Let down by the OHLQ bottle lottery…again? Santa forget to drop that Pappy off at your place? Well, here is your opportunity to catch a true unicorn. You will recall […]
While we all like surprises during the holiday season – the earlier than expected release of the COWS Single Barrel, Barrel Proof is a great way to ring in the New Year. This pick, which COWS obtained when another group backed out, was the holy grail of picks for the COWS founder, Eric Smith. Accordingly, it is appropriately named: “COWS Founder’s Favorite.” While it is hard to go wrong with an Old Forester Barrel Proof pick, we think this one is truly special.
Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.
NAME – Old Forester Single Barrel, Barrel Proof
PROOF – 131
AGE – 5 years, 9 months
COLOR – Auburn, polished mahogany (1.5 on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)
NOSE – There is a lot going on. Right up front there is Banana Foster with a coating of brown sugar and a French Vanilla cream. The sweetness is balanced out by soft worn leather and oak char.
TASTE – The palate is complex and a fun ride. This is a very buttery bourbon with a great mouth feel. On the front I get a creamy banana pudding with a sprinkle of brown sugar. That transitions into a chocolate covered cherry note in the middle before fading into a leather note on the back. The banana note reappears as well. While you certainly get some heat from the proof point on this pick – it does not drink like a 130+ proof bourbon
FINISH – I would describe this as a longer finish. While the oak and leather notes linger on the back, after a little bit a soft banana note reappears. You certainly get some peppery spice notes, but it is not overwhelming.
REVIEW – Again, it is hard to go wrong on an Old Forester Barrel Proof pick. We had 3 barrels to choose from. And while it was a tight vote initially between barrels 2 & 3, our pick (barrel 3) had a much more complex and unique aroma and taste profile and the higher proof point. Ian, our Old Forester guide on the pick, commented that he liked our pick as it has a unique profile versus the usual Old Forester. This is one you will definitely not want to miss.
FINAL COMMENTS – The mash bill for Old Forester is 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley. With that level of rye, this is generally regarded as a “high rye” Kentucky bourbon. While you get some heat from the rye and the proof point, overall this is a complex, balanced pour.
Reviewed by Todd Sarver
Sunday Evening Review
This week’s review is for a limited release from Watershed Distillery that will be available at their upcoming 1st Annual Booty Hunt on October 29th. This Watershed Bourbon finished in Pinot Noir barrels. So without further ado I will stick out my pinkie and get to sipping.
Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.
NAME – Watershed Bourbon Pinot Noir Wine Barrel Finished Whiskey
PROOF – 94
AGE – No age statement did get from the distillery that it is at least 6 years old, 3 years in its home barrel and at least 3 years in the Pinot Noir cask
COLOR – rose gold (1.7 burnt amber on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)
NOSE – Canned plums syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla ice cream, sweet oak, aged leather
TASTE – Raisins, aged oak, leather, tobacco leaf, and baking spices
FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. This is where you taste the Pinot Noir influence with a dry dark red wine note. The length of this finish at 94 proof is pretty impressive.
REVIEW – To be honest thought that due to the 3 years in a Pinot Noir Cask it would taste like a high proofed wine. It does not at all and shocked by just the slight wine notes that come in for me in the finish. This is a very enjoyable pour but to distinguish individual tasting notes was very difficult. It seems to have several notes melding together to create its own experience.
FINAL COMMENTS – This bottle was given to me to review by Watershed Distillery. Also as mentioned before, Watershed is having an event on October 29th from 8am to 2pm called the Booty Hunt. There will be a raffle for empty bourbon barrels, rare bourbon bottles and also some local vendors. Here is what they said about the event:
Join the hunt for unique products, limited releases, and other one-of-a-kind Watershed rarities available one day only while supplies last. See you tharr!
Here is the link for more information – Watershed Booty Hunt | Watershed (watersheddistillery.com)
Sunday Evening Review
There is only one time you can be first and the COWS got that chance and took it. The COWS are the first public barrel pick with the High Bank Distillery. The group got to pick a Whiskey War Double Oak barrel and now it is time to let you know what we picked taste like. Stay tuned until the end with information of when and where you will be able to get yours.
Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.
