The Bourbon Bar at Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace, Bardstown, Kentucky

October 5, 2017 Eric Burke

Let me tell you. I may have found my new favorite place to grab a drink while attending the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. And I came across it quite by accident.

As you are aware, I visit the Kentucky Bourbon Festival every year. And every year, one of the many things I like to do is visit the lawn area where the distilleries and local craftspeople sell things to the public. I seldom buy anything, but I always like to look. One of the other things I like to do is wander around downtown and see the window displays that the distilleries put into the shop windows. It reminds me of the things that used to happen in the town I grew up in, back before the future happened and people stopped caring what local businesses looked like.

So last year, we were walking between the lawn and 3rd street on one of the warmer days of the week. We decided to check out this store called the Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace. Mostly as a way to hop out of the direct sunlight that was threatening to burn our Northern skin to a crisp. We'd been in there before and knew that in addition to the "souvenir" store and liquor store, there was also a bar in the building. Most of the times I had walked past previously, the bar had been packed, but this time for whatever reason it wasn't and we had the opportunity to stop in for a drink. Weirdly, I knew the bartender...or at least I knew who he was and had interacted with him on previous trips to Bardstown. His name is Don. Longtime readers might remember Don as our first tour guide at the Barton 1792 distillery way back on our first BourbonFest trip in 2012. Don was as good a bartender as he was a tour guide and for most of the same reasons. He's just fun to talk to.

Which means we were extremely happy when we stopped in this year and found that he is still working behind the bar at the Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace. And this time around, after talking to Howard (the owner) and realizing he was just as nice and fun to talk to, I decided to take a few photos and let you guys in on the secret of the place too.

You enter the store from Flaget Street. It is very conveniently located one block north and one block west of the roundabout in the center of Bardstown. If you are in Downtown Bardstown you are only a few minute's walk to it, no matter where you start from.

This is a very small place. There are 8-10 seats at the bar and three tables with 3-4 seats each. There is some standing room. I made use of it on Saturday afternoon of my most recent visit. There is also a patio in the warmer months, as weather allows. But one of the things that makes this a good place to visit is the selection. Every pour is $9 aside from the middle section of the shelves. These ranged from $15 up to $90 (as you might guess, the highest proces went for those in the bags on the top shelf...).

Speaking of selection, this was the bar where I had myself my first taste of the Four Roses Al Young 50th Anniversary Small Batch. It was $15 and it was delicious. I wish I had been able to get a bottle, but I'm happy enough to have tried it in a nice place surrounded by good people.

They also have cocktails. My wife was particularly fond of the Bardstown Bubbler, a house cocktail that won the title of "Official Cocktail of the 2016 Kentucky Bourbon Festival." It has Peach Bitters, Campari, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Buffalo Trace and is topped with sweet Champagne and garnished with a mint sprig. I would, however, avoid their take on the Sazerac. It leaves out the Absinthe and lemon peel and is garnished with an orange peel. So basically, it is a Rye Old Fashioned.

But that aside, every bartender there was fun and interesting to talk to. The drinks were reasonably priced. The atmosphere was friendly and fun. All in all, it was a nice place to pass the afternoon and grab a drink or three.

The Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace is located at 110 West Flaget Ave in Bardstown, Kentucky.

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Revisiting an Old Review: Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond

October 3, 2017 Eric Burke

It has been 1727 days since I last formally reviewed the bonded version of Old Fitzgerald. I also mentioned it in an If You've Had... article almost two years ago. So it seemed about time to go back and take another look at it.

Since the last time I reviewed this, Old Fitz has kinda fallen on hard times. The last time around, it was easy to find and I picked it up at a local store here in Minnesota. Since that time, Old Fitz's offspring, Larceny has replaced it in national distribution channels. At this point, I think Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond is either Kentucky-only or very very close to it.

Surprisingly, one thing that hasn't changed though is the price. After adjusting for inflation and taking into account of the difference in state taxes, the price has been remarkably steady in the last 4 years. $18 in Minnesota for the last review versus $23 in Kentucky for this one.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond

Purchase Info: $22.99 for a one-liter bottle at Westport Whiskey and Wine, Louisville, KY.

