7th Annual BourbonGuy.com Bottom-Shelf Brackets: The Not-So-Bottom-Shelf Edition

So, wow. A lot has happened in the last few weeks, huh?

A couple of weeks ago, I got the bright idea that I wanted to up the level of competition this year on the Bottom-Shelf Brackets. At the time it wasn’t for any real reason, I just thought it might be fun. Over the previous six years, we’ve explored the best of worst that bourbon has to offer. And, if we are being honest, some of the worst of the worst as well. This year, I had the idea to do something a little different.

In the past, I’ve had a definition of “bottom-shelf” that ranged from $15-$18 (or under) per 750, $20-$24 per liter and $35 per 1.75 liter. That definition got me a lot of entries by Heaven Hill and Jim Beam but only a couple from any other distilleries. I had one year where half of the entrants were Jim Beam products and another where half were from Heaven Hill. So this year I decided to limit each distillery to one entrant.

Of course, not all distilleries have products that meet the definitions that I had defined for “Bottom-Shelf.” So what was I to do? Well, for this year, I’ve decided to throw out any pretense that this is a competition between “bottom-shelf” bourbons. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to go all-in and jump to the top of the price point. I mean, this is still a contest about being frugal.

That and I have to buy all of these things and I am still a freelancer…

So, here are the new rules:

1. One entry per distillery

2. Purchased for under $25. No matter the size. No matter if it was on sale.

3. Available in the Twin Cities metro area.

That’s it. As a general guideline, I tried to find the “best” offering from each distillery at the price point. Once I purchased all the entrants, I needed to seed them into brackets. For that, I usually use proof and stated age, but since all of these are non-age stated, I went by proof and then flipped a coin when two were the same proof. In order to maintain balanced divisions, I alternated which division chooses first, so Division One got to chose first on the first round, but Division Two got to choose first on the second round, then One on the third and back to Two on the fourth.

So let’s meet the competition in this “Not-So-Bottom-Shelf” Bracket, shall we? It should come as no surprise that I was able to find entrants from Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey, and Barton 1792. Each of these has produced winners in the past. In fact, some of those past winners are represented this year in Division Two, number four seed Very Old Barton 86 proof and Division One, number one seed Wild Turkey 101 proof. But I was a bit shocked to find that the Heaven Hill entry was Division One, number two seed Elijah Craig and that the Jim Beam entry was Division Two, number one seed Knob Creek. Though I’ve been able to find Knob Creek for about $25 for a while now, so it really shouldn’t have been that surprising. Rounding out the rest of our entrants from Division One are number three seed Makers Mark and number four seed Four Roses. In Division Two are number two seed Old Forester 100 proof and number three seed Buffalo Trace.

I can’t wait for this one. It should be fun!

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Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select (Travel Retail Gift Pack 2019)

I’d like to thank the folks at Jack Daniel’s PR for providing this sample to me with no strings attached.

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Holy shit am I feeling my age lately. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not OLD. But I am solidly into middle age. The gut that started to show up a few years ago is getting harder and harder to keep in check. Yearly physicals now come with the phrase: “well, you are getting older” somewhere in them. And to top it off, I had to converse with my optometrist about bifocals. Bifocals! And the worst part is, I think she may have been right.

So yeah, I feel old this week. Luckily for me, I got a little something to cheer me up. Though because of the fasting/no alcohol requirements of preparing for bloodwork this week, I didn’t get a chance to try it until last night. Yeah. Paying close attention to your bloodwork is a cool part of getting older too. Of course, it is just going to get worse, soon there will be routine colonoscopies too. And those are no fun at all.

But for now, the worrying about bloodwork and unpleasant camera intrusions are done for the year. Now is the time to turn to more pleasant thoughts. Things like the upcoming holidays, delicious food and drink, and the previously mentioned package that was dropped off last week.