NAME – Whiskey War Double Oak Single Barrel – “D.O. or Die”
PROOF – 100
AGE – 5+ years (oldest juice to come out of High Bank so far)
COLOR – Dark Amber (1.6 mahogany, henna notes on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)
NOSE – The signature Whiskey War ginger note along with vanilla crème, saddle leather, aged oak, butterscotch, raisins and toasted almonds.
TASTE – Right away you notice that this whiskey coats your tongue like a thick syrup. The ginger is still there but it climbs into the backseat to let sweet caramel, vanilla bean, raisin and leather drive. The aged oak is still there along with a hint of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and cinnamon.
FINISH – I would call this a long finish. Sit back for awhile as this finish lingers for a good bit of time. The dark chocolate, caramel and rye spice linger and linger.
REVIEW – This is a very good double oaked whiskey that doesn’t get overly sweet like some do from other distilleries. There is enough spice and earthy notes that ride along with the sweet notes to make it very interesting and highly enjoyable. The finish is something to behold on a 100 proof whiskey that isn’t even 6 years old yet. It is long and very enjoyable. In my opinion the best double oaked Whiskey War to come out of High Bank Distillery.
FINAL COMMENTS – If this review isn’t enough for you, here is the tasting notes from Adam Hines the Master Distiller of High Bank Distillery:
Sweet vanilla caramel nose with notes of leathery oak. Accompanied by a sugary white pepper caramel that ends with a raisin and mint tea finish.
The COWS have been honored and lucky to get some pretty exciting experiences. This is one of the biggest honors when the distillery comes to you and ask you to be the first to do a barrel pick with one of, if not the, hottest distillery in America after winning best blended whiskey at the San Francisco World Spirits competition 2 years in a row. This will absolutely be a bottle that you will want to have in your collection for numerous reasons. The price for the bottle is $69.99 plus tax and the link to purchase this will hit the COWS Facebook group page at 11am on Friday, October 21st. There will be a limit of 1 bottle on the first day to give everyone a chance to get this special bottle. The nice part is you can go to High Bank Distillery right after purchasing online and pick up the bottle. All bottles will need to be picked up at High Bank Distillery and there will not be any special arrangements for pick up or delivery that can be made by High Bank Distillery or the Central Ohio Whiskey Society.
Sunday Evening Review
This week SER reviews a newer release from Fred B. Noe Distillery, Hardin’s Creek Jacob’s Well 184 months aged (15 years for those mathematically challenged) edition. This came in with a fair bit of fanfare. Let’s find out if it holds up to the hype.
This review was a request from a member so make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.
NAME – Hardin’s Creek Jacob’s Well
PROOF – 108
AGE – 15 years but this is a blend of 15 year and 16 year bourbon
COLOR – Aged Hickory bark (1.8 old oak on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)
NOSE – Classic scents are here in spades. Caramel, cinnamon stick, vanilla, aged oak but I think the classic cherry note leans more to a strawberry taffy. There is the smell of a tobacco barn, some maple syrup and roasted coffee beans.
TASTE – The age of this whiskey shows on the palate. Old oak, leather, tobacco, along with cinnamon, maple syrup and raisins.
FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. Slight disappointment is this whiskey is thinner than expected for a 15 year bourbon and I think it hurts the length of the finish. That said it is very pleasant. Aged oak, roasted peanut, and leather linger until the end.
REVIEW – Don’t know if this is influenced by something but this is what I think Baker’s would taste like if it was 15 years old. That’s a very good thing. Makes since as the proof if very close and both from Beam. I appreciate the tamed down Beam peanut in this whiskey and all the darker notes that I really enjoy. Really the only think that makes this a very good bourbon versus a spectacular bourbon is the mouth feel and longer finish.
FINAL COMMENTS – Here is from the press release for Hardin’s Creek:
Hardin’s Creek is an ongoing series of annual releases, featuring some of James B. Beam Distilling Co.’s rarest and most unique liquids and grounded in the rich experience and distilling expertise of James B. Beam Distilling Co. Each set of releases will showcase the breadth and depth of the James B. Beam Distilling Co’s whiskey-making credentials inclusive of age, blending, mash bill, distillation, barrels, rackhouse locations, and more. This year’s inaugural Hardin’s Creek series will launch with two expressions: Jacob’s Well™ Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a thoughtful blend of two ultra-aged bourbons, and Colonel James B. Beam™ Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a carefully crafted young whiskey.
