Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $12.00
- 100 Proof
- 6 years old

This is another bottle I brought home from my recent trip to Louisville. In fact, this was one of the bottles that I was specifically searching out while I was there. For some reason I just can't find this stuff in Illinois, which is a shame considering how cheap it is and the fact that it gets positive reviews across the board.

Interestingly, the first liquor store I went into was all out, and the guy behind the counter told me it's become very hard to find, even in Louisville. But then I walked a block and a half to the next liquor store where they not only had a bunch of bottles on the shelf, but even a display up front by the register. I told this clerk what the guy at the other liquor store told me and he just laughed.

I brought a number of bottles home with me from that trip, so it took a bit to crack into this one, but when I did, I was more than pleasantly surprised. The nose on this bourbon is great! It was a nice  blend of caramel and vanilla, which I would certainly expect, but also tobacco leaf, reminiscent of good Irish single malts. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed the nose!

On my first sip, I primarily noticed a nice, mellow rye spice, complemented by the expected vanilla and caramel notes. That sweetness counter-balanced by the rye spice stayed consistent throughout, making this a very solid, traditional rye-based bourbon. There was nothing overly complex about this bourbon. It's not trying to be anything more than just a good bourbon, and it does a good job of that.

On the back end I got some oak flavors which I didn't anticipate from a 6 year old bourbon. The cinnamon spice from the rye seemed to tickle the back of my throat, but the caramel seemed to coat it after a bit, sticking around a bit longer.

It's a thin, watery bourbon, yet it doesn't lack for flavor. While watery bourbons tend to be more of mixers than sippers, I really enjoyed drinking this one straight from the glass. At only $12 a bottle, this is an incredible value, certainly an above-average bourbon at an incredibly affordable price.

Grade: B

Breckenridge Whiskey Port Cask Finish

VITALS:
- $70
- 90 Proof

A couple weeks ago my wife and I did the obligatory road trip with the kids, taking them across the flat lands of Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska so they could see mountains and experience something other than the great plains. We stayed in Breckenridge, and I knew that at some point on this trip I'd be visiting the Breckenridge Distillery.

Within 10 minutes of being in town, though, I found myself in the Breckenridge Tasting Room, where I was immediately greeted and offered a shot of bourbon! Great start to a vacation, and on hell of a way to cap off a long drive! While at the tasting room, though, I learned of a new release, one which the lady behind the counter believed was already sold out. She informed me that only a week prior Breckenridge Distillery had just finished bottling their port finish. While she had no samples for me, she assured me it was incredible.  So, I spent the rest of the week searching out any bottles that remained.

On my last day of vacation I finally made it to the distillery and much to my pleasure they had box on top of box of the port finish, and I grabbed my bottle even before I took the tour (which was free and really fun, by the way!).

On the nose the fruit from the port is really noticeable. Just as noticeable, though, is the sweetness of this whiskey. A sweet, vanilla aroma really came through, not overly sweet, just sweet enough to intrigue me and make me think I'm in for something a little different and good. It smells like dessert!

It comes across as a very easy drinker, not too syrupy, no burn, and, unexpectedly, not nearly as sweet as the nose made me believe it would be. It's on the sweetness level of plums or dark cherries. I'm not sure exactly what I expected, but it wasn't that sickening-sweet that you get in some finished bourbons.

Speaking of "bourbon," I found it interesting that despite that this is simply Breckenridge Bourbon finished in port casks, they chose to label it as "whiskey" and not "bourbon" for the fact that the finishing adds flavors not otherwise found in the bourbon. While some distillers continue to call their port finished products "bourbon" (i.e. Angel's Envy and Barton 1792), Breckenridge went the safe route calling it "whiskey."

Nonetheless, the traditional bourbon flavors eventually came through, sneaking out from under the dominant dark fruit flavors. Vanilla and cinnamon came to the forefront as well, along with a hint of coffee flavor.

In the end, though, the earlier sweetness stuck around after the other flavors seemed to disappear, and those sweet notes seemed to linger at the back of my throat forever, something I really enjoyed about this bourbon. Overall, I was very pleased with the only souvenir I brought back from Breckenridge, and I hope they keep cranking out such quality products!

Grade: A

Glenfiddich 14 Year Bourbon Barrel Reserve Single Malt Scotch

VITALS:
- $50
- 86 Proof

It's been a while since I've finished off a bottle of Scotch. My purchases over the last few months have been bourbon-centric. Heck, even this purchase is a Scotch that was aged in bourbon barrels. When I first heard Glenfiddich was releasing its Bourbon Barrel Reserve, I knew I had to try it, and I grabbed the first bottle I saw on the shelves.

