Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Like most, my first whiskey experience was Jack Daniels. It's cheap. It's American. It's classic. And maybe most importantly, it's readily available. Later, I would try Crown Royal, because that's what my dad drank. When I got to college, my roommates and I would buy Evan William's Black Label, because it was the cheapest thing we could get our hands on. Later, at the time having no idea what good whiskey is, I would find out how good it is, and what's more, I would find out about the Bottled-in-Bond white label, just a few dollars more. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond has become a semi daily drinker for me. That is to say at least, that it always has a place on my shelf. 

From the Bottle

Bottled-in-Bond status is earned only by meeting strict government standards, originally passed in 1897 to ensure quality and consistency. In accordance with these standards, this bourbon is 100 Proof, aged at least 4 years, and produced at a single distillery within a single distillation season.

About the Whiskey

• Distillery: Old Evan Williams Distiller, Louisville Kentucky. It is interesting to note that there are two distilleries, noted on the bottle by KY-1 for Louisville and KY-31 for Bardstown. This bottle is from the Louisville Distillery. 

• Type: Single Distillery

• Charcoal Filtered

• Age: At least four years

• 50% ABV / 100 Proof

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Evan Williams BIB is amber in color. The legs are quick on the glass and don't linger on the glass long at all. 

Nose: On the nose, there are notes of oak, vanilla, and sweet caramel.

Taste: The whiskey is subtly sweet, with notes of oak, vanilla, and caramel, similar the notes on the the nose

Finish: The whiskey has a slow finish, though it is not buttery. It has a light and even mouthfeel. The oak hits you in the back of the mouth and gives way to an oak bomb with sweet vanilla notes. 

High West Distillery American Prairie Bourbon

High West Distillery
American Prairie Bourbon

My dad spends most of his time living about halfway between Houston and Austin. Whenever we go to
visit, it's for the weekend, so I always pickup a bottle to take with me for us to try together. The last time we went, this was the bottle I took with me. 

I have a sweet spot for Park City, Utah because of some ski trips we used to take when I was a kid. The fact that they have a whiskey distillery in Utah is pretty astounding to me. I've visited as an adult and found that in Salt Lake City anyway, not all of the beer was made full strength. We had to seek it out. So a whiskey distillery is an accomplishment in itself.

I didn't know it when I bought it, but sales from this whiskey are used to support the American Prairie Reserve. I love the outdoors and anytime I can do anything to support preservation efforts, I'm all about that. Knowing that, I'll be adding this bottle to the standard stock I keep in the house. Plus, this whiskey is pretty amazing. 

About the Whiskey

• Type: A blend of straight bourbon whiskeys aged between 2 and 13 years
• Barrel Type: New, charred, white American Oak
• Mashbill: Their website reports two mashbills. First, 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt from MGP. Also, 84% corn, 8% malted barley from undisclosed source. There are other whiskey components that are undisclosed due to contractual reasons.
• Batch: This particular bottle is from batch number 19J01
• 46% ABV / 92 Proof
• Not chill filtered

Whiskey Tasting Notes

Appearance

American Prairie Bourbon is copper in color, with slow fingers that linger in the glass. The bourbon almost sticks to the glass.

Nose

On the nose, there are notes of oak and sweet vanilla and caramel. There were also some slight notes of ethanol.

Taste

The oak and vanilla notes carry over from the nose. There is an element of spice that leads me to believe there is higher rye content possibly in the contractually undisclosed mashbill information.

Finish

There was a light and even mouthfeel, with a quick finish. After you swirl it around or your tongue for a few minutes, you get an oak bomb right as it goes down. 

Redemption Bourbon Straight Bourbon Whiskey Pre-Prohibition Revival Whiskey

Redemption Bourbon Straight
Bourbon Whiskey

I was given this bottle for my birthday. My friends wanted to give me a bottle I had never tried before. They gave me a couple different ones to try, and sure enough they succeeded with giving me a bottle I had never had in the Redemption Bourbon Straight Bourbon Whiskey Pre-Prohibition Revival Whiskey.

When I tried it, I was instantly hooked, and this whiskey has ended up in my glass quite a few times since then. It's that good. Looking through Redemption Whiskey's website, I found that they offer a few other varieties. A wheated bourbon, which I always a fan of, and a couple of different rye whiskies, which I am also partial to. I'll be searching for these two varieties to round out the shelf.

