Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon, July 2016, by Josh Cary.
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COCKTAIL
Name – Grilled Lemonade and Bourbon
Ingredients – Grilled Lemonade and Bourbon
Recipe: 1 oz. Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon (120 Proof), 4 oz. Grilled Lemonade, garnish with lemon slice.
BOTTLE 1
Name – Old Forester D&M Exclusive Single Barrel Bourbon
Distillery – Brown-Forman Distillers Company, Louisville, KY
Proof – 90 Proof, 45% ABV
Mash Bill – 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% barley
Age Statement – NAS, more than four years
Price – $34.99
Purchase Location – D&M (dandm.com)
Tasting Notes
Nose – Fruit and coconut
Palate – Dulche de leche and caramel on the mid-palate
Finish – Subtle, spices
Why this bottle is featured – As a fan of Old Forester, I wanted to feature this as an affordable single barrel bourbon. The mash bill used is the same as used for Woodford Reserve, yet the price of Old Forester (besides the Birthday Bourbon) is incredibly low. The quality is there without the need to make up for the marketing spend to build the brand (unlike Woodford).
BOTTLE 2
Name – Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel Bourbon
Distillery – Austin Nichols Distillery, Lawrenceburg, KY
Proof – 101 Proof, 50.5% Alcohol
Mash Bill – 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
Age Statement – NAS, but said to be 6 to 8 years.
Price – $54.99
Purchase Location – Jacob Liquor West
Tasting Notes
Nose – Pecan pie, citrus, vanilla, leather and various spice
Palate – Caramel, vanilla, orange, cinnamon
Finish – Medium finish, rye
Why this bottle is featured – Kentucky Spirit is essentially the best of Wild Turkey 101, bottled at that same proof. It is a standout bourbon for those who only drink wheated bourbon and could use some rye in their life.
BOTTLE 3
Name – Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
Distillery – Austin Nichols Distillery, Lawrenceburg, KY
Proof – 110 Proof, 55% Alcohol
Mash Bill – 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
Age Statement – NAS, but said to be 8 to 10 years.
Price – $61.99
Purchase Location – Jacob Liquor West
Tasting Notes
Nose – Vanilla, orange peel, toast
Palate – Toffee, orange, acetone
Finish – Medium-long, oak
Why this bottle is featured – This is the same mash bill as Wild Turkey’s Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel that we just drank, yet due to its different aging locations and bottling proof, it proves to be a very different drink. This to me is the most interesting thing about single barrel offerings, the differences that seemingly trivial things like aging 300 yards away on a slight hill will have in the finished product.
BOTTLE 4
Name – Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel
Distillery – Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY
Proof – 100 Proof, 50% ABV (Bottled in Bond)
Mash Bill – Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1, low rye (less than 10%)
Age Statement – NAS
Price – $61.99
Purchase Location – Central Wine and Spirits
Tasting Notes
Nose – Apple, plum, caramel, cinnamon
Palate – Caramel, butter, cinnamon, acetone
Finish – Medium, wood
Why this bottle is featured – The E.H. Taylor Small Batch is ever present on my shelf as I love it, and the Single Barrel offering seemed a great addition since it comes from the same place as our final bourbon, but with a different mash bill which will show the distinct difference in Mash Bills #1 and #2 from Buffalo Trace.
BOTTLE 5
Name – Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon
Distillery – Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY
Proof – 90 Proof, 45% ABV (Lee famously brought all his bourbon to 60 proof before drinking)
Mash Bill – Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2, high rye (12% to 15%)
Age Statement – NAS, said to be between 10 and 12 years
Price – $99.99
Purchase Location – Fusion Fine Wine and Spirits (fusionfinewine.com)
Tasting Notes
Nose – Honey, maple, very soft
Palate – Maple, peach, wood, black pepper
Finish – Medium-long, wood, spices
Why this bottle is featured – A great compliment to the E.H. Taylor while also proving harder to find for under $100 these days.
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