You’ve probably seen Sinatra Select sitting on a high shelf or behind glass at your local liquor store. It was introduced in 2012 in order to celebrate Frank Sinatra’s famous love of Jack Daniel’s. According to the initial press release, a portion of the whiskey is aged in grooved barrels to allow more contact with the wood and greater extraction of the wood flavors. That portion is then blended with the standard Jack Daniel’s before being bottled at 90° proof.

On December 12th, Frank Sinatra would have celebrated his 104th birthday. (And I thought I felt old.) To commemorate this, for a limited time, Jack Daniel’s is doing something a little special with their Sinatra Select product. Recently Tina Sinatra, Frank’s daughter, found an old flask that her dad used to carry his Jack around in. It was engraved with the phrase “Ole Jack,” a reference to his nickname of Ole Blue Eyes, I’m guessing.

For a limited time, Jack Daniel’s is offering a special Commemorative Flask Set when you purchase Sinatra Select at travel retail. They will also have the flask set available at the distillery bottle shop. Jack Daniel’s sent me a bottle of Sinatra Select as well as the flask set and let me tell you, this is a lovely set. So lovely that my wife immediately stole it from me. The set comes in a leather case and contains the flask shown above and four metal jiggers. My mother-in-law tells me that her father had one very similar to it while he was alive.

Of course, if you are not going to make it down to Lynchburg, Tennessee and you have no plans to travel internationally, you still have a chance to get your hands on one of these sets. Quoting the press release now:

From November 29 through December 11, friends of Jack will also have a chance to win a commemorative “OLE JACK” flask. Visitors to the Jack Daniel’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages can submit to win one of the collector’s items, with seven winners to be announced on Frank’s birthday, December 12.

Jack Daniel's Sinatra select

Purchase info: This product was graciously provided by Jack Daniel’s PR for review purposes. Suggested retail price for Sinatra Select with the flask set is $179.99.

Price per Drink (50 ml): $9.00

Details: 45% ABV

Nose: Almond, cinnamon candy, delicate mint,

Mouth: Nice spice, almond, mint and a touch of banana.

Finish: Medium length and heat. Lingering banana bread notes.

Thoughts: This is a delicious whiskey. Initially minty and cool in the mouth, as it moves back the spice and the viscosity increase until upon swallowing it feels almost syrupy. If you are a Jack Daniel's fan you owe it to yourself to try a pour of this somehow. And if a loved one (who you really like) is a Jack fan, this would be a great gift.

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Old Forester 1910: Old Fine Whisky

Every so often, mania gets ahead of reality. Oh, who am I kidding? This is the whiskey world, mania always gets ahead of reality. In this case, however, I found the demand very strange. Every release of Old Forester’s Whisky Row series has been readily available (at least in my area). There has never been a shortage of them or a time when you couldn’t find them just sitting on the shelf — not even 1920, which was the best of the bunch.

But for some reason, 1910 was different. The first batch quickly sold out everywhere. When it came back, because it sold out so quickly, some of my local stores decided that they needed to throw it in their lottery pile. Which, cool for them, I guess, but I just checked online, and you can go to at least one Total Wine location and pick it up off the shelf.

So what makes this bourbon so sought after? Well…I have no idea. It is finished in a second barrel, but that is hardly new. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and Jim Beam Double Oak have both been on the market for quite a while now. Maybe the company website can shed some light on this:

On October 22nd. 1910, a fire on the bottling line halted production of Old Forester. Mature whisky ready to be bottled, instead was stored in a secondary barrel. What emerged was a delightful whisky, remarkable enough to become an entirely new expressions – Old Fine Whisky.

Today mimicking this historic bottling, this unique expression of Old Forester has undergone a second barreling, granting it exceptional character, a smooth and sweet flavor and a clean, crisp finish. Entering the second barrel at a low 100 proof allows more of the sweet wood sugars to dissolve into the whiskey. 1910 Old Fine Whiskey is the fourth and final expression of the Whiskey Row Series, presented at 93 proof.

