Stands Out

Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey
46% ABV
$40 to $45 (375ml bottle)
Website

What the Distillery Says:
HUDSON BABY BOURBON is the first bourbon whiskey to be distilled in New York. This single grain bourbon is made from 100% New York corn and aged in our special small American Oak barrels. This unique aging process produces a mildly sweet, smooth spirit with hints of vanilla and caramel. The BABY is Tuthilltown’s first whiskey and the first legal pot-distilled whiskey made in New York since prohibition. BABY BOURBON is a perfect introduction to aged whiskey spirits. It is mild and friendly, bright to the tongue and warming all the way down. Each bottle is hand waxed and numbered. It is a true American classic. The BABY is our most sought after spirit. Make sure you alert your fine spirits dealer today to ensure your supply.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The corn whiskey is heavy on the nose. There’s just a hint of vanilla but not much. No doubt from the short(3 months) time in the barrel. Oddly, there is something here that reminds me of Woodford Reserve.
Palate: Sweet cornbread drizzled with cinnamon icing.
Finish: It is a little hot on the finish but smoother than I expected.
Comments: I’m not the biggest fan of the craft whiskey movement. I find most of it over priced and underwhelming. However, this one is hiting some interesting flavor spots for me. It’s very tasty and approachable. It’s still a little hard to swallow at $40 to $50 for half bottle but very tasty.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Jaimie and Exposure America for providing us with a review sample. They were also kind enough send over a cocktails suggestion too!

Blackberry Baby Bourbon Sour
2 oz. Hudson Baby Bourbon
3-4 Fresh blackberries
0.75 oz. Simple syrup
0.75 oz. Lemon juice

Add to pint mixing glass: 3-4 fresh blackberries + 0.75 oz. simple syrup, muddle well. Add 0.75 oz. lemon juice, 2 oz. Baby Bourbon, and ice. Shake vigorously. Double strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with blackberry folded into lemon twist on pike.

Four Roses Single Barrel Private Selection
50.0%
$35 to $40
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The Private Barrel Program is offered to Four Roses retailers only. But as a discerning Bourbon drinker, you also get to enjoy the benefits of our Four Roses Private Barrel Program at your local participating retailer.

60% Corn, 35% Rye, and 5% Malted Barley mashbill with a yeast strain imparting delicate fruity flavor.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Burnt caramel, vanilla, and fresh berries.
Palate: A nice rye spiciness of black and red pepper. A vanilla nougat followed by toffee candies.
Finish: An oak finish of extreme length with hints of pepper, cinnamon, and mint.
Comments: This specific bottle was a nine year old store selection for Total Wine.
Rating: Stands Out

Rhetoric Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 20 Years
45% ABV
$90
Website

What the Bottler Says:
The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Company was started to share barrels of rare and delicious whiskey, hidden away and nearly forgotten in the back of rickhouses and distilleries.

Stories of these lost whiskeys have become the stuff of legend. Our goal is to bottle these rare, small offerings for the world to try.

Every Orphan Barrel is hand bottled in Tullahoma, Tennessee, to ensure that these rare whiskeys are treated with the care they deserve – because some of them will only be available once. And once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.

Ten steps ahead in a dance of discourse, Rhetoric candy-coats and compels with equal amounts of art. Proper, eloquent, and poetic, this Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey speaks a language to which you could listen for hours.

Each sip starts with a smoky, leathery nose that translates into vanilla oak, toasted rye, and dried fruits, and concludes with a long, full finish of cherry blossom and bitter chocolate.

An ever-changing specimen, Rhetoric is an experiment in how barrel maturation imparts a lasting impression year after year. Each new year results in an older and wiser limited release from remaining maturing stock. A conversation piece if there ever was one.

What Richard Says:
Nose: More oak on the nose than the Barterhouse with notes of vanilla, orange marmalade, wood sap, and cherry blossoms.
Palate: Dry yet creamy at the same time. It’s very weird. Leathery with heavy handed oak, a little honey, and pepper spice.
Finish: Heavy oak and a dry tannic finish. This one wears it’s age on the finish hanging out there for everyone to see.
Comments: I don’t like this one nearly as much as the Barterhouse. It seems a few years past its prime which is sad because the gimmick with Rhetoric is that they are holding back some of the same stock and releasing it in coming years as a progressively older version.
Rating: Stands Out

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
67.9% ABV
$45 to $55
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Named after the Father of Bourbon, Reverend Elijah Craig this limited release Small Batch, twelve year old Bourbon is bottled at Barrel Proof and without chill filtering, preserving the natural flavors produced during the aging process. At full Barrel Proof, you can enjoy the Bourbon much the same way our Master Distiller does when he samples straight from the barrel or, if you choose, add water to reduce the proof to your liking.

Color: Deep Amber
Aroma: Caramel with oak, fruit notes of apple and orange
Taste: Caramel, vanilla and butterscotch along with spices of black pepper and cinnamon in the back of the palate
Finish: Nice layered finish of all flavors; fades slowly with a hint of cool spearmint at the most lingering end

What Richard Says:
Nose: Burnt sugar, citrus zest, buttery toffee, vanilla, jasmine, and cherry blossoms.
Palate: Creamy yet robust and aggressive. More toffee, Red Hots, and a big dollop of vanilla.
Finish: Peppery spice and a healthy dose of wood on the back end dusted with cocoa powder.
Comments: This bottle (based on proof) is batch five of the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases if you’re interested in such things. I’ve had four (1-3 & 5) of the five releases to date and we are talking very minuscule differences. This is a great age stated barrel proof bourbon (which you don’t see too many of) that’s not too bad on the wallet relatively speaking. It can be had for about the same price, maybe a little less, than Stagg Jr and I don’t necessarily like one more than the other. Both are very tasty and muscular bourbons. However, this one has started to get a bit of cult following, and while good I don’t get the obsession, so you may have a hard time finding it. Be patient and hopefully that patience will be rewarded.
Rating: Stands Out