This Scotch is aged for 14 years in bourbon barrels, and then finished in new oak. Having never had a Scotch aged in bourbon barrels, I was eager to see how the traditional vanillas and caramels commonly associated with bourbon would influence the Scotch.

I've always found Glenfiddich to produce very inoffensive, easy-drinking Scotches. No peat, light, crisp flavors and no burn. Such is the case with the Bourbon Barrel Reserve. It's a very light whiskey. In fact, I was surprised at how watery in texture it was. It didn't have the same body that other Glenfiddich expressions. Even the 15 year, at only a year older, has a much fuller body.

The nose is soft and floral. It also gave hints of pipe tobacco and vanilla. I expected the bourbon barrel influence to come through a little more, with stronger vanilla and caramel on the nose, but such was not the case.

The flavor up front is sweet and malty, a slightly more complex version of the Glenfiddich 12-year. As I let the whisky sit on my tongue, I primarily noticed vanilla (finally) but also with a distinct and sweet honey flavor, making this a sweeter Scotch than most.

As noted above, this is a very watery whisky, so the flavor doesn't hang around too long after the swallow, which was a bit disappointing. There was no sweet, butterscotch flavor to hang around the back of my throat, one of my favorite parts about enjoying a good Scotch. The influence of the bourbon barrels wasn't quite what I'd hoped it would be either. I didn't know quite what to expect, and while it didn't the fruity or citrus undertones of many Scotches, rather leaning towards the vanilla and honey flavors, the influence just wasn't as bold. I guess I expected more vanilla and toffee influence than what I got.

Grade: B-

Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon OBSK - Master Distiller Selection - Gift Shop Exclusive

VITALS:
- $70
- 104.8 Proof
- 8 years, 6 Months

On my recent trip to Louisville, I went into the Four Roses gift shop with a purpose--to find a gift shop exclusive private selection, one I hadn't had before. The gift shop only had three offerings, but luckily for me, one of those was an OBSK, a recipe I hadn't had before, selected by Brent Elliot, Four Roses' master distiller, exclusively for the gift shop.

Once back on the bus, I didn't hesitate to ask for a cup so I could immediately pour this and try it out. I was not disappointed! On the nose I was hit with a strong vanilla scent, which was accented by a distinct maltiness as well as the tell-tale spiciness of a high-rye bourbon.

The flavor did not have any of that malt flavor, though. The first few drinks were prominently cherry and cinnamon, with the traditional vanilla flavor coming behind it. A peppery spice made its way through on the back end as well, offering a great blend of sweet up front and spicy at the back end.

Interestingly, I found that over the next few weeks, this bottle significantly changed and was a very different bourbon at the end. The cherry flavor seemed to disappear, and in its place was almond mixing with chocolate and vanilla, which sounds like it would come across as incredibly sweet, but that was not the case here.

Rather, these flavors were complemented by a smokiness, stronger than I've ever noticed in a bourbon before, and reminiscent of a peated Scotch. And yet, that malt from the nose never seemed to make its appearance. I really enjoyed the smokey vanilla flavor with the almond undertones as I finished off my last few pours of this, and it was one of those bottles where I was a little sad when it was over.

Though it seemed to almost be two different bourbons from the beginning to the end of the bottle, it was nonetheless fantastic throughout. This one was younger than most of the private bottlings, but Mr. Elliot did a great job in selecting a fantastic barrel for this particular bottling, and I could not be happier to have had the chance to grab it while I was at Four Roses.

Grade: A

High West American Prairie Blended Bourbon

VITALS:

- $35

- 92 Proof

- Batch No. 2

American Prairie is a blended bourbon from High West. As far as its offerings go, it is usually one of the more affordable ones.  According to website, though the ratios aren't disclosed, it's a blend of (1) 2-year old bourbon from MGP; (2) 6-year old Kentucky bourbon from an undisclosed source; and (3) 13-year old Kentucky bourbon from an undisclosed source. So we get complete transparency that it's all sourced bourbon, but ratios, sources and  mashbills on the Kentucky bourbons are still kept secret.

The nose is malty, making me double check to make sure it was, in fact, a blend of bourbons, and not simply a blended whiskey. It also gave off hints of walnut and baking spices. It had a very "bread baking" kind of smell to it.

