Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey & Square 6 Wheated Bourbon

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing these review samples with no strings attached.

Hey, we’re back with the two newest releases in the Square 6 lineup. I’m not going to lie to you. I found the High-Rye Bourbon that we reviewed in the last post to be very disappointing. As far as I’m aware, I’ve seldom, if ever, disliked a Heaven Hill product, especially when it was something that was selling for almost $100.

Heaven Hill touts the Evan Williams Experience as an “Artisinal” distillery. And I can see that logic with it only being able to produce a barrel of distillate daily. And honestly, the High-Rye bourbon tasted like an early craft whiskey. Unfortunately, they priced it like one as well. We used to call that the “craft tax.” You’d pay too much for sub-par whiskey because the small guys didn’t have the economies of scale to buy enough product to get the lowest prices for their ingredients or the cash flow to let it age out to the point of smoothing off the rough edges. Heaven Hill has no such issue here. Sure, at a barrel per day, they will never have a lot of the whiskeys. But if it isn’t on the same level as your other ultra-premium whiskeys, is it worth watering down your brand by pricing it like one of them? I honestly don’t know. I just yell into the void on the internet. But from my chair, I wouldn’t have done it that way.

Anyway, I’ll start out with a spoiler. The next two do, in fact, taste better than the High-Rye Bourbon. I even liked one of them. Though even then, I certainly wouldn’t pay $90 for it.

Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey

Summary of the Press Release: On October 18, 2022, Heaven Hill Distillery introduced the Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey, the second craft product of its series launched from the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. This exclusive Rye Whiskey features a mashbill with 63% Rye, 24% Corn, and 13% Malted Barley, distinguishing it from their traditional Rye Whiskey mashbill. Bottled at 95 proof, it boasts intriguing notes of black tea, sweet honey, fig, molasses, allspice, pepper, vanilla, and cardamom. Limited in quantity, the Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey is available at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and select Kentucky retailers for $89.99.

Purchase Info: This sample was provided at no cost by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00

Details: 47.5% ABV. Mashbill: 63% Rye, 24% Corn, and 13% Malted Barley

Nose: Cedar, cotton candy, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Cinnamon candies, cola, mint, ginger, and vanilla.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of cedar, mint, cola, and ginger.

Thoughts: Not bad. It certainly isn't my favorite rye, but I wouldn't turn down a glass, either. Overall this straddles the line between "I Like it" and "I'm neutral on this." In such cases, I usually round up. And I’m doing so again here. There are definitely interesting notes in there that help bump it up. I really like how the cola notes play with the mint and the ginger. Overall, this is an interesting take on rye, a category big Kentucky distilleries rarely innovate in.

Square 6 Wheated Bourbon

Summary of the Press Release: On June 13, 2023, Heaven Hill Distillery introduced Square 6 Wheated Bourbon. This is the third product in the Square 6 line that was developed at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in Louisville. This new bourbon is a blend of two distinct wheated mashbills, one with 74% corn, 16% wheat, and 10% malted barley, and the other with 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. Bottled at 105 proof, the Square 6 Wheated Bourbon offers rich aromas of caramel, vanilla, figs, bing cherries, and oak, with a palate featuring sweet confectioners' sugar and walnuts, and a finish highlighted by walnuts, oak tannins, baking spices, cinnamon, and cola. Artisanal Distiller Jodie Filiatreau and the team at Evan Williams Bourbon Experience craft one barrel of this unique bourbon daily, constantly refining the hand-crafted pot still process for each recipe. The limited release of Square 6 Wheated Bourbon is available at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and select Kentucky retailers for a suggested retail price of $89.99.

Purchase Info: This sample was provided at no cost by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00

Details: 52.5% ABV. Mashbill: a blend of two distinct wheated mashbills, one with 74% corn, 16% wheat, and 10% malted barley, and the other with 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley.

Nose: Strong oak notes, along with fruit and cinnamon.

Mouth: Cedar, mint, cinnamon, and fresh lumber.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of fruit, mint, cinnamon, and chocolate.

Thoughts: First thoughts? Not bad, not great. Expanding a little on that thought: it is not objectively bad, but it's not for me. As usual, in such cases, I'm giving it a neutral rating. But, like I said, it just doesn’t align with my palate. However, it is not nearly as tasty as I would have expected from Heaven Hill.

And heck, there might be people who want to spend the money on something different and end up liking it. I wouldn’t look sideways at them for that. I’m not the type to yuck anyone’s yum. That said, I'd definitely see if someone is pouring it in a Louisville bar before heading over to the Evan Williams Experience to buy a bottle. That goes for all three, in fact. I can see the Square 6 line being polarizing. And it would be terrible to drop a hundred bucks on a bottle if it turns out you don’t like it.