Details: 50% ABV. Non-age stated, but at least 4 years old by law. Distilled at DSP-KY-1 and bottled at DSP-KY-31

Nose: Strong notes of caramel and vanilla, followed by lighter notes of dried grain, spearmint, and baking spices.

Mouth: Sweet caramel leads with spearmint and baking spices following.

Finish: Warm and of decent length. Lingering mint and caramel.

Thoughts: This is one of those bourbons that I reviewed early and then looked past for many years. When it was pulled back to a very limited distribution, I was a little sad, but since we were getting Larceny in return I wasn't too upset. After picking up a bottle on this last visit to Kentucky, I wish I had grabbed two. Not because this is better than Larceny, it isn't. Its added proof makes it different, not better, not worse. At least for me. But I like a bit more proof now and then and a good Bottled in Bond 100 proofer is sometimes just what I am looking for.

Since I liked both of them last time around, it looks like the verdict hasn't changed all that much. I still like it as much as I do Larceny. Which is to say I like it quite a bit as a daily drinker. Nothing special, but nothing to leave you wishing you'd poured something else instead either.

Collabor&tion

September 28, 2017 Eric Burke

I state in my Statement of Ethics that if I accept a review sample, I will disclose it at the beginning of the article. Please consider it disclosed. I’d like to thank Ro-Bro Marketing and Public Relations, Bardstown Bourbon Company and Copper & Kings for providing this sample to me with no strings attached.

While I was in Kentucky I was invited to a media event to announce the first product to be released by Bardstown Bourbon Company. I was a bit scared of the product, to be honest, they only started distilling a year ago and I was unsure what was going to be released. But my fears were allayed when I got the press release stating that the bourbon was sourced from MGP and was 10-years old.

When I got to the distillery for the event, I came to the realization that there were actually two products. One was a barrel strength, brandy finished bourbon. And one was a barrel strength Mistelle finished bourbon. Which left me with just one question. What the hell is Mistelle?

Luckily they were kind enough to provide us a cheat sheet and so I will quote from that.

"A Mistelle barrel is a unique vessel. Mistelle is unfermented grape juice (in this case Muscat) fortified with un-aged brandy (Muscat eau-de-vie) and then aged in bourbon barrels for 18 months. The empty barrels are deeply and highly caramelized with the grape sugars and fruit essences."

So where did the barrels they used to finish the products come from? Well, that is the source of the name. Both the Mistelle and the Brandy were produced by Louisville's Copper & Kings Brandy. See it was a collaboration between the two companies that made this possible and from what I can tell, both were heavily involved in the final product.

Collabor&tion - Muscat Mistelle Finished

Purchase Info: I received a sample of this from the company at the launch event. SRP is $124.99 and can be purchased at the Copper & Kings gift shop and selected retailers around the country.

Details: 47% ABV. 10-year-old MGP bourbon finished in Copper&Kings Mistelle barrels for an additional 18 months.

Nose: White grape juice, brown sugar, almost no whiskey notes on the nose.

Mouth: Very sweet with just a touch of spice at the tip of the tongue. White grape candy with clove and black pepper.

Finish: Warm and of decent length, but also very sweet. Lingering notes of white grape juice, spearmint, and baking spice.

Thoughts: This one just isn't for me. Aside from a few varieties of baked goods, I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I don't like candy, I don't like most soda, and I don't like most liqueurs. That said, if you want a sweet grape whiskey liqueur but want it to have the proof of a whiskey, this might be right up your alley. I mean, it isn't a liqueur, but it tastes as sweet as one. Personally, I might have liked it better if they had taken this and then blended it back with more of the original straight whiskey. But that's just me.

Collabor&tion - Brandy Finished

Purchase Info: I received a sample of this from the company at the launch event. SRP is $124.99 and can be purchased at the Copper & Kings gift shop and selected retailers around the country.

Details: 56.5% ABV. 10-year-old MGP bourbon finished in Copper&Kings Brandy barrels for an additional 18 months.

Nose: Baking spices, caramel, and oak. Hints of raisin appear after a bit.

Mouth: Sweet, spicy and relatively brandy forward. Notes of nutmeg, raisin, and caramel.