Not really much insight there. I mean a low entry proof for the second barreling is interesting, but can hardly be the reason that this is in such high demand. I’d guess that it might be because 1920, the previous release, was so good, but that expression has rarely, if ever, been out of stock. So I’m left with mania as the only excuse I can think of. It got popular because some people were interested and then as it started to sell, more people got interested, and things got out of control. I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess it’s an all too familiar story in the whiskey world.

Old Forester 1910: Old Fine Whisky

Purchase Info: $58.99 for a 750 mL bottle at the Old Forester Distillery gift shop, Louisville, KY.

Price per Drink (50mL): $3.93

Details: 46.5% ABV

Nose: Cherry cough syrup, cocoa, vanilla and caramel

Mouth: Vanilla, caramel, cherry cough syrup

Finish: Warm and fruity with lingering strong cherry and sweetness

Thoughts: This is one of those bourbons that I like a lot less in a Glencairn than I do in a rocks glass. The Glencairn accentuates the cherry notes making it feel like you are taking notes on Robitussin. In a rocks glass, the cherry flavors are more muted and don't overpower the drink as much. I dislike this in the nosing glass, but in a rocks glass, it is merely meh. It’s too fruity for my tastes, but there is nothing actually wrong with it.

In the end, I guess I don’t mind that it is/has been hard to find. I prefer the more easily found 1920 and in the future, will be picking that one up instead.

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Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Heritage Barrel 2019

I’d like to thank the folks at Jack Daniel’s PR for providing this sample to me with no strings attached.

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I grew up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin in the 1980s. Looking back on it from a distance of 35 years or more, I am struck by a few of the things that stick out in my memories. I remember a lot of signs above the doors of stores, restaurants, and bars that had the name or logo of a beverage company covering most of the sign and the name of the establishment running across the top or bottom in much smaller letters. The stores were mostly 7-UP or Pepsi and the bars were usually Old Style or Pabst.

I remember a single phone booth in the town I grew up in. And I remember a single pop machine. The phone booth was on a corner across the street from the cafe and the pop machine was outside the grocery store. Both of those are gone now. The phone booth was lost to cellphones and the soda machine was killed by convenience stores that stay open 24 hours.

I remember going to the local bar with my mom to watch the Packer games on a Sunday afternoon. I would get a soda for during the game and another for playing video games on the arcade cabinets in the corner for after. I usually got one that was new or unable to be found in the town’s lone pop machine. things like New Coke, and Mandarin Orange or Apple Slice.

I remember a bottle of Jack Daniel’s that lived on top of our refrigerator. It was my Step-Dad’s favorite drink. That square-shouldered, black-labeled bottle was always just sort of there at the edge of my consciousness. And I always had a bit of a soft spot for it even though I never tried it until I was in college.

And because Jack Daniel’s was (and is) my Step-Dad’s favorite drink, I always keep an eye out for new products in their line. Initially, it was because I was buying it as a present. But as I became more of a whiskey fan, I started trying them too. Some of them I have really liked. Others less so. So when the PR folks for Jack Daniel’s offered me a sample of this year’s Heritage Barrel, I eagerly accepted.

This is the same whiskey as last year’s version just with an extra year of age on it. And just like last year, this whiskey was:

aged at the highest altitude of the Jack Daniel Distillery’s warmest barrelhouse, this year’s iteration of Heritage Barrel will have a greater depth of color and character for fans of the original run to enjoy. The rich vanilla, oak spice and sweet caramel flavors are derived from a unique barrel toasting you won’t find in any other Single Barrel expression. Each heritage barrel is slowly heated to achieve a deeper, richer toasted layer before being charred, evoking the barrels of the distillery’s earliest coopers.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Heritage Barrel 2019

Purchase Info: This was graciously provided by Jack Daniel’s PR for review purposes. Suggested retail price is $64.99.

Price Per Drink (50mL): $4.33

Details: 50% ABV

Nose: Cinnamon, toffee, buckwheat honey, oak, green apple

Mouth: Sweet, tingly and warm on the mouth with brown sugar, caramel, and baking spice

Finish: Medium length and warmth. Lingering green apple, cinnamon, brown sugar.