The Fred B. Noe Distillery was thoughtfully named after seventh-generation Master Distiller Fred Noe, with the intent of producing new-to-world innovative products as part of the next generation of whiskey such as Little Book® and Booker’s®. On May 12, 2022, Freddie Noe was officially named the Master Distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery, announced by his father Master Distiller Fred Noe. This is significant as it is the first time in Beam history that there are two family members, working alongside one another, sharing the Master Distiller title at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. homestead in Clermont, KY.
Today the Beam name is synonymous with bourbon, and that all started with Johannes Jacob Beam, the forefather of America’s first family of bourbon. In 1795, Jacob Beam set down roots in the foothills of Western Kentucky. He started with a sturdy but humble well to draw water from a nearby creek. That water powered a mill – the mill to grind fields of corn – which formed Jacob Beam’s earliest mashes. That creek – Hardin’s Creek – became the first source of his family’s enduring legacy.
NAME – Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye – “COWS Did It On The Creek, Too”
AGE – 9 Years
PROOF – 115
NOSE – Vanilla, sweet oak, rye spice, toasted brown sugar
TASTE – Your nose doesn’t lie to you on this one. Right up front you get a nice mix of vanilla and rye spice. As the vanilla and rye spice subside, hints of sweet oak and toasted brown sugar make their way in. Up to this point, you’d think you have a really solid traditional Rye. Just know, you better buckle in for the finish.
FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. The finish is what brings this rye full-circle. The vanilla, oak, and rye spice hang around to finish it off. But just when you think you’re ready for that tight Kentucky hug of a deep rye finish, a surprising sweet note comes in with hints of Granny Smith apple and dark Bing Cherry. Those notes hang around with the rye spice to give this juice a very well-rounded finish.
REVIEW – After much deliberation, we decided on the juice that will be coming to the COWS. I believe the exact words from the group were something like “This one isn’t like the rest. This one is special.” I think our pick team was right on it with this one. This is a rye that up until the finish is a great rye and then that well-balanced, sweet & spice finish bring this juice to another level.
FINAL COMMENTS – After a great experience (lunch, in-depth tour and even a pull of new malted Rye straight from the still at the Fred B. Noe Distillery) we decided on a name that is a nod to Beam Suntory (parent company of Jim Beam & Maker’s Mark) & our previous pick at Maker’s Mark. That’s where get “COWS Did It On The Creek, Too”. This was a great experience with a great pick team, I hope everyone is ready for a fantastic rye to make it to the COWS.
Thanks to the review from Alex Odenweller, our fabulous leader of the pick team for this great rye.
Sunday Evening Review
This week as I made my way down to do an Ezra Brooks Cask Strength barrel pick at Lux Row I was forced to storm the castle (walk into the gift shop) of the Old Taylor Distillery that is home of Castle & Key. I went to pick up the fairly recently released bourbon that is now on batch 3. Not many liked the first batch as I heard. Let’s see if they figured anything out and batch 3 is the charm.
Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.
NAME – Castle & Key Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
PROOF – 96
AGE – 4 years
COLOR – autumn hay (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)
NOSE – Lemon tart, powder sugar, toasted corn bread, caramel ice cream topping
TASTE – Cooked caramel, toasted oak, vanilla ice cream, lemon zest, croissant, rye spice, slight floral notes
FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The caramel, oak and a pepper note continue through the end. Gets a bit drying at the end. Just enough you want another sip.
REVIEW – This is summer in a glass. A lot of lemon citrus throughout the nose and the palate. For 96 proof and only 4 years old thought it was pretty oily and really clung to the sides of the glass. For $50 this juice along with a very thick and beautiful bottle presentation is more than worth it on this batch. We are nearing the end of summer and this is the perfect bourbon to take you into fall.
FINAL COMMENTS – The mash bill is 73% White Corn, 10% Rye, and 17% Malted Barley. This would have been put in the barrel back when Marianne Eaves was still the master distiller.
This is the first proprietary bourbon to be distilled and released by Castle & Key from the historic Old Taylor Distillery in nearly five decades. Castle & Key has been more widely known as a contract distiller, working with brands like Pinhook and more recently Blue Run.
