Must Try

Pierre Ferrand Reserve

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Pierre Ferrand Reserve Grande Champagne Cognac
40% ABV/80 Proof
$65 to $70
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The Reserve has depth and density. The fresh roses have transitioned to dried roses, and the bright citrus has softened and mellowed into something richer and more diffuse. A distinct note of honey pervades the nose, and the texture is dense, soft, and silky.

All Ferrand cognacs are derived from vineyards in the heart of the chalk-rich and mineral-laden soils of the Grande Champagne region.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The nose is very sweet and floral. It’s floral in the same vein as the Ambre. Ferrand says roses, I can’t quite be sure that’s it. I also get a citrus sweetness with cinnamon and cloves. It also kind of reminds me of the smell of brand new dress shoes.
Palate: The flavors are a little more muted and coy than the Ambre and it was already muted. Honey sweetness and lots of orchard fruit present if you roll it around for a while.
Finish: The finish is incredibly sweet. It’s almost like the finish on a liqueur. It’s a little woody but it’s a big improvement over the Ambre.
Comments: I’m really liking the influence of the extra 10 years. The 20 year old Reserve is a more reserved and polish older brother to the 10 year old Ambre. At $65 I also think it’s a pretty good buy. If you’re apt to try brandy then go for this one. However, if you don’t like brandy or cognac in general I don’t think this will change your religion on the subject.
Rating: Must Try

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Buffalo Trace

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45% ABV/90 Proof
$20 to $25
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says
Light bronze in color with streaks of gold, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bears a complex aroma of vanilla, mint, and molasses. Its taste is pleasantly sweet and contains notes of brown sugar and spice that give way to oak and leather. The long and dry finish has significant depth. When enjoyed with water, flavors of toffee, dark fruit and anise are revealed.

What Richard Says:
Nose: It takes a little water to open the nose up but when you do you’re rewarded with fruity sweetness, cereal notes of corn, cherry blossoms, honey, vanilla, and a hint of mint.
Palate: Smooth, measured, and flavorful. Creamy, vanilla, and oak. Classic bourbon.
Finish: Dry. It fades away slow and steady.
Comments: Wow, I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to review Buffalo Trace! It’s been a personal favorite of mine since the first time I tried it almost a decade ago. When it was originally released it was touted as being around nine years old. I’m not sure if that’s still the case but this is a fine bourbon. It has great flavor and works equally well in cocktails and by itself both on the rocks and straight up. When you also consider that it can be had for at or around $20 a bottle I really couldn’t recommend this more. They also don’t water it down to 80 proof like some other bourbons. (you know who you are)
Rating: Must Try, Great Value

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Jefferson’s Presidential Select 18 Yr

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Jefferson’s Presidential Select 18 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Batch 28 Bottle No. 1061
47% ABV/ 94 Proof
$80
Available in select U.S. markets

What the Distillery Says:
Jefferson’s Presidential Select is an ultra-rare, ultra-premium bourbon, bottled from the last year in operation of Louisville’s renowned Stitzel-Weller Distillery. This 94-proof, 18 yr old bourbon is a limited offering with a big robust nose and taste balanced with the trademarked Jefferson’s smooth finish.

Nose: Big vanillas with full character, citrus, apple, subtle caramel and assorted nuts
Taste: Balanced and sultry, English toffee, cinnamon, leather
Finish: Long and rounded

What Richard Says:
Nose: More wood, mellow, a little more coy than the 17 yr, less alcohol heat, caramel
Palate: A little hotter, woodier and slightly sweeter than the 17 yr. A little less cinnamon.
Finish: Pepper, oak, very dry. Vanilla comes through at the end. There’s a not so great char flavor that lingers for a while.
Comments: The flavors of the 18 year are more muted and hidden behind more oak than the 17 year. It’s not worse. It’s just different. They only thing I didn’t like was the lingering char on the finish. That would probably put the 18 year below the 17 year on a comparative scale.
Rating: Must Try

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Jefferson’s Presidential Select 17 Yr

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Jefferson’s Presidential Select 17 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Batch 3 Bottle No. 818
47% ABV/ 94 Proof
$80
Available in select U.S. markets

What the Distillery Says:

Jefferson’s Presidential Select is an ultra-rare, ultra-premium bourbon, bottled from the last year in operation of Louisville’s renowned Stitzel-Weller Distillery. This 94-proof, 17 yr old bourbon is a limited offering with a big robust nose and taste balanced with the trademarked Jefferson’s smooth finish.

Nose: Big vanillas with full character, citrus, apple, subtle caramel and assorted nuts
Taste: Balanced and sultry, English toffee, cinnamon, leather
Finish: Long and rounded

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich and slightly fruity with a floral sweetness.
Palate: Floral (lavender and rosewater) and slightly astringent. It’s rather woody with a noticeable does of cinnamon on a cherry-type fruit. It kind of reminds me of Big Red chewing gum and Luden’s cough drops.
Finish: Notes of lavender with a big dose of cinnamon and oak. Very dry.
Comments: This is a very nice older wheater. It’s not quite as good as Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year or even the 15 Year from a few years back but it’s close. This is the last of the of old stock from the now closed Stitzel-Weller distillery. It’s really sad to see it go. If you’re a fan wheated bourbon I would put this on your buy list.
Rating: Must Try

Side Note: You’ll notice the bottle reviewed here was from Batch 3. I’ve tried several of the batches from the 17 Year bottlings and personally I don’t get much difference. That’s just me. The 18 Year is also the same stuff but they didn’t start bottling it until a year later. I believe the first 25 or 26 batches were 17 years old and then the 18 Year Old picks up there.

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Baker’s

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Baker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
53.5% ABV/107 Proof
$44 to $50
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Named after Baker Beam, grand nephew of the legendary Jim Beam, Baker’s® Bourbon is seven-years-old and hand-bottled at 107 proof. Embracing over six generations of distilling experience, Baker’s Bourbon utilizes a special strain of jug yeast that has been in the family for over 60 years. This time tested yeast provides Baker’s with a silky smooth texture and consistent taste from batch to batch.

The mix of grains, yeast, and seven soothing years in new oak combine to give this bourbon a deeply mellow, richly flavorful, medium-bodied taste with a delicious aroma full of fruit and vanilla. Baker’s is best served in a snifter with a splash of spring water.

Tasting Notes
Age: 7 years
Proof: 107
Color: Warm amber, tawny, nut brown
Aroma: Fruit, vanilla, caramel
Taste: Toasted nuts, fruit, vanilla, silky texture
Finish: Sweet, smooth, medium-long

What Richard Says:
Nose: This nose definitely needs water. I get a lot of cedar with a layer of mint.
Palate: Toasted pine nuts, a huge amount of vanilla, and a little dark fruit sweetness. It’s very chocolaty too.
Finish: Shorter than expected and surprisingly smooth even at bottling strength.
Comments: Baker’s I always find interesting because it’s surprisingly different from both standard 7 to 8 year old Beam and Knob Creek. It’s surprisingly smooth with tons of chocolate and vanilla. It also has less of that cherry character I tend to find throughout Beam bourbons. Easily, this is my favorite of the bunch.
Rating: Must Try

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