Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Binny's Private Select Barrel #4521 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $40
- 120 Proof
- 12 1/2 years
- Region: Kentucky

I feel like I start off every review of a Knob Creek Private Select the same way, touting the great value and the fact that for the price, you're guaranteed at the least a very good pour, if not a great pour. Well, here I am doing it again, because these Private Selects continue to not disappoint, no matter which one I grab.

Binny's got in a bunch of barrels at once, and this was among the older of them, the oldest being a 13 1/2 year old. It didn't come recommended to me as with the last one, but how wrong could I really go hear?

The nose is heavy, full of burn but also full of flavor. It was pungent cinnamon bread on the nose. I'd say cinnamon roll, but it didn't seem to have that sweetness. Rather, it was cinnamon and grain, leading to a very inviting nose. After being open a bit, the nose also developed a dark cherry scent that seemed to fit right in with the strong cinnamon and bread notes.

The first sip I tried was an absolute cinnamon bomb, accompanied only by a heavy alcohol burn, which seemed to dissipate pretty quickly. There was also a significant amount of vanilla present, but it was dominated by the heavy dose of cinnamon on the tongue.

After being open for a bit, it sweetened up significantly. Where before it was primarily cinnamon and unsweetened vanilla, it added a welcome bit of a honey flavor that went perfectly with the cereal and bread notes that were present throughout, though, much like the vanilla, were also dominated by the cinnamon notes.

Towards the last few pours, the honey notes seemed to get stronger, as though they were fighting to compete with the cinnamon. Cinnamon and honey is not a combination that I would seek or would ever have even thought of as a good combination, but it certainly worked. This bottle carried heavy heat throughout, but not to the point where it turned me off. Rather, it helped with the complexity and the strong flavors.

Based on the age of the bourbon and the nose, I had half expected to get some significant wood notes, but they were noticeably absent throughout. As someone who doesn't like anything more than just a little dry woodiness, this was a plus.

All in all, this was a very good pour. While it didn't reach that greatness that some Private Selects I've had in the past have reached, it still didn't disappoint, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end!

Grade: B+

Widow Jane 10 Year Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $70
- 91 Proof
- 10 Years
- Barrel #1398
- Region: Kentucky (bottled in New York)

Widow Jane was one of those bourbons I had only read about on social media and message boards. I knew very little other than that it existed and I had never seen it on the shelves in the Chicago area, at least until a few months ago when Binny's suddenly had three of their products sitting on the shelves.

Although a bit pricey, one of the options on the shelf was this 10 year old single barrel bourbon, and, with those qualities, I was certainly willing to give it a chance.

From what I understand, Widow Jane sources its bourbon from Kentucky, though the exact distiller is kept as something of a mystery. As they advertise, they then use "pure limestone mineral water from the Widow Jane Mine - Rosendale, NY" to proof the whiskey down. Not much more information than that is provided on the bottle's label.  In any event, it's at least worth a try to find out what difference, if any, New York limestone water can make to a 10 year Kentucky bourbon.

The nose is pleasant but soft, giving off some brown sugar and butter notes. It seems sweet, but not too sweet, and it certainly doesn't come across as pungent. There is almost no alcohol on the nose, which is good given the proof.

My initial impressions of this bourbon on the first pour or two was that it was kind of bland. Sure, it was easy to drink, but the flavors weren't very strong. What flavors were there were light cinnamon and brown sugar, with vanilla undertones. The flavor that I could find was very tasty, and there was something else that I just couldn't place my finger on.

After having the bottle open for a few weeks, this whiskey really opened up and all of a sudden seemed bursting with flavor. It sweetened up a bit, with a honey sweetness that seemed to also bring out the cinnamon and brown sugar notes. There was also a new and delicious chocolate now, and I was also able to figure out that the flavor I couldn't quite place was a kind of a plum flavor that I really enjoyed.

As I made my way through the last few pours, I also got a bit of bitterness, but a good kind of bitterness, the kind that you'd associate with a mix of coffee and dark chocolate. Again, these flavors seemed to complement the cinnamon and brown sugar that was found throughout.

At first I thought this bourbon was going to disappoint me. That first pour really was unimpressive. However, after letting it open up, even for just a short amount of time, I found myself really enjoying it! It developed a complexity that I didn't expect, and the varietal flavors all really worked well with one another to make for a very well-rounded bourbon.

Grade: A-

Ezra B Single Barrel 12 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $40
- 99 Proof
- 12 Years
- Barrel #623
- Region: Kentucky

When I first started to drink more bourbon and less Scotch, Ezra B was one of those bottles that I always saw on the shelf, memorable for the bottle design, particularly the ribbon and waxy medal on the front. And yet, it was that design that turned me away from it. I felt that the hokey design might signify a lesser quality bourbon, apparently ignoring the fact that this is a 12-year Kentucky bourbon at a very reasonable price.

And then it went away, and I just didn't see it on shelves anyway, and I had some regret at never having given it a chance. Two years later, though, I managed to locate a bottle in a gas station liquor store, and I didn't pass up the opportunity. I missed out on not grabbing it way back when.