Finish: Long and warm with lingering grape, nutmeg, and caramel notes.

Thoughts: Your thoughts on this will depend largely on how much you like both finished bourbons and brandy. I happen to enjoy both so this is a bit of a treat for me. It is scarily drinkable neat despite its high proof. The flavors are thick and rich. All in all, it is very tasty. (That said, there is no way I would pay $125 for this whiskey. Though that says more about my budget than it does about the quality of the whiskey.)

Four Roses 2017 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon

September 26, 2017 Eric Burke

I don't really go in for Trophy Bourbon Hunting anymore. The hassle isn't worth the reward in most cases. The reward, in this case, being that I then get the opportunity to spend way too much money on a single bottle of bourbon. Nothing brought that home to me more than a conversation that my wife had with a coworker.

She had been tasked with finding something special for this coworker. while we were in Kentucky Something that he couldn't get at home. He gave her money and a budget thinking that he'd be getting a private selection from a store in Louisville or maybe something from Willett. Well, the only thing Willett had when I stopped in was a $165 bottle of twelve-year-old bourbon. Neither he nor I were getting anything from Willett.

But my wife and I each got the opportunity to purchase a bottle of this year's Four Roses Limited Small Batch. Don't get me wrong, we normally buy two for ourselves when we can, but we thought that it might be a nice surprise for the coworker. So we bought it figuring he'd want it and that if by some odd chance he didn't, then the worst that would happen was us having an extra bottle.

Oh darn, right?

Then my wife told him what she got and...he didn't want it. I believe the text read: "my wife would kill me if I spent that much on one bottle of whiskey."

In that moment it occurred to me that I may have started to lose touch with "normal people" when it comes to whiskey prices. I've watched bourbon's price creep happen for long enough that I hardly think anything of buying a $60 bottle of whiskey anymore. I mean I can't afford these all the time but, if a client has paid on time, it feels fairly normal. And sometimes, not always, I can even justify $120-130 if I try hard enough and think I'll get something "really good" in return.

Which is weird for me. I've always been frugal. Growing up with my brother and mom, dirt poor, in a trailer court in the Northwoods of Wisconsin will do that to you. But this situation was a good wake-up call to be reminded how people who haven't been immersed in the bourbon world think about the prices of bottles.

My budget hopes I remember that the next time I'm standing there trying to choose between a perfectly good $25 bourbon and one that is $60, though also only perfectly good.

Four Roses 2017 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon

Purchase Info: $130 at Four Roses Gift Center, Lawrenceburg, KY.

Details: 54% ABV. A blend of 20% 15-year-old OESK, 40% 13-year-old OESK and 12-year-old OESV bourbons (percentages reported by Sipp'n Corn, but confirmed by Master Distiller Brent Elliot).

Nose: Fruity and soft with notes of vanilla, caramel, baking spice, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy and rich with a wonderful mouthfeel. Notes of caramel, nutmeg, fruit, and oak.

Finish: Long, warm and sweet. Lingering fruit, spice, and caramel.

Thoughts: I know what you are thinking. "Obviously Eric loves this, he's a Four Roses fanboy." Well, you are half right. I am a fanboy. But this doesn't rate a heart from me (my wife disagrees most vehemently). It does, however, rate a very high "like." It's thick and rich and the finish lasts for days.

Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2017: Bottled in Bond Fire

September 21, 2017 Eric Burke

I state in my Statement of Ethics that if I am reviewing something that I didn't pay for, I will disclose it at the beginning of the article. I received media passes to this event for both myself and my wife

Warm and sunny. The perfect late summer Kentucky day. It's too bad it was our last day in Bardstown because it's days like those that make me never want to leave. And I was extremely excited to go to the Bottled in Bond Fire event that night. It seemed like it would be the perfect end to the trip.

Historically, Saturday night was reserved for the Gala, a formal event. And since the last time I was voluntarily in a tux was my wedding day 20 years previous, let's just say I am never going to be covering the Gala. Not my speed. I'm a bourbon around the fire sort of guy. Not a bourbon in a rented outfit sort of guy.

