Average

1792 High Rye
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

47.15% ABV
$38 – $45
Website

What the Distillery Says

By law, bourbon must be made using a mash bill of at least 51% corn. Traditionally, bourbons use rye as the secondary grain in the mash bill. This signature recipe for 1792 High Rye Bourbon uses a much higher percentage of rye as the secondary grain than most bourbons do, creating a robust and full flavor.

TASTING NOTES
The spicy rye notes are complemented by years of aging in charred white oak barrels, whose caramelized sugars delicately balance with the peppery rye flavor. Enjoy a perfect marriage of sweet vanilla, caramel, butterscotch and rye in 1792 High Rye Bourbon.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Herbal spice notes with caramel, thyme, subtle dill, dried mint, oak, nutmeg, clove, rice pudding, hint of anise with evergreen.
Palate:  Soft with caramel, allspice, subtle vanilla, herbal spices with a bit of pepper.
Finish:  Short with herbal notes and oak.
Comments:  Definitely get a lot of rye, but honestly I expected much more of an edge. I love rye whiskey and bourbon, but this one just never hit me right for some reason. It was very herbaceous and soft. Usually with rye there are more citrus spice notes, with a sharper cut; and usually with bourbon you get a fair amount of sweetness. This seemed to be missing the key characteristics of both and honestly was disappointing. Maybe the sample was off (always a possibility) but I prefer the standard 1792 over this by a wide margin.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

Belle Meade Bourbon

45.2% ABV
$40 – $50
Website

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

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon

48% ABV
$40
Website

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