The nose is rich, primarily oak and sweet vanilla--a traditional and welcome scent. There's also a bit of cherry on the nose, but not the medicine-like cherry. Rather, it's got a bit of fresh, real cherry that adds to the delicious nose.

This bourbon is incredibly drinkable. It's full of sweet vanilla and caramel, reminding me in the first few pours of a caramel sundae. The oak that was on the nose doesn't come through on the palate. It was so prevalent on the nose I really thought that it would, but there's no dryness or bitterness to this bourbon at all.

It has a nice, oily texture that coats the mouth, and it leaves behind a nice cinnamon spice that seems to stick around forever. The sweet vanilla also lingers a bit on the finish, though not nearly as long as the cinnamon.

As much as I enjoyed the first few pours, this bottle only got better and better as I made my way through it. The caramel sundae comparison holds strong, if not becoming even more apt. It is a sweet and smooth bourbon, an excellent example that I'd pour for a novice drinker as a prime example of what I would want in a bourbon.

The last few pours might have been the best, as the cinnamon spice turned more into a cinnamon sugar flavor, the kind I used to put on toast with butter as a sweet snack when I was a kid. It also picked up some maple syrup notes that made this a very breakfast-y bourbon.

Overall, this is an absolutely delicious bourbon, not one to be passed up due to off-putting ribbon and medal draped around the bottle's neck.

Grade: A-

Whiskey Acres Distiling Co. Bourbon

VITALS:
- $42
- 87 Proof
- at least 1 year old
- Illinois

DeKalb, Illinois is not exactly known for its rich history of bourbon distilling. Around me, anyway, it's known for Northern Illinois University, the closest college campus to go hunting for a kegger, and also for being surrounded by corn. On a recent trip to a small boutique store in Geneva, Illinois, however, my wife came across Whiskey Acres Bourbon. Knowing I hadn't tried this one and that I'd at least want to give it a shot, she picked up a bottle for me.

Now, going in, I knew this was not going to be the next Pappy. First, I had never heard of it. Second, it's only a one-year old bourbon--hardly enough time for any bourbon to mature, no matter who is making it. So, while I more than appreciated the thoughtfulness that went into buying this whiskey, I wasn't exactly calling all my friends to come over to give it a try.

Very much as expected, being such a young bourbon, it has both the smell and taste of over-ripe fruit, like apples that have been sitting on the counter for too long. I've noticed that this is a common flavor when a bourbon has not had the right amount of time in the barrel, and it's become a common flavor profile in bourbons bottled by new craft distilleries.

The flavor is a bit harsh. It has little to no sweetness (surprising since I understand it has a wheated mashbill), but is rather tart and bitter. In addition to the spoiled fruit flavor, there's a distinct coffee note. Not a good coffee flavor, though. More like "gas station right off the highway in the middle of Tennessee" bad coffee (yes, I know, that's not exactly relatable, but the flavor clearly brought back a bad memory).

On a more positive note, the back end provided a nice cinnamon note that stuck around the back of my throat for a while, and which I enjoyed after the other flavors faded away. The texture of the bourbon was actually nice and oily, coating the mouth and throat well, and allowing for that cinnamon to linger. This was particularly surprising given the proof and age.  Unfortunately, some of the less-desirable flavors also lingered around a bit.

In the end, this is a bourbon that clearly needs more time in the barrel to mature and interact with the wood and the sugars in the barrel. It's young and obviously so. The flavor and smell are both tough to get past, and I only drank this as a third pour for the night. In fact, my wife wouldn't even sit next to me while I drank it, she found the smell so offensive. I hope with time this bourbon improves, and after a few more years I'd be willing to try it again. Until then, though, this one is a pass for me.

Grade: C-

David Nicholson Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $30
- 100 Proof
- NAS
- Region: Kentucky

So many times I've seen this bottle on the shelf and so many times I've passed it up. It's an unassuming bottle, short and squat, with no cartoon birds or profiles of bourbon pioneers on the label. It's got a name that doesn't resonate either--couldn't tell you who David Nicholson is. At a $30 price tag, though, it was worth at least giving a try, and I couldn't be happier that I did!

This is a sourced bourbon from Luxco, the same company that brings you Rebel Yell and Blood Oath. The name itself has ties to the Van Winkle family, and it was purchased by Luxco in 2000. I have not been able to determine (through admittedly only brief internet research) where this bourbon is sourced from.

All that aside, regardless of where it comes from, this is very good whiskey! The nose is heavy caramel with a light undertone of vanilla, the traditional bourbon notes we've all come to know and love. This one also has a light smokiness on the nose that I really enjoyed. It had some alcohol burn, but that seemed to evaporate pretty quickly, and this was one of those pours that I found myself frequently shoving under my nose to enjoy the aroma.

With my first pour, my initial impression was that this was a somewhat bland bourbon. It didn't hit me with much flavor and seemed a bit watered down. I make note of this only because, looking back now, it seems a bit odd and perhaps, somehow, an anomaly. I say that because every other pour thereafter was full of flavor and very delicious!