About The Whiskey

Redemption Bourbon is bottled by Redemption Barrell Selections in Lawrenceburg, TN. The whiskey is aged in new charred oak barrels for no less than two years and is bottled at 42% ABV / 84 Proof.

This bottle is from Batch No 29.

Redemption Bourbon has a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley.

Tasting Notes

Redemption Bourbon is amber in color. In the glass, the bourbon has quick, short fingers that run down glass almost as fast as they form.

On the nose, I found notes of oak and vanilla, and slight hint of ethanol.

I enjoyed the taste and flavor of this bourbon. The oak and vanilla notes carry over from the nose. There is a sweetness to this bourbon, likely from the high corn content in the mash bill. After the sweetness subsided, there was a touch of spice from the rye. The mouthfeel is buttery and balanced.

The finish of this bourbon is very smooth and even, not fast or slow. There is some that hits you on the end, along with some more spice from that rye in the mash bill. 

Boondocks 8 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels

I've always liked finished whiskeys. That is to say, whiskeys finished in different types of

Boondocks 8 Year Old Straight Bourbon
Whiskey is Finished in Port Barrels

barrels. So, when I got a bottle of Boondocks 8 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels for my birthday, I was excited. Of the four bottles I got for my birthday, this was the bottle I opened first. The flavors and aromas were amazing as soon as I opened the bottle, even for my primitive palate. I loved the "B" embossed on the glass of the bottle. 

About the Whiskey

• Distilled at Boondocks Distillery in Bardstown, KY
• Bottled at 45% ABV / 90 Proof
• Master Distiller David E Sheurich

 

Nose

The Bardstown Bourbon has great floral, fruity, and wine notes on the nose. This is the result of the port barrels. I have not found the whiskeys not aged in port or wine barrels have these aromas in them.

 

“Aged whiskey is hard to find. Good aged whiskey is even harder to find. It’s about investment, time and production.”

 

Appearance

The Bardstown Bourbon is copper in color, with long, lingering fingers. The whiskey almost hangs on the glass.

 

 

Taste

The Bardstown Bourbon has a sweet vanilla flavor it, though not overpowering as if the flavor was added. There is a buttery mouth feel, similar to the long hanging whiskey fingers. I got more of the port on the nose than I did in taste.

 

 

Finish

The Bardstown Bourbon has a long smooth finish, mostly on the front. This is not a hot whiskey, but there was a slight burn on end. I couldn't quit drinking it.

 

 

I really enjoyed this bourbon. It has a great flavor profile that opens up really nicely when a few drops of water is added to it. This is a great bourbon taken neat or with a few drops of water, but also lends itself to a few ice cubes as well. 

 

TX Blended Whiskey

TX Blended Whiskey 

I'm not quite sure how I first found out about TX Blended Whiskey from Fort Worth, TX based Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. Like most Texans, I'm drawn to things that say "Texas" in big block letters. It probably jumped of the shelf at me. Anyway, it's been a match made in heaven since I first tried this whiskey. Today, I'm offering my tasting notes and thoughts on it.

About the Whiskey

• Distillery: Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co
• Location: Fort Worth, TX
• ABV: 41 % ABV / 82 Proof

From the Bottle

At F&R we value two things: true craftsmanship and excellent whiskey. That's why we blend & bottle TX by hand to bring it's sweet aroma, robust flavor, and smooth finish. The result is bold like the Texas you know and distinctly satisfying. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Please come see us!

There are two things that stand out to make this whiskey unique, the caps and the yeast used to distill it. The cap is more than a humble piece of wood fitted on top of a cork. It has a leather insert in the top, made of used Texas cowboy boots. There's no better way to up-cycle used boots. The other is the yeast used to distill it. F&R uses a proprietary yeast extracted from the native Texas pecan tree. The pecan notes are evident in the whiskey..

Tasting Notes

• Color: TX Blended whiskey is copper in color. 
• Nose: TX Blended Whiskey has notes of caramel, vanilla, nutty pecan on the nose.
• Taste: TX Blended Whiskey has notes of buttery vanilla, caramel, more nutty pecan, slight oak
• Finish: TX Blended Whiskey has a buttery mouthfeel. The finish is quick. There are some caramel and pecan notes that stay on the front. The oaky notes linger on the finish.
  