Thoughts: I really like this one. Very sweet and rich. I love the green apple notes that play alongside the sweet caramel and brown sugar notes. Add in the accessible price point and this will make a lovely gift for yourself or a loved one.

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BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products and bourbon-related craft supplies I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. And hey, if you are an iOS user, look for Bourbon Guy in Apple News. Thanks!

Woodford Reserve Rye and Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Rare Rye: Revisited

I usually start out these “Revisited” posts by telling you how long it has been since I last reviewed the whiskey I am revisiting. Usually I am curious as to how the product has changed over the intervening years. This time however, I’m looking at a different type of change. This time I want to see how I have changed since I last had a whiskey. See, I know that the whiskey hasn’t changed since this time I am revisiting a bottle that was only released in 2011. I gave it a very quick review on August 22, 2012 (2,526 days ago).

My local corner liquor store has their expensive liquors in a glass case that you see the minute you walk in the door. I can’t help but glance at the case as I walk in to the store. And for as long as I’ve been glancing, there have been the two bottle set of the 2011 Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Rare Rye Selection sitting about halfway up the shelf. And for as long as I can remember, I’ve been walking past it on my way to the bourbon section.

Well, they must have finally decided that it wasn’t ever going to sell in the case because about three or four months ago it was moved out of the locked case and placed on the shelf. In fact, two of them were out on the shelf. And as it sat on the shelf, I’d glance at it as I walked by. And my wife would glance at it as she walked by. And eventually, we both decided that we were curious enough that we needed to revisit it. We both like the standard Woodford Rye and thought it might be interesting to see how our tastes have evolved in the last seven to eight years.

So we bought it. And then because I I had received a question on my review of the Woodford Reserve Rye (reviewed 1,482 days ago if you are curious) that asked how it compared to the 2011 release, I decided to go ahead and pick that up as well. Especially since I really had nothing to go on but memories by the time the question was asked and I was curious as well.

2011 Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, Rare Rye Selection: Aged Cask Rye

Purchase info: $85.99 for a set of two 375 mL bottles at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Details: Aged in a used barrel. 100% Rye Grain. 46.2% ABV. Non-age stated.

Nose: Spearmint, baking spice and just the faintest hint of caramel

Mouth: Grassy malted rye notes with citrus, cinnamon and a light honey.

Finish: On the longer side of medium and warm. lingering mint and cinnamon candy.

Thoughts: Although I haven't been a fan of ryes that use malted rye, this is one of the better ones that I've had. I don't mind this one. Not my favorite rye, and I certainly wouldn’t choose it very often, but I don’t hate it. That’s a downgrade from the previous time I had it. In 2012, I said I liked it. I think I liked it because it was interesting and new. But since then, I’ve had many more 100% ryes, including some that were made using malted rye like these seem to have been. I’m not a big fan of the flavor that malted rye brings to a whiskey.

2011 Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, Rare Rye Selection: New Cask Rye

Purchase info: $85.99 for a set of two 375 mL bottles at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Details: Aged in a new barrel. 100% Rye Grain. 46.2% ABV. Non-age stated.

Nose: Grass, with caramel and mint.

Mouth: Nice mouthfeel. Very minty. Sweet with caramel, berry and pear.

Finish: On the longer side of medium. Lingering wintergreen and cinnamon notes.

Thoughts: Even though there are still hints of the malted rye notes, they are very minimal. Fruity, sweet and minty are the major flavors. I like this one. It has a rich and complex mouthfeel and the flavors work together nicely. Flavorwise, it seems to straddle the line between the Craft Ryes that use malted rye grain and a standard rye that uses malted barley. Still not my favorite rye, but one I will be looking for when I want a change of pace.

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase info: $29.99 for a750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 53% Rye Grain. 45.2% ABV. Non-age stated.

Nose: Cinnamon, black tea, and honey.

Mouth: Follows the nose with cinnamon and black tea. Notes of dried fruit, caramel and mint.

Finish: Medium length with lingering notes of cinnamon, caramel and mint.