The watery texture remained. This was not a chewy, oily bourbon. It was, however, a sweet and flavorful bourbon. The heavy caramel from the nose dominates the palate as well. That light smokiness from the nose came through on the palate as well, and there was minimal burn.

The caramel itself reminded me of smooth, warm caramel. While the differences may be somewhat subtle, there is a difference in caramel flavors from the hard caramels, to the caramel found in Rolos to the warm caramel you'd top a sundae with. This is the latter.

Accompanying that sweet, warm caramel flavor, though were notes of milk chocolate and even hints of crisp, green apple. These flavors complemented that caramel and light smoke flavor so well that, even though I wanted to open and try other whiskeys currently sitting in my bar, I couldn't help but keep going back for pour after pour of this stuff.

At $30, this is absolutely a bourbon worth buying and trying, and I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this bourbon that I've glossed over so many times before.

Grade: A-

Maker's Mark Private Select Binny's Beverage Depot #6 Kentucky Bourbon

VITALS:
- $80
- 112.1 Proof
- NAS
- Region: Kentucky

Once again I am here touting just how good the Maker's Mark Private Selects are. As I've said in the past, while some are certainly better than others, I still have yet to find one that is not, at least, very good. This particular Private Select is no different. While it's not my favorite, not really having that flavor profile that first turned me on to these, this is still a very delicious bourbon!

As with all of the Private Selects, these barrels are not so much selected as they are created, by selecting the combination of staves that were then inserted into the barrel for some extra finishing and aging. This particular barrel breaks down as follows:

I'll be honest, the first three or so pours I ever had of any Maker's Mark Private Select all had a unique and delicious sweet chocolate note to them, and I've found myself chasing that profile ever since. So, seeing that this one had more of the French Mocha staves, I just couldn't help myself. What wasn't there, however, was that chocolate profile that I was seeking. Nonetheless, this was a very complex and flavorful whiskey that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The nose gave off a bit of ethanol at first, which was somewhat off-putting. However, once I got past that alcohol smell, I got an interesting combination of dark chocolate and walnut on the nose, giving it a decadent, but not sweet, nose.

On the palate I did get the chocolate notes, but it was more of a bitter chocolate flavor than the sweet chocolate I was hoping for. It was more of a cocoa powder flavor. That flavor did go well with a creamy, buttery flavor that also came through. It was kind of like an unsweetened breakfast pastry. There were also hints of orange that seemed to bounce in and out from time to time, an almost evasive flavor.  I also got a nutty flavor lingering in the background, though it didn't seem to be the walnut flavor I found on the nose. Rather, it was more of an unsalted peanut flavor.

The finish was primarily a light and smokey cinnamon flavor. It had a good amount of spice, along with a light smokiness that added to the complexity just a bit. Overall it has a nice, creamy texture that allowed the flavors to linger for quite a while after each sip.

The great texture and nice complexity made this an interesting and tasty pour, even if the flavors were somewhat all over the place. What remained consistent, however, was the lingering spice at the back end, which had me wanting another sip over and over again. While it didn't hit the mark as far as the flavor profile I was hoping for, this ended up being an excellent pour nonetheless.

Grade: B+

James E. Pepper 1776 Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:
- $35
- 100 Proof
- 2 Years
- Region: Indiana (bottled in Kentucky)

This is one of those whiskeys that I've seen pretty regularly on the shelves, but frequently passed it over for no reason in particular. For a long time I knew little about it, and I guess that was reason enough. As someone who is a fan of MGP ryes, however, having happened upon a list of Non-Distilling Producers that are bottling MGP's product and seeing James E. Pepper 1776 Rye on the list, I then figured, what do I have to lose?

It's only a two-year rye, so my expectations going in weren't great, regardless of where it came from. On the nose I got a LOT of alcohol. It's not a super-high proofer, so that was quite off-putting, and it was pretty difficult to get past.

Once I was able to get past that alcohol smell, though, I was able to notice some distinct cherry and vanilla on the nose. Unfortunately, though, that alcohol smell made it very hard to enjoy what should otherwise have been some very pleasant aromas.

On the palate it had some harsh and rough edges. The cherry and vanilla flavors were there, even at times reminding me of a cherry Coca-Cola. The cherry was more dominant on the palate than on the nose, and it brought a significant sweetness to it, kind of like maraschino cherries.

There was a light, peppery spice on the back end to compliment that sweet, syrupy cherry flavor, but the finish was short and unremarkable. Any flavors I found myself enjoying seemed to disappear almost immediately.

On later pours I got some further notes that made this an interesting pour. Orange peel came through, giving some (not sure the word I'm looking for here . . . character? substance?) to the bitterness that I didn't really like at first. It sort of gave that bitterness a reason for being there, a purpose, rather than just being bitter for bitterness' sake.

In the end, though, this is a young, rough rye. It's interesting at times, but those times were fleeting, and ultimately those rough edges never seemed to smooth out. In the end it was a somewhat one dimensional pour, lacking any robustness or complexity. While I really enjoyed the unique, cherry cola flavor, it just wasn't enough for me.

Grade: C+