Stands Out

Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon Bottled in Bond, 6 Years Old
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
50% ABV
$12

What Richard Says:
Nose: Slightly alcoholic opening up to sweet caramel covering vanilla pudding before easing into a nice honeysuckle.
Palate: Creamy with more vanilla and caramel sweetness with just a hint of leather and black pepper. Very easy to drink. On a follow up tasting session this was more corn forward than the earlier sessions. A bit of fluid bourbon (no pun intended) that changes a good bit depending on the situation and precedents.
Finish: A like hot at first and then it smooths out to a little woodiness and a good dose of black pepper and cinnamon.
Comments: No “the distillery says” section you ask? Well, that’s because they don’t say much of anything. Even in this day and age you’d be hard pressed to find a website from Heaven Hill featuring or even mentioning this version. It’s an old one that’s been around a while. It doesn’t get a lot of press but like the Very Old Barton Bottled in Bond we just reviewed this is an often overlooked very solid bourbon at a ridiculously good price. It’s not going to rock your world but for $12 you can sit back and enjoy good drink while all the Johnny-come-lately’s are paying $500 for a bottle of Van Winkle 10 year old.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

Very Old Barton Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled in Bond
50% ABV
$12-$15
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Very Old Barton has been carefully distilled and aged for generations in Bardstown, Kentucky. This classic bourbon whiskey has a bold and rich taste that goes down smooth, just as it has for decades.

The opening sip rushes opulent flavors of vanilla bean, exotic close and worn leather over the tongue. As the experience progresses, the shear mass of this whiskey is realized. The velvety body flows through the pallet leaving a trail of royal splendor. The finish is as decadent as the beginning.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla, caramel, cornbread, cinnamon, and clove.
Palate: Burnt caramel syrup, black pepper, polish wood, oiled leather.
Finish: A little rough around the edges at first but it settles into a mellow oakiness.
Comments: You’ll notice from the photo that this is “Aged 6 Years”. You won’t find that anymore. Instead you’ll find a “6” on the neck in conspicuously the same place. Sazerac owns Barton and it’s brands along with Buffalo Trace. In recent years they keep touting their inventory shortages. I can understand that. Demand for bourbon keeps rising. But what I don’t understand is how the company is handling that. Several of their lowered priced brands have seen their age statements disappear to “allow them the flexibility to bottle the bourbon when it’s ready not when it hits a certain age.” Fair enough, but what isn’t fair is that a number of these bottle still have the number in the same place but without the “aged” and “years” to accompany it. Sazerac says the bourbon in here is still six years old and the taste profile hasn’t changed noticeably to me. However, I do take severe umbrage to leaving the six on there. Sazerac says they did market research and this was the best choice to the consumer but I don’t care. I still think its blatantly dishonest, misleading, and is just another in a series of moves like this by the company. I used to be a Buffalo Trace and Sazerac super fan but the way they are handling their inventory (or profit) problems I find appalling. They still make great whiskey and this is a great bourbon and the price is pretty hard to beat. But integrity is important to me too. It’s up to you to decide how you feel about the labeling (and potential product) changes the company is undergoing.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value