Thoughts: I like this one. The black tea notes provide a nice balance to sweetness and spice.

Comparative thoughts: As I mentioned above, back when I first reviewed the Woodford Rye someone asked how it compared to the old Master's Collection ryes. I can finally answer that question. There is almost no comparison between the Aged Cask rye and the regular Woodford Rye. The presence of rye notes is about the only similarity. But I sort of expected that. Between the New Cask and the regular Woodford Rye there are similarities, but the malted rye notes in New Cask make for a fruitier drink and it has a much thicker and richer mouthfeel. That said if offered a pour of either. I'd take the standard Woodford Rye more often. I don’t mind any of them and like two of them, but I like the Woodford Rye the best. Living up to (and in this case helping to earn) its reputation, the Master's Collection tends to be more "interesting" than "good." Though the comparative aspect of this release made it much more interesting than most of the Master's Collection releases.

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BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products and bourbon-related craft supplies I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. And hey, if you are an iOS user, look for Bourbon Guy in Apple News. Thanks!

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection: Batch Proof (2019)

This is very good. Warm and thick with a wonderful sweet spiciness. I love this one. Don't love the price and doubt I'll be buying another, so I'll just enjoy this one and see if I can make it last a little while.

So said me, just under a year ago. And at the time, I certainly meant it. I mean $130 is too much to spend on one bottle of bourbon. It really is. So why do I have this bottle? In a word: vacation. Specifically, vacation to Kentucky.

Let me set the scene. It was two days before I was going to hop in the car and make the 13 hour trek to Louisville. On this day, I get a marketing email from Woodford Reserve announcing the release of this year’s edition of Batch Proof. Now, I’d had my Kentucky shopping list done for a while. I knew which things I was going to be looking for and which I would certainly be coming home with. On neither of those two subsets were anything from Woodford Reserve. Well, until I got that dang email.

I was already mentally on vacation. And while I am on vacation, my inherent frugalness is relaxed in favor of having fun. And when I am in Kentucky, “fun” means going bourbon shopping. And since I was planning trips to both Maker’s Mark and Four Roses, it seemed silly not to add a stop at Woodford to the itinerary. Since I’d be in the area. “Maybe they’ll have something fun,” I told my wife.

And low and behold they did. Sitting right on a table in the center of the gift shop were numerous bottles of Batch Proof. Who would have guessed? Now they were priced right at the $130 Suggested Retail Price. I started to wonder if I could get it cheaper at a store, but my wife told me that since I see it here, I might as well get it so I don’t miss out. (Yeah, she got the email too and knew what my scheme was.) And good thing I did. Last year I got it about $10 under SRP. This year every store I saw had it higher than the distillery.

So, last year I loved it, but didn’t think I’d buy it again due to price. This year…?

Woodford Reserve Batch Proof (2019)

Purchase Info: $130 for a 750 ml bottle at Woodford Reserve Distillery Gift Shop

Details: 61.6% ABV. Non-Age Stated

Nose: Brown Sugar, black tea, nutmeg

Mouth: Cola, cinnamon, almond, leather

Finish: Sweet, warm and long. Lingering toffee, almond, black tea, cinnamon

Thoughts: This is delicious. The black tea notes along with the sweetness really bring this one together nicely. It drinks nicely neat but takes water well too. I'm a big fan. In fact, I wish I would have grabbed a second. I was on vacation, after all. Now that I’m home again? It’s probably a little out of my price range unless I find it on sale somewhere.

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BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products and bourbon-related craft supplies I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. And hey, if you are an iOS user, look for Bourbon Guy in Apple News. Thanks!

BourbonGuy.com Bottom-Shelf Brackets 2019: The Championship Rounds

Well, it's finally here. The championship rounds. We are down to the last four bourbons. In Division 1 we have Old Grand Dad Bonded facing off against Larceny. And in Division Two we have Old Forester Signature 100 proof up against Wild Turkey 101.

