemplative years in charred American white oak barrels.

Forged Oak is a statuesque whiskey with aromas of cedar, maple and vanilla bean that give way to seasoned woody notes of cocoa and young berries, ultimately leading to a long, dry finish of black pepper.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Oak, burnt sugar, raisins, caramel toffee, cinnamon undertones with hints of leather.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, sweet oak that transitions to pepper spice.
Finish: Quite nice – long and lingering.
Comments: When I first sampled this, I was underwhelmed – so I know I had a slight negative bias when approaching this one again. It somewhat surprised me this time around; I like it more than I expected! The finish is one of the longer ones I can recall. While I enjoy the palate, for the age (and price point), I was hoping for more. It has a nice mouthfeel, but seems a bit more muted. If I stumbled upon it on a shelf, I’d have to think about it; not an automatic buy for me, but worth considering.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Pleasantly woody with copious amounts of toffee and cinnamon raisin toast.
Palate: Rich and almost chewy. This is a really nice caramel sweetness. Easily one of the better sweet notes I’ve come across in bourbon. Not cloying in the least and not too faint. Just right. It’s backed by a nice integration of vanilla, more cinnamon, and a little crushed mint.
Finish: Oak, black pepper, and cocoa powder.
Comments: I haven’t exactly been bowled over by the earlier Orphan Barrel releases but this one came out quite nice. This is a cracking glass of fine aged and well integrated bourbon. I think if this was release by the current owners of the Bernheim distillery (Heaven Hill) where this was made instead of all the hoopla Diageo attributed to the Orphan Barrel range then it would be received as the exceptional bourbon it is.
Rating: Must Try

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I.W. Harper

/ / Bourbon, Review /

I.W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
41% ABV
$35
Website
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What the Bottler Says:
Beginning with a subtle nose, I.W. HARPER Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey leaves traces of caramel and vanilla on entry before melting into velvety bursts of wood and spice. The finish is sweet and pleasant with subtle fruit notes.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Light corn, hint of licorice, a bit dry and thin.
Palate: Thin, sweet corn and caramel apple, slight herbal/vegetative note I can’t pin down.
Finish: Finish? Sorry, I must have missed it.
Comments: The distillery’s description includes words like “subtle” and “traces”, which I think is pretty accurate. This whiskey left me wanting something else on pretty much every level. It didn’t have anything that I found objectionable necessarily, but more like the absence of things I look for in a whiskey. At the price point, this is an easy pass for me.
Rating: Probably Pass

What Richard Says:
Nose: Nice and rich with burnt vanilla cream and caramel notes but it clears out quickly so catch it if you can. What remains when it opens up more is candy corns and grain alcohol.
Palate: Seriously light and thin. A little crisp apple sweetness but it’s pretty dry and unimpressive.
Finish: The slightest wood hint, there and gone.
Comments: For those that think Basil Hayden’s is a watered down thin shadow of aged Old Grand Dad this makes it seem like a robust National Distillers Old Grand Dad 114. It’s actually so thin that the flavor can’t stand over the (relatively) minimal proof. It actually tastes more and more like alcohol as it opens up in the glass. At $35 I find this to be borderline offensive.
Rating: Probably Pass

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Blade and Bow

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45.5% ABV
$50
Website
blade-and-bow
What the Bottler Says:
A homage to the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey uses a unique Solera System aging process to preserve some of the distillery’s oldest whiskey stocks, including some of the last bourbon produced there before it closed in 1992.

The solera liquid is mingled with other fine whiskies aged and bottled at Stitzel-Weller. Aged in new charred American white oak barrels, this bourbon has a subtle aroma of fresh fruit and a taste that includes hints of dried apricot, ripe pear and a sweet roasted grain. The finish has notes of charred oak and warm winter spices.

Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey received a GOLD MEDAL at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Collect the five distinct keys – some rarer than others – that adorn every bottle.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Subtle butterscotch and vanilla, with a hint of corn bread.
Palate: Floral, nice silky mouthfeel, well balanced with the spice kicking up near the end.
Finish: Medium length and peppery.
Comments: The words “subtle” and “muted” resonate. On the nose, it reminds me of dusty bourbon (which is a compliment; if you haven’t had dusty bourbon – my sympathies), but on the palate it is less impressive. Quite easy to drink, but unless the price fell substantially – I’d pass it at retail.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: A little bland with just an alcohol tinged hint of Werther’s Originals.
Palate: Surprisingly sweet but a little thin. The sweetness is fruity like poached pears with a herbal, grassy, and spiced wood back layer.
Finish: Dry and woody.
Comments: This is a fine serviceable bourbon. My main complaint besides the price (and that is a bit of a them lately) is the marketing affiliation with Stitzel-Weller. I find that disingenuous at best and deceitful at worst.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank Travis and the folks over at Taylor Strategy for sending over a review sample.