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Square 6 High-Rye Bourbon by Evan Williams

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Have you ever wanted to see a group of people roll a whiskey barrel down Main Street Louisville? Well, if you were in downtown Louisville in May of 2021, you just might have gotten to do just that. According to the 2021 press release of tonight’s bourbon, Heaven Hill Distillery President Max Shapira, Artisanal Distiller Jodie Filiatreau, Artisanal Distiller Emeritus Charlie Downs, Louisville Tourism President & CEO Karen Williams, and Louisville Tourism Chief Operating Officer Cleo Battle celebrated the release of the first batch of Square 6 by rolling a barrel of it down the street.

Ok, so what is Square 6? Because if you are like me and haven’t visited the Even Williams Bourobn Experience in the last couple of years, you might not be aware.

In May 2021, Heaven Hill Distillery announced the launch of Square 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the first bottled Bourbon produced at their artisanal distillery in the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. The Square 6 name pays homage to the original plot where Evan Williams built Kentucky's first commercial distillery in 1783, sharing the same block as the current Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. The High Rye Bourbon, distilled and cared for by Artisanal Distiller Emeritus Charlie Downs and Artisanal Distiller Jodie Filiatreau, features a unique mashbill of 52% corn, 35% rye, and 13% malted barley and is bottled at 95° proof with a suggested price of $89.99.

I became aware of this release when Heaven Hill kindly sent me samples of all three Square 6 releases to celebrate last month’s release of a new addition to the Square 6 lineup. Now, pretty much everything produced by Heaven Hill is at least good, right? So there is no way that this could be a less-than-pleasant experience…right?

Square 6 High-Rye Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was kindly provided by Heaven Hill for Review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00

Details: 47.5% ABV. Mash bill: 52% corn, 35% rye, and 13% malted barley.

Nose: Wood shavings, cedar, raisins, and chocolate.

Mouth: Cinnamon, nutmeg, raisin, cedar, and mint.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of cinnamon, malt, nutmeg, mint, vanilla, and leather.

Thoughts: When you think of Heaven Hill bourbon, this is not what you think of. This tastes much more like a craft bourbon than one made by one of bourbon's largest producers. And I don't mean that as a compliment. This tastes like an early craft bourbon from before the industry found its footing. I am not a fan…at all. I think this is the first dislike rating I’ve ever given a Heaven Hill release. I’m shocked. But, hey, your mileage may vary. I’m not a fan of malt whiskey, especially when combined with the American Straight Whiskey aging process. And this had a lot of malt notes that just aren’t translating well for my palate. I also dislike raisins. A lot. So that isn’t helping either.

All in all, I’d skip this one if your palate aligns with mine. But if you think it sounds tasty, see if they offer samples at the distillery or if they have it at one of the many bars down the street before you drop a hundred bucks on a full bottle.

Stay tuned for reviews of the other releases in the Square 6 line in the coming days. They do get better…

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Jefferson’s Reserve Bourbon, Revisited and a Giveaway

This bottle of Jefferson’s Reserve was provided by the producer for review purposes with no strings attached.

It has been one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six days since I last reviewed Jefferson’s Reserve. At that point, in order to find content, I was working my way through the various releases of brands like Jefferson’s. Basically, those that had “good, better, best” product line-ups. My thoughts at the time were flattering. I enjoyed the pour even though it didn’t really fit the “stereotypical” bourbon flavor profile. I called it a “change-of-pace” bourbon.

The article I wrote was, for the most part, a defense of the brand being open about being created from sourced whiskey, which was still—somehow—a relative rarity five years ago. And people were still up in arms if you were a bottler instead of a distiller. These days, of course, most of the brands you see on the shelf are sourced, and I’ve found that a high percentage of them are fairly open about it. I’d like to include a comment from a reader about the article here because John summarizes my thoughts in the article better than I did in the article itself.

Great write-up and I share your sentiments regarding the criticism Jefferson's receives in some bourbon-centric Internet/social media outlets. I have personally never had an issue with their sourcing. My only quibble with Jefferson's is I feel their pricing is too high, but that is a quibble I have with other whiskeys, and is a bit like complaining about the tides rising and falling. The point that carries the day for me is I have never been disappointed by any pour of Jefferson's in the past, I have found them all to be enjoyable and unique.

Now, I hadn’t planned to revisit Jefferson’s Reserve until their PR agency reached out to me and offered me a chance at a media kit containing a few goodies and a couple of bottles of whiskey. One of the bottles was Jefferson’s Ocean Rye, which I'd recently reviewed, and the choice of either Jefferson’s or Jefferson’s Reserve. When I noticed that I’d last looked at the Reserve five years ago, in 2018, I decided to take them up on it. I figured branded goodies are always nice giveaways. (See below the tasting notes for more on that.)