  

Weller Special Reserve

A while back, I was given a bottle of Weller Special Reserve. I used to keep a 5th of WSR on the shelf, so the half gallon found it's way in to the closet. For some reason I thought a bottle that size was a little ridiculous, comical even. But now, given our current situation, it seems perfect. I did an initial tasting and then finished off my glass while lying in bed finishing up Kitchen Confidential by the late great Anthony Bourdain. I think he would approve. It's been a while since I shared any tasting notes, so I wanted to share my thoughts on this easy sipping whiskey.

I discovered that Weller Special Reserve goes really well with dark chocolate peanut butter cups.

About Weller Special Reserve

• Weller Special Reserve is a Wheated Bourbon, meaning the mash bill is a blend of corn, malted barley, and wheat in place of the usual rye.
• 45% ABV
• Distilled and bottled by Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky

From the Bottle

W. L. Weller was born in Kentucky in the year
1825. After serving with the Louisville Brigade in the 1840s, Weller returned to Louisville to open his wholesale liquor business. He is reported to have used the slogan "Honest Whiskey at an Honest Price." His wheated recipe bourbon had a softer, smoother taste that became very popular. Pappy Van Winkle eventually merged Weller's namesake company with the A. PH. Stitzel Distillery to form the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. This delicate bourbon with hints of caramel and honey honors one of America's first whiskey pioneers. 

Tasting Notes

Appearance

• Weller Special Reserve has an amber or caramel color too it

Nose

• On the nose, there are sweet notes of vanilla and spice and some notes of ethanol as well

 Taste

• Much like the nose, there were sweet notes of vanilla, but also some caramel and honey. There were some spicy notes as well

Finish

• Weller Special Reserve has a long smooth finish that hangs around for a few minutes. Up front there notes spice that gave way to some sweet vanilla on the back. The vanilla gave way to some more spice just on the finish.

Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

A few weeks ago, I was in Dallas for a conference and brought some samples with me to enjoy in the hotel room. In most cases, I'm a huge believer in Hemingway's old adage, "Write drunk, edit sober," so I was inspired to at least jot down my tasting notes!

I’ve been finishing off the last of the Heaven Hill Distillery gift pack sampler I got a few years ago. I have one left to crack open that I am looking forward to. Interestingly, they all seem to have the same flavor profile, and this Evan Williams Single Barrel was no different.

Evan Williams Single Barrel is copper in color.

On the nose, Evan Williams Single Barrel has floral notes, with oaky and spicy notes.

The Evan Williams is sweet with notes of vanilla and some oaky spice.

On the finish, the Evan Williams Single Barrel is smooth and only lingers for a short time. There sweet notes of vanilla and caramel, with heavy oak notes that hit you at the end.

Maker's Mark

Maker's Mark

A few weeks ago, I was in Dallas for a conference and brought some samples with me to enjoy in the hotel room. Before I went up to the room for the evening, I stopped at the hotel bar to enjoy a Maker's Mark. As a Maker's Mark ambassador, it only seemed right to offer up my tasting notes.

From the Label:

Maker's Mark, America's handmade bourbon whisky, all started because my grandfather, Bill Samuels, Sr., a sixth generation Kentucky distiller, didn't care for the whisky his family made. So in 1953 he burned the family recipe - literally - and started over. His taste vision was a soft, rich, creamy, full-bodied yet balanced bourbon. Meanwhile, my grandmother, Margie, was busy designing the bottle you're holding. In fact, it was her idea to hand-dip every bottle in red wax. To this day, making Maker's Mark - in small quantities, a little at a time - is still a family affair. Enjoy

Tasting Notes:

Color:

Maker's Mark has a deep rose gold color

Nose:

On the nose, I get notes of sweet, vanilla, and caramel

Taste:

I didn't get a very complex flavor profile. There were sweet notes of vanilla and caramel

Finish:

Maker's Mark has a short, smooth finish. It doesn't linger in your mouth. Up front, there are some spicy notes that give way to sweet notes on the finish. 

Overall, I like Maker's Mark. It's a nice fireside sipper and goes great in cocktails (I've written about a few of these before). It's interesting to get a little spice out of the bourbon since there is no rye use in the mash bill. Instead, wheat is used giving it a smoother profile.