Division 1: Old Grand-Dad Bonded (Whiskey 1) vs Larceny (Whiskey 2)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Both noses are sweet, but Whiskey 2 is showing a bit more graininess. I’d say this is a bit of a draw on the nose. Neither is particularly better than the other. On the mouth however, Whiskey 1 pulls way ahead. In comparison to Whiskey 2, Whiskey 1 is an explosion of deliciousness. It is the hands-down winner in the one.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: To be honest, I’m a bit shocked on the results here. I expected Larceny to put up a bit more of a fight. And even though, I knew that Old Grand-Dad might have more flavor due to the proof, I didn’t expect it to necessarily have a better flavor. And yet it did. This is why we do these things blind, to eliminate the preconceived notions. Old Grand-Dad Bonded advances.

Division 2: Wild Turkey 101 (Whiskey 1) vs Old Forester Signature 100 proof (Whiskey 2)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: The nose on Whiskey 1 is sweeter and shows more baking spice. The nose on Whskey 2 is more tannic. Reminds me a bit of a glass of Lipton’s iced tea. Whiskey 1 follows the nose and is sweet and spicy. The mouth on Whiskey 2 is also more tannic but is sweet as well. These are both nicely complex bourbons in the mouth. I like the finish on Whiskey 1 better. It is a spice bomb which i love. Whiskey 2 has a fine finish, it follows the mouth but at this point it feels like just “more of the same.” It doesn’t really stand out or distinguish itself. Honestly, these are both delicious and it is super close, but I think that spice-bomb of a finish pushes Whiskey 1 ahead ever so slightly.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: I’m honestly surprised at what happened here. I would have bet money that Whiskey 2 was Wild Turkey. But once again, this is why we do blind tastings. I think either of these would have been a winner with a different opponent or on a different day (and I guess they were to get here) but today Wild Turkey 101 advances.

Championship Round: Wild Turkey 101 (Whiskey 1) vs Old Grand-Dad Bonded (Whiskey 2)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Whiskey 1 has a sweet nose where Whiskey 2 is reminding me of rye bread. Whiskey 1 is sweeter on the mouth while Whiskey 2 is drier and much spicier. This is super, super tough. Finishes on both are great. It comes down to the fact that Whiskey 1 makes me ever slightly happier.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: I did this same matchup on three different days. It was that close. OGD and 101 each won one of the first two. On the third round, I gave up on analyzing the notes and just asked myself, “Which of these makes me happier when I drink it?” And that one was Wild Turkey 101.

Lessons learned

So was I shocked by anything this year? I mean, besides the fact that you guys have a much more high-end bottom-shelf than I do? Yeah. I actually was. I continually gave Old Grand-Dad no shot in it’s matchups. I wasn’t sure what would happen versus Beam Bonded, but I expected it to lose in every matchup after that. I just think of Old Grand-Dad as dry and ever so slightly dusty and grainy. Every time I drink it, I am reminded that it isn’t, but I can’t get that impression out of my head. I mean it won the whole thing last year and that didn’t help. And it was a tie-breaker game away from winning this year. And it lost to another former winner (2017 Wild Turkey 101 was the Champ). I think I need to reassess my thoughts on OGD Bonded and try to remember that it really is a very good bourbon.

I was also a bit shocked that the two finalists were ones that would have fit in my normal pricing rules. Those being 2.4 cents per milliliter or less (which works out to $18 per 750, $24 per liter or $40 for a 1.75 L handle). In fact, I can get a handle of Wild Turkey for just under $30 locally. And the fact that they beat out bourbons that sell for $25 per 750 mL? That’s a bit shocking as well. But it does show one of the guiding principles of this site: you don’t need to spend a lot to drink well.

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I’m off to Las Vegas for a well earned vacation next week so no posts. But I’ll be back a week from Tuesday with my review of Legent from BeamSuntory.

Bottom-Shelf Brackets 2019: Round 2: Wild Turkey 101 vs. Bulleit and Evan Williams Bottled in Bond vs. Old Forester Signature

In light of recent allegations made by the daughter of Tom Bulleit of his homophobia and mental and physical abuse toward her, I have made the decision that BourbonGuy.com can no longer endorse products bearing the Bulleit name.