So yes, when they introduced the Bottled in Bond Fire event last year, I was pretty stoked. I didn't go, as it was introduced after I had purchased my tickets, but I was pretty sure I wanted to go this year. And as things worked out, I got media credentials to the event.

The Bottled in Bond Fire event is held at Wickland, Home of Three Governors. Wickland is an old Bardstown home (oddly the home of three different Kentucky Governors) which is available for tours and events. I had never visited before and was excited to see some of the details of the old house. When we first entered we were greeted by the check-in station and the food line. The event was serving barbecue, beans, and slaw. Perfect food for a bonfire.

Off to the right was a sitting area. Comfortable chairs and the featured speaker of the evening, Susan Reigler, Prsident of the Bourbon Women. Ms. Reigler was around to answer any bourbon questions that guests might have.

Bottled in Bond Fire, Buffalo Trace Selection

Off to the left of the main entrance was the Bourbon Room. Here, four distilleries were pouring mostly bonded bourbons. Buffalo Trace brought Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch and Single Barrel, Both Bottled in Bond.

Heaven Hill table at Bottled in Bond Fire

As is to be expected, Heaven Hill brought the most options to an event featuring Bonded products. They even brought one surprise...

I wasn't really expecting to see their Bonded Brandy, Sacred Bond, being poured at a Bourbon Festival. But it was and I tried it. It was fine, nothing to write home about.

Barton was only pouring Very Old Barton Bonded. Which is fine by me. VOB Bonded is my go-to bourbon for the hotel room or cabin when I'm in Kentucky.

Four Roses table at Bottled in Bond Fire

Four Roses was a bit of a surprise for me. Seeing as they have no bonded products. There were no representatives there, but they did have Small Batch and Single Barrel on hand.

Obviously, the fires were outside. There were also tables to eat at, bean bag toss and live music.

Fire pit just as it is being lit with the band in the distance.

The live music was provided by The Echoes, a Louisville trio. I enjoyed the music. It fit the mood of the event perfectly. I really hope someone thought to bring them a bourbon or two.

Indoor crowd at the Bottled in Bond Fire event

Since I had never been there before, they were nice enough to let me wander the house and go upstairs. Knowing that they offer ghost tours of the place, I was curious to go take a look. I didn't see any ghosts, but the empty old rooms in the light of the twilight were certainly a bit creepy. On the way down, I got a better view of the food and entrance area.

It wouldn't be a bonfire without s'mores. And although I'm guessing that liability concerns wouldn't allow people to toast their own, my wife tells me the desserts inspired by them were a very tasty substitute.

So, final verdict. I thought it was a decent event. My wife loved it. It was fun, the people were talkative, the bourbon was tasty, and the music was entertaining. Everything that you would want. All in all, I will probably drop the $75 to go as a paying guest next year so that I can enjoy myself a little more (hard to really relax when everyone thinks you work there due to the press credentials around your neck).

Rebel Yell Small Batch Reserve

September 7, 2017 Eric Burke

I'm in the process of packing for a much-needed vacation tonight, so I'm going to keep this kinda short. Not as short as the last post, but short none-the-less.

I've had a love/hate relationship with Rebel Yell for a very long time. The standard, entry-level, release was one of the first bourbons that I truly disliked. I used most of the bottle for years as a prop whiskey. I'd empty a bottle, which I planned to review, without taking its photo. Instead of shooting an empty bottle, I'd add a little visual interest by pouring my prop bourbon into the bottle, shoot the photo and then pour it back into the Rebel Yell bottle. After a while, I stopped pouring it back in and started dumping it out. And, of course, started adding other whiskeys that I didn't want to finish to the bottle. Oddly after all of that, it made a decent cocktail whiskey, so I started a new prop bottle.

Since the time that I reviewed Rebel Yell, Luxco (the brand owner) started revamping the look of the brand and introducing other extensions to the Rebel Yell line. Flavored ones of course, but also a Straight Rye and a blend of Rye and Bourbon. The latter of which I reviewed quite favorably. And then they released the Rebel Yell Single Barrel, a ten-year-old, wheated bourbon. And it was fantastic!

Which made me wonder if I need to go back down and try the Small Batch Reserve that I had walked past for years due to how I felt about the standard Rebel Yell.