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Evan Williams Single Barrel 2005 Vintage

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Single Barrel Vintage 2005
Barrel No 455
Barreled 2-17-2005
Bottled 2-18-2015
43% ABV
$25
Website
EVSB2005
What the Distillery Says:
Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Bourbon is a five-time Whiskey of the Year award winner. Each year our Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam select barrels that meet their exacting standards. It’s a bourbon that is vintage dated, meaning each bottle is marked with the vintage date it was put into oak and the year it was bottled.

Single Barrel tasting notes
Color: Delicate amber gold
Nose: Dark caramel, sweet oak & charred wood
Taste: Lush & spicey; oak with honey, apple & orange notes
Finish: Long, graceful and relaxed

What Gary Says:
Nose: Sweet oak followed by caramel, with hints of clove; bread baking.
Palate: Smooth, honey, lovely clean/crisp sweetness, a hint of orange sherry with a bit of spice on the back-end. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, but not distractingly so.
Finish: Moderate in length with a pleasant.
Comments: Very “Heaven-Hill-esq”, which is probably not helpful if you’ve not sampled a lot of whiskey from Heaven Hill.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sweet, rich, and malty vanilla. Clove cigarettes, under cooked caramel, and chocolate orange candies.
Palate: Orange blossom honey with a slightly bland woodiness. It’s very light and kind of thin.
Finish: Heavier on the black pepper spice and oak.
Comments: This is still a nice dram and at a great price point but it seems to be thinning out a bit more and more in recent vintages. This 2005 is probably my least favorite in last five years or so but it’s still a stand out whiskey.
Rating: Stands Out

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Rock Hill Farms

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Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon
50% ABV
$45 to $65
Website
rock-hill-farms-single-barrel
What the Distillery Says:
Named for the rich farmland along the Kentucky River, this 100 proof Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey honors its Bluegrass roots, defined by rich tradition and smooth bourbon.

Tasting Notes:
Seductive aromatic notes of toasted walnut, dried red fruits, spice, cocoa and marshmallow. Flavors of dark chocolate, chocolate covered almond, coffee, tobacco and dark caramel. The finish is smooth, silky, toffee sweet and honeyed.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Stepping into a rickhouse in the fall, musty oak, bits of corn and cinnamon, with a hint of licorice.
Palate: Wow . . . (my exact thought was Austin Powers “yeah baby yeah!”) Silky sweet, caramel corn balanced very nicely with spice.
Finish: Moderately lingering, pleasant.
Comments: I first tried Rock Hill Farms at a restaurant, and was quite underwhelmed – so I was expecting the same. This completely changed my opinion. Very well balanced; the bit of corn on the nose gave me pause that it might be young, but the palate was something else. Being a single barrel, there is always a risk of variability there, but I’m definitely reconsidering picking up a bottle in the future (and not only because the bottle is pretty freaking cool as well).
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Cocoa powder, hair spray, cinnamon, dried cherries, raisin’s pulled of a box of raisin bran.
Palate: Burnt caramel, more cherries, dark chocolate truffles, toffee crisps covered in white chocolate ganache.
Finish: Dry cocoa powder and bits of honeysuckle.
Comments: I realize there is only so much time to review whiskey since this isn’t a paying gig but I can’t fathom why it has taken me so long to review this. The brand is about 20 years old but as with many Sazerac brands it has been in short supply lately. I grabbed this bottle on a lark when I saw a couple tucked away at a local retailer last fall. It was $65 in Atlanta but you can get it as low as $45 if you know where to look. This is made from the #2 rye bourbon mashbill at Buffalo Trace. That’s the same one used in Elmer T Lee, Blanton’s and Hancock Reserve. This is ridiculously drinkable. I pulled it out a few days ago with the guys in the neighborhood who had never tried and we almost killed the bottle. All that was left was enough for my formal review and a sample for Gary. If I see it again I will grab another for sure. At $45 it’s a must buy but in the $60+ range it’s something you should certainly at least try.
Rating: Must Buy/Must Try

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