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This is it. Tonight we find out who will the final two spots of our semifinals round. Round 2 of the 2019 BourbonGuy.com Bottom Shelf Brackets continues with Division 2 Number 1 seed Wild Turkey 101 versus the advancing Number 5 seed Bulleit Bourbon. 

We’ve already met Bulleit, but to recap, it it is a sourced bourbon from Diageo. It used to be made of Four Roses juice but it is getting less and less likely that there is any left in the bottle since it has been five or six years since they were cut off. The other competitor is Wild Turkey 101. It is a product of Campari’s Wild Turkey distillery. And it is one of my favorite “everyday” bourbons. Let’s see who comes out on top.

These were tasted blind in the following order. Tasting notes are from before the reveal.

Wild Turkey 101

Purchase Info: $19.99 for a 1 liter bottle, Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 50.5% ABV.

Nose: Caramel, vanilla custard, cinnamon and a hint of mint.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy with mint and cinnamon.

Finish: Medium length, warm and sweet. Lingering cinnamon and vanilla custard.

Bulleit Bourbon

Purchase Info: $18.99 for a 750 mL bottle, Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 45% ABV.

Nose: Spearmint, toffee, cherry, cinnamon red hots.

Mouth: Spicy and sweet (though less sweet than number one) baking spice, toffee, and cherry.

Finish: Medium length. Lingering toffee and baking spice.

Pre-reveal Thoughts: Two very good whiskeys in this one but whiskey one wins this round. The spice is spicier. The sweet is sweeter It has more well-defined flavors. And it has a warmer and longer finish. Whiskey one is tastes like they took whiskey two and cranked up the volume.

Post Reveal Thoughts: Not shocked that Wild Turkey 101 won this round. The proof difference could easily explain the difference in “volume.”

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Round 2 of the 2019 BourbonGuy.com Bottom Shelf Brackets concludes with Division 2 Number 2 seed Evan Williams Bottled in Bond versus the advancing Number 6 seed Old Forester Signature 100 proof.  

Old Forester Signature 100 proof is the plucky underdog here. Or is it? Though it was once a staple on my bourbon shelf, I’ve been passing on Evan Williams Bottled in Bond more and more lately. It has just started tasting too young to me. More grain-forward than I’d like. Especially when I can get the same size bottle of Wild Turkey 101 for just a dollar or two more.

These were tasted blind in the following order. Tasting notes are from before the reveal.

Old Forester Signature 100 Proof

Purchase Info: $24.99 for a 750 mL bottle, Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 50% ABV.

Nose: Honey, caramel, wintergreen, almond.

Mouth: Caramel, black tea, vanilla, clove and cinnamon.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Lingering caramel, apple, cinnamon and oak.

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond

Purchase Info: $17.99 for a 750 mL bottle, Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Details: 50% ABV.

Nose: Brown sugar, mint and vanilla.

Mouth: Caramel, mint and dried grain.

Finish: Medium length with lingering caramel, dried grains and cinnamon.

Pre-reveal Thoughts: Whiskey one wins this one hands-down. In my mind there is no contest. Whiskey two is way too grain forward by comparison.

Post Reveal Thoughts: No surprises here. Old Forester is a nice complex bourbon. It’s everything that I look for in a decently priced bourbon. By way of comparison, Evan Williams Bottled in Bond just isn’t as good as it used to be. I’ve noticed that about a lot of the Heaven Hill Bonded bourbons lately. Good, but not as good as they used to be. (Possibly because Heaven hill seems more interested in putting out new $100+ “prestige” bourbons like the new Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond than they are the lower-priced offerings that helped build their reputation.) Anyway EWBiB will work great in cocktails, but that is what this contest is about. Old Forester Signature advances.

And so the Championship Rounds are set! Old Grand-Dad Bonded versus Larceny and Wild Turkey 101 versus Old Forester Signature.

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