Want to read more about the Rebel Yell brand history, check out my buddy Peter's take on it. He does a lot more fact checking and research than I feel like doing sometimes...

Rebel Yell Small Batch Reserve

Purchase Info: I honestly have no idea, I thought I bought it at Total Wine, but when I went back to check the price on their website, they said they don't carry it in my state...but I see Ace Spirits has it for a little under $27.

Details: 45.3% ABV

Nose: Corn bread, mint and honey.

Mouth: Brown sugar, mint, banana, baking spice and dried grains.

Finish: Short to medium in length with lingering banana and baking spice.

Thoughts: I've had more than a couple of glasses of this during the weeks it has been on the shelf. It isn't bad in a tumbler, nothing special, but it gets the job done without being offensive.

I really think it works well in a cocktail with Campari and Ramazzotti Amaro. It's a riff on a Black Manhattan, and I use two ounces of Rebel Yell Reserve, half an ounce of Campari, half an ounce of Ramazzotti and a few dashes of bitters. I like how the sweet of this bourbon offsets the bitter of the Campari and Amaro. So I'm giving this a like on that fact alone. On its own, it straddles the line between meh and like.

Evan Williams Single Barrel, 2009 Vintage

September 5, 2017 Eric Burke

I've had an odd sort of relationship with Evan Williams Single Barrel over the years. It isn't really a love/hate relationship as much as it is a like/meh one. In my experience, they are never really bad, not even in an off-year. Instead, they are just sort of...meh. Not bad. Not great.

I used to really like them. I'd pick one up every year. But then we had a string of forgettable ones. So much so that even though I liked 2006 (the last one I bought), I forgot to try 2007 or 2008. But it is quite amazing what seeing a good price on the sign will do toward reminding you, especially when there is an open spot on your shelf just begging you to fill it.

Evan Williams Single Barrel, 2009 Vintage

Purchase info: 19.98 for a 750 mL bottle at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 43.3% ABV. Barrel #: 367. Barreled on July 30, 2009. Bottled on January 31, 2017.

Nose: Honey, wintergreen, sugar cookie, and almond.

Mouth: Nice thick mouthfeel with vanilla, ginger, wintergreen and sugar cookie.

Finish: Warm with a medium length. Lingering spice, mint, and sweetness.

Thoughts: I like this one a lot. It's very tasty, especially for the price. I may have inadvertently taken a break from this product, but that will have to stop. Good solid bourbon at a good price is nothing to take for granted these days.

Black Powder Bourbon

August 31, 2017 Eric Burke

I am so excited right now. You see, tonight is the football season opener for my beloved University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and their new head coach, PJ Fleck. He's a high-energy guy with a great philosophy. And even though I'm not expecting a lot out of the season (when you are a middle to lower-tier program it never goes as well as you hope during a coach's first year) I can't help but be optimistic. I'm an unrepentant homer of a fan. Even though I've been disappointed in the past, I always think that this year will be the one where things start to turn around.

And this optimism extends to all facets of my life. Especially bourbon. I'm aware that, for many bourbons, I probably shouldn't be optimistic. Especially when I know that it is only three years old. But since I've had a couple of young bourbons that I did like, I keep thinking to myself: "Maybe this will be another one of those. Maybe this one will be good." And so I take a flyer on yet another Total Wine exclusive label. I mean, heck, they are less two bucks per 50 mL bottle to try.

Black Powder Bourbon

Purchase Info: $1.59 for a 50 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN.

Details: 40% ABV. 36 months old.

Nose: Dried corn and mint plus a touch of vanilla and nutmeg.

Mouth: Warmer than expected with the fiery heat of youth. Dried corn sweetness follows.

Finish: Medium and on the bitter side. Lingering dried corn mint and vanilla.

Thoughts: While not my cup of tea, I wouldn't fault people who enjoy young bourbons for liking this. A lot of dried grain flavors and nothing off-putting. It works ok in a cocktail too.

Blog

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond

Collabor&tion - Muscat Mistelle Finished

Collabor&tion - Brandy Finished

Four Roses 2017 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon

Rebel Yell Small Batch Reserve

Evan Williams Single Barrel, 2009 Vintage

Black Powder Bourbon