The first sip was interesting. I immediately caught a mix of brown sugar and peanuts. Quite frankly, I've never noticed such a combination in a whiskey before, at least not that I can recall. It's a sweet bourbon, but certainly not offensively so.

On the back end, I caught notes of anise and rye, leading me to believe that some, if not all, of the bourbons in this blend were high-rye. Despite these spicy notes, it remained sweet on the back end as well, mixing a mild citrus flavor with dark cherry flavors.

The interesting mix of flavors, particularly on the back end, was very enjoyable. Honestly, at first I wasn't overly impressed with American Prairie, thinking it was a somewhat simple bourbon. However, the more I drank the more I noted the complexity of it, and the more I appreciated the complementary flavors that came through both on the front and back ends.

In fact, I realized almost too late just how much I liked this bourbon, particularly for the price, as I was pretty much to the bottom of the bottle before I knew it. Almost subconsciously I kept going right back for another pour, despite having other options available to me. This is a very nice bourbon for the price, and certainly the fact that it's blended and source should not keep you away from enjoying an otherwise very tasty pour!

Grade: A-

Pilgrimage to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail - Day 3

After a full day of tours on Friday, I now knew what I was getting into. I woke up early, with no need for an alarm despite the many drinks the night before. I made sure I had a complete breakfast, some amazing eggs Benedict topped with crab, and some coffee, and away we went!

We boarded our bus and headed out, with the first stop on our tour being a tasting at Heaven Hill. However, our tour guide, Wendy, had a surprise for us. Because we had some time before the tasting was to begin, we made an extra stop at the Jim Beam distillery! While we didn't get to do a tasting or a tour while there, it was still nice to get the extra stop and the opportunity to go stomping round the Jim Beam grounds, taking photos of the Jim Beam and Booker Noe statues, learning about the history of Jim Beam and their different products, checking out their rickhouses, and smelling the smoked meats coming from their smokehouse first thing in the morning! This was a nice added bonus to the tour.

After about a half hour, we boarded our bus and headed on over to Heaven Hill where we were greeted and immediately ushered into their tasting room. It was a great set up, with high-top tables and chairs for everyone, and wine crackers and water already set out on the tables. The tasting lineup consisted of Elijah Craig and Larceny. With so many different offerings available, I had hoped for a little something more or different than their typical grocery store liquor shelf offerings, but it was an enjoyable experience nonetheless. At one point, though, I managed to strike up a conversation with an older tour guide, and he and I ended up talking for about 20 minutes about bourbon, our likes and dislikes, discontinued and hard-to-find bourbons and everything I enjoy about this "hobby." This was probably my favorite part of the Heaven Hill stop. I only wish I had gotten his name before I left.

From there it was on to Maker's Mark. I must say, immediately upon entering the visitor center and looking out the back door I knew this was my favorite distillery visit, and it only got better from there. The campus is beautiful, the kind of place you'd go for a picnic with your family. Lots of well-maintained black and red buildings built around a small, winding creek and surrounded by big, beautiful trees and lush landscaping.

The tour was great as well! The large fermenting room was one of my favorite experiences on this trip. The room is full of six gigantic wooden mash tuns with beer in varying stages of fermentation. Not only did we get to walk right up to the tanks but we were even encouraged to dip out finger into the mash and taste it (it was like sweet cereal)! The tour then finished with a tasting where we got to sample their white dog, regular Maker's, Maker's 46 and cask strength. Our tour guide even took sips with us, toasting with each sample!

We then left the tasting through a smaller storage area with a glass ceiling. Behind the glass were all sorts of blown glass pieces which were backlit to make for a stunning sight! We passed under the colorful ceiling and into to the gift shop where we got to hand-dip our own bottles and where I picked up some Maker's 46 staves for grilling. 

The Maker's Mark distillery really had it all. It was visually appealing, inside and out. The tour was interactive, the tasting was fun and comprehensive, and even the gift shop was a unique experience. This tour was my favorite part of the whole trip! 

As our last stop we headed over to Barton 1792. The tour there was shorter in walking distance than all the others. This distillery offered its own unique experience, though. They take you right into the middle of their production plant. It's very industrial, and we were walking around and stepping over pipes and other equipment as we climbed to the third floor to see the top of the still. It was really a cool experience, as we felt like we were right in the middle of the production process. Plus, after a tasting of Very Old Barton and 1792 Small Batch, I was able to pick up a bottle of their newly released 1792 Single Barrel, which I cracked open as soon as I was back on the bus--very tasty!