Plus…free whiskey.

So let’s see how it tastes, shall we? Is it still a “change-of-pace,” or has it fallen in line with more typical bourbon flavor profiles in the last five years?

Jefferson's Reserve

Purchase Info: This was provided by the producer for review purposes. It sells locally for anywhere from $52.99 to $65.

Price per Drink: $3.53 to $4.33

Details: 45.1% ABV

Nose: Bubblegum, mint, vanilla, and cocoa.

Mouth: Cinnamon, mint, vanilla, oak, red fruits, and bubblegum.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes of bubblegum, honey, cinnamon candies, and oak.

Thoughts: This is a lot better than I remember. In the past, I've gotten some rather strange notes from Jefferson's core products. This has none of that, and I am very pleasantly surprised. I’ll be enjoying the heck out of the rest of this bottle. I love a good bubblegum/cherry/almond note, especially when paired with a nice spice note. I’m a fan.

Giveaway

Hey, remember in the previous post when I mentioned that I was having trouble keeping track of all of these new bourbon releases? And how I’d usually ask the person in the liquor department what was new or selling well so that I could pick it up for review? Well, I’m trying another tactic. I’m asking you! Have you picked up a new or under-the-radar bourbon or rye brand that you loved (or hated, I mean, those can be fun too)? Nominate it for review on BourbonGuy.com. In return, you’ll be entered into the giveaway for the branded goodies sent to me as part of the Jefferson’s Bourbon media kit.

You can enter the giveaway using the form below. You may enter once per day. There will be one winner chosen at random. That winner will get the Jefferson’s Bourbon ball cap and Jefferson’s Bourbon deck of playing cards.

Good Luck! You have until Thursday, July 21st, 2023, to enter (you need to "log in" so I can receive your email address to notify you if you win, either login method gets me that).

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Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon

I’d like to thank Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Poor air quality is becoming a fixture of life this summer, isn’t it? Alexa gave me another air quality alert today. Luckily for me, we have it pretty good compared to the folks just a little to the east and south of us. Being as we are only in the “moderate air quality” range here in the southern Twin Cities Metro, I can actually go outside without breathing becoming hard to do. But according to the maps, many of you will smell smoke when you step outside.

Which sucks. Because though you might want smoke on your food or your whiskey, you probably do not want it in your lungs. So stay safe, folks.

But speaking of smoke and whiskey, let’s take a look at Bib & Tucker Double Char. This Tennessee bourbon was aged for six years in standard 53-gallon charred White Oak barrels before being finished in a second heavily charred barrel for an additional 5-plus months. Now, as this is Tennessee bourbon, it does go through the Lincoln County process of being filtered through sugar maple charcoal prior to aging.

And according to the company:

For Double Char, to pay homage to the Lincoln County process, the second barrel is smoked with sugar maple before being filled with our 6 year aged bourbon. The perfect amount of time in the barrels, the char, and the sugar maple barrel smoking process delivers a bourbon with an inviting savory white smoke flavor not found in any other whiskey on the market.

I tasted this prior to reading the press release, and I personally didn’t detect any smoke, which is a good thing, as I tend to dislike smoky notes in my whiskey. But there was a subtle note that I could be convinced was smoke now that I’ve read it. It’s one of those interesting notes that is subtle enough that it only comes into focus once someone else points it out.

So let’s see how it tastes.

Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was provided free of charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $54.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.66

Details: 6 years old. 44% ABV. Batch 01. Bottle 29090. Distilled in Tennessee.

Nose: Mint, vanilla, cinnamon, fresh lumber, (seasoned) oak, and a touch of cherry.

Mouth: Sweet caramel and vanilla, vibrant cinnamon, and sharp oak.

Finish: Medium in both length and warmth. Notes of cherry, cinnamon, minerals, and vanilla.

Thoughts: I'm a bit shocked at how complex the flavor is, considering it's low proof. I'm a fan. If you like the usual suspects when it comes to supplying sourced bourbon from Tennessee, you'll probably like this too. Has a bit of a Dickel vibe to it.

Now you might ask how it compares to the standard Bib & Tucker 6-year-old. And since they were nice enough to send me a sample of that for comparison’s sake, let’s take a look. The noses are similar, but Double Char is sweeter on the nose. The mouths have similar notes, but Double Char is sweeter and spicier. Standard 6 has a longer finish, but Double Char compensates for that by having more complexity on the finish. Overall, if you like one, you'll probably like the other.

Did you enjoy this post? If you want to support the work going on here at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch (tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com.