To me the only other distillery the rivals Castle & Key for the beauty of the grounds is Maker’s Mark. This place is a must visit even if who are with is not into spirits at all. By the way you can rent the grounds for a wedding or other event for $40k if you’re interested.
Sunday Evening Review
This week’s bottle came on the market like a storm but has since seemed to no longer be the must have bottle. Is it the juice or is it just the $200 price tag. We will find out his week on the Sunday Evening Review as I go through Augusta Distiller’s Buckner’s Single Barrel.
Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.
NAME – Buckner’s Single Barrel
PROOF – 118.2
AGE – 13 years
COLOR – copper wire (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)
NOSE – Honeycrisp apple, butterscotch, amber honey, vanilla wafers, toasted pecan, and aged oak.
TASTE – Cinnamon rolls, cooked caramel, stewed apples, vanilla, toasted oak
FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The caramel, along with some raisins and oak finish this up.
REVIEW – Will start this by saying this is a very good pour and very enjoyable to drink but its not $200 good. As soon as I put my nose on this I knew that smell immediately. Though its not official there is a high probability of being a Barton sourced juice and it smelled exactly like 1792 Full Proof. The 13-year age statement along with a single barrel and barrel proof entices buyers that they are going to get something that is more than a standard 1792 Full Proof. To me it is not and dare I say it may not be as good. It should have a better mouth feel and a longer finish for the age and the price. In the $60 to $80 price range this is a buy but no way at $200 which is MSRP.
FINAL COMMENTS – Like I said in the review that this is a highly likely sourced juice from Barton and the mash bill all but confirms it as it is a 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% barley which is the exact mash bill of 1792.
There always has to be a story and Buckner’s is no different. Here it is from the website:
Buckner’s Single-Barrel Bourbon is a tribute to the lasting legacy of Revolutionary War Hero Captain Philip Buckner. Following his years of service in the Virginia Militia, Buckner was awarded 7,000 acres along the Ohio River that would ultimately give rise the city of Augusta, Kentucky. The civic minded Buckner would go on to establish the first school, courthouse and jail, setting the roots of prosperity still visible in the community today.
I want to say again that his was a very good pour and if your friends of family offer it to you don’t hesitate but when the cashier ask you for $200 plus tax our of your wallet, you may want to look down the bourbon aisle again.
Sunday Evening Review
So OHLQ is putting out their latest barrel picks of Rebel Cask Strength from Lux Row. I haven’t got one but thought I would do a review of one I do have from Papa Joe’s if you haven’t had the chance to taste this wheated cask strength selection.
Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.
NAME – Rebel Cask Strength Single Barrel
PROOF – 120
AGE – Just lists when it was filled but not when it was bottled. From the multiple ones I have usually around 5 years.
COLOR – toasted pecan (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)
NOSE – Raw honey, cooked peaches, vanilla ice cream with caramel drizzle, roasted almonds and cinnamon sugar
TASTE – Peanut brittle, fresh berries, tobacco, leather, cinnamon and some coffee with sweet cream.
FINISH – I would call this a fairly long finish. The cooked caramel, tobacco, leather and cinnamon linger until the end.
REVIEW – Really good pour with more complexity and finish than you normally find in a wheated mash bill bourbon. The 120 proof obviously helps this with all of it but have had other wheated mash bill bourbons with far more simplicity and shorter finishes. Especially for a 5 year-ish aging, it really blossomed into something pretty great. Obviously being a barrel pick, this was the best of the already best barrels that Lux Row has to offer. So you would hope that it is something special. If you think this is going to be just another form of Maker’s Mark, it is not and gives you something very different but does hang onto the prototypical sweetness normally found in a wheater.
FINAL COMMENTS – Mash bill for the Rebel Cask Strength is 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malt. Now the other part of this that should be of interest is this, not officially confirmed but sources inside Lux Row have said, that Rebel is sourced juice from Heaven Hill. If the mash bill sounds familiar it’s because it’s the same mash bill as Larceny and Old Fitzgerald. Obviously, the Heaven Hill products come with more age but for a price of $55 for a cask strength barrel pick is a great value.
