Probably Pass

Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey

43% ABV
$40 – $45
Website

What the Distillery Says

Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey A Blend
Deep honey-amber hue with warm, pronounced aromas of under-ripe banana and brown sugar, with spicy notes of white pepper and toasted sesame. Light body with warm texture and long sweet oak, vanilla finish with a touch of bitterness to balance. Reminiscent of a slice of toasted rye bread with honey drizzled on it.

We mash, ferment and distill a lot of Bourbon in house. Our blend of Bourbon Whiskeys also consists of Barrels selected from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana chosen for their unique qualities, heritage, and ability to marry in our blend, always made from a high-rye mash bill.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Freshly baked and buttered cornbread with honey drizzled atop, vanilla, oak with pine trees.
Palate: Starts sweet, thin mouthfeel of cornflakes, vanilla and honey that sharpens with some oak and spice.
Finish:  Short and fleeting, with drying oak notes.
Comments:  This tastes like young bourbon to me, not that there is anything offputting about it – but nothing that would leave me wanting another pour. After making my notes, I decided to try this blind against Old Forester 86 proof, and it was no contest for me preferring the Old Forester. While not offputting, at this price point I can’t in good conscious consider it even average.

Rating: Probably Pass

Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon

45% ABV
$20
Website

What the ??? Says

[Other than this is made by Terressentia and is available at Total Wine (presumably exclusively there), nothing. Really. We tried to find more info on their web-site with no success.]

What Gary Says

Nose:  Candy corn, young, corn syrup.
Palate:  Corn, a touch of honey and vanilla with a hint of oak.
Finish:  Short and forgettable.
Comments:  Full disclosure – I bought a 50 mL bottle of this with very low expectations; mainly because someone whose opinion I respect was rather impressed (although I think that was with the Winchester Straight Bourbon) with it. I don’t know that our tastes line up that closely, which just goes to show you different strokes for different folks. This is aged for 6 months per the label, and it tastes like it was aged for about that long; barely any color and closer to a white dog than a bourbon. Don’t get me wrong – corn whisky is a fine product, but I’d go out and buy a bottle of Mellow Corn if I was in the mood for that (plus, it would be cheaper, is aged 4 yrs, is 50% ABV . . . need I go on?)

Rating: Probably Pass

Old Bardstown Bottled In Bond
50% ABV
$22 – $25
Website

What the Distiller Says
Tasting notes courtesy of Bill Thomas, Jack Rose Dining Saloon
The nose is “Fun Dip” candy, that sugary stick dipped into cherry flavoring. The palate is a cherry hard candy, an oily mouth feel, vanilla caramel candies and notes of oak. This is the best value in Bourbon for 2016.
Please Note: This Bourbon is exclusively available in Kentucky.

What Gary Says
Nose: Vanilla wafers, grape bubble gum, young malt, a hint of anise with a sharp oakey solvent note.
Palate:  Tart cherries, caramel, a fruity/grape juice note with cracked pepper; a thin mouthfeel.
Finish:  Short and dry with pepper.
Comments:  I’m a fan of bottled-in-bond bourbon. While four years old may still be on the young side, there are a lot of solid bourbons that carry the bottled-in-bond designation. This didn’t remind me of any of them. Honestly, if given this blind and asked to guess what it was, “bourbon” wouldn’t be one of my first three guesses! Some have posted the mashbill for this as having 15% malted barley, which if true is a higher barley content than most other bourbons out there – and may account for the unique aroma and flavor. I’m not sure I can say it is exactly off-putting, since I particularly enjoy finding unique and interesting drams to ponder over! But if you’re looking for a classic bourbon profile – I think many might be disappointed.
Rating: Probably Pass