Our tour ended here, but these two days were very educational and incredibly fun! It's always a good time, though, when you're hanging around like-minded bourbon fans all day long, and Mint Julep Tours really did an amazing job taking care of us!

That night I had some fried chicken, because I felt I had to at some point on this trip, and I enjoyed the heck out of a number of fine pours that are, quite frankly, pretty easy to find anywhere in Louisville--perhaps too easy judging by the amount I consumed that night and the way I felt that next morning. Luckily all I had to do was endure the 5 1/2 hour car ride home. I did finally get to the Haymarket, and there I finally got to try a pour of Rock Hill Farms, which I had been after since Day 1 of this trip. It was really a nice way to end the vacation (though we did walk across the foot bridge over the Ohio River before we left town on Sunday, but that's a lot like exercise and I'm therefore not considering that a part of the vacation).

Pilgrimage to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail - Day 2

First off, let me start by saying that waking up in a bed & breakfast is one of the best feelings. Even with a slight hangover, I couldn't help but enjoy waking to the smell of breakfast cooking, bacon, eggs, coffee.  It was absolutely amazing.  After getting ready and getting some food in my belly (I'm not much of a breakfast person, but I do enjoy the smells!), we headed over to start our tours.

The first stop on our tour was Buffalo Trace Distillery. I finally got my chance to see the stacks and stacks of barrels aging in the rickhouses. I was amazed at how cramped those places are and how low the ceilings are. They really pack those barrels in there, which makes total sense of course. I don't know what I expected, but I couldn't help but take notice of those tight quarters. We also got to see the hand-bottling line in action as a dozen or so workers operated the assembly line, filling, sealing, labeling and packaging some Blanton's, right in front of us! Acetone smell aside, this was definitely one of the cooler parts of the tour.

And, of course, we got to do a tasting at the end. They shared some Wheatley Vodka, White Dog, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and Bourbon Cream. The White Dog and Bourbon Cream were both firsts for me, and both at very opposite ends of the spectrum. White Dog is some powerful stuff, with an incredibly strong alcohol burn at the back. I couldn't really blame the bachelor party that was on the tour with us for downing them like shots. The Bourbon Cream, which I've never had before, was absolutely amazing paired with the root beer they provided us. All in all, my first distillery tour was a great experience, even if I was a bit disappointed by the limited selection of bourbons at the gift shop.

From there we went to Four Roses. As our tour guide noted heading there, it really does look out of place. The buildings have a Spanish style to them that makes them look like they belong somewhere in Southern California, and not in the hills of Kentucky. It's a beautiful facility, though. Although we did not get to do a full tour there, we did get to enjoy a very nice tasting outside under the pavilion. Even though I've had all three of the bourbons we tasted many times each, this was still one of the more well-done tastings of the entire trip. As a bonus, Four Roses was very generous with the souvenir glasses they let everyone take home, even wrapping up extras for those that wanted them. I also picked up an private single barrel OBSK hand-selected by Brent Elliot, their master distiller, exclusively for the gift shop.

After a lunch at Staxx BBQ (delicious!), we then headed to Wild Turkey. I was initially impressed simply with the sheer sprawl that their facilities have. Their piece of property is huge and has incredible views of the river. The tour was pretty amazing as well, particularly seeing the incredibly large-scale distillation plan. Plus, it ended with a great tasting where nearly their full line was made available to choose from. The highlight of the day, however, was walking into the visitor center and seeing the legend, Jimmy Russell just hanging out in a chair off to the side. He was the nicest man--had a photograph, an autograph and a smile for everyone there, and the place was packed. I would have loved to take the time to talk to him a bit, but he was clearly busy being a man of the people.

I wish I had a few more paragraphs to write about the night we had after that, but, to be honest, eventually it all kind of blurred together, especially as I finish this post a couple days removed. However, I did make it to a couple liquor stores to finally grab some of those bottles that just don't make it to Illinois for one reason or another. I picked up some Mellow Corn, Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond, and Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond. At the first store I went to, I specifically asked for the Heaven Hill BIB, but the owner told me the stuff is getting hard to find, even in Kentucky. I was a bit deflated, as I was particular on the hunt for a couple bottles of that stuff. So I left, walked about a block and a half to the next store, and this hard-to-find-even-in-Kentucky stuff was everywhere I looked, on the shelves in numbers, and even on a display by the register. I was thrilled and could only laugh at the response I received at the other store.