Kentucky Archives - Page 3 of 5 - First Pour Cocktails

Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Batch 1

Posted on September 2, 2022August 29, 2022 by Nick

Among the hottest brands in the bourbon market is Old Forester. They’re well known for not only their standard offerings, like their signature, but also their higher end bottles like Old Forester 1910 ,Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Strength, and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon. Over the course of the boom, Jackie Zykan made a name for herself as their master taster. Her palate is phenomenal amongst the scene, so it was somewhat surprising when she left her role at Old Forester to become a partner and master distiller at Neeley Farm Distillery. The result of their first effort is Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Batch 1, a whiskey that currently is leading a hype train with secondary values near double MSRP. So is it worth it?

Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Batch 1

Sight: Tawny – Auburn

Smell: Grain and malt top notes with a slightly fruity caramel thing going on to start. The spices join in, giving a baked cinnamon / nutmeg pastry vibe. Almond and honeyed baklava join, with a distinctly vanilla sort of element. That underlying maltiness carries though, giving a sugary breakfast cereal character.

Sip: Moderate to full bodied. Surprisingly smooth and even throughout. Flavors are quite dry, with the first impression being heavy oak, tobacco, leather, and hardwood. These subsided for the second sip, giving more grain notes, picking up malty breakfast cereal, carob, sugar-free caramel, and a hint of vanillin. The flavors feel raw, and slightly young. In the background, a fruity floral character keeps coming back – in line with an unripe peach and pear.

Savor: The ending is dry, with lots of bright, unripe stonefruit and a smattering of oak and spice. A slight bitterness pervades and the malt comes back. The linger is real, long, and leans heavily into the stone fruit / pear / grape direction.

If you told me this was an American single malt, I probably would react differently. However, as a straight bourbon, Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Batch 1 is on the unusual side of the malt and fruit spectrums. The flavors are simultaneously dark and light, but they don’t quite ever reach cohesion. The result is something that feels like it wants to be impressive, but can’t quite edit itself into fully formed thought. As a result, it shows potentially great flavors, but leaves you wanting more.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Batch 1 is spicy, malty, chocolaty, and full of peach and pear notes. All of those things taken together with sweetness and a big oak hit, make for a very strange, and not quite right Manhattan. The vermouth almost seems to fight with the floral notes, and the bitters just feel aggressive.

In Review – Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Batch 1

At $75 a bottle, this one is definitely unusual. If Jackie Zykan’s goal was to lean into a more maybe malted whiskey direction, then she’s possibly heading toward success. As bourbon goes, I’m not sure I’d be reaching for this first. While some of the notes I’d expect are there (particularly in the nose), the palate is a little bit all over the place, and the finish is more fruity and floral than I’d expect. As an inaugural release, it isn’t boring, but I’m not sure I’d hunt it. Interested in seeing how Hidden Barn’s future evolves after their inaugural salvo.

Blue Note Uncut Single Barrel – r/bourbon “Supper Club”

Posted on August 26, 2022August 12, 2022 by Nick

When I first began trying to find new bourbons to try, I found myself reading reviews on many websites. While reviewers palates vary, you can generally find alignment if you try a few liquors or beverages and compare notes. This works because reviewers are relatively static, but what about a hivemind like Reddit’s r/bourbon? Well things become trickier, as you have a mix of reviewers sharing opinions on the same bottles. Yet, there are few things they agree on as much as the positive reviews for t8ke’s single barrel picks. And as luck would have it, the first lottery I ever won was for a chance to buy a bottle of Blue Note Uncut Single Barrel – r/bourbon “Supper Club”

Blue Note Uncut Single Barrel – r/bourbon “Supper Club”

The particular barrel chosen has the following statistics and tasting notes:

Aged: 4 Years
ABV: 118.5pf
Bottle Count: 145
Price: $52 (before shipping)
Tasting Notes: Pound cake, citrus, maple, orange rind, a big root beer note, confectioners sugar and butter cream. Syrupy vanilla bean and butterscotch, long citrus and maple finish. Back on that Old Fashioned in a bottle vibe that I got from our first Blue Note (barrel #15036) and I’m here for it. Reminds me of a night at the supper club here in the Midwest.

Below are my tasting notes:

Sight: Amontillado Sherry to Copper.

Smell: Toasted sugar, maple, and pound cake come out. There’s a strong smack of alcohol top note here that keeps flitting in and out. There are notes such as sarsaparilla, toffee, hazelnut, and game meat or smokey leather. Fruit notes are pretty sparse, leaning slightly toward candied orange or white grape.

Sip: The palate is moderate in weight, leaning thick as it sits. Heat starts building quickly, and the edges can get rough. Toasted sugar and cake are present with hits of oak, smoke, root beer. There are some tobacco notes here has well, with just a hint of burnt marshmallow, and a touch of caramelizing green banana towards the transition to the finish.

Savor: The ending maintains that heat and pulls in more notes of roasted pecan, slight pastry, and again, a cola or root beer like note.

Blue Note Uncut Single Barrel – r/bourbon “Supper Club” is complex enough to keep revisiting, but not quite well put together enough to be enjoyable. The palate is hot and the flavors are a bit inconsistent from sip to sip. Given the price point, I want to be wowed, or at least impressed. Instead, it feels young, partially developed, and not quite smooth enough. It feels out of its depth.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Blue Note Uncut Single Barrel – r/bourbon “Supper Club” doesn’t quite work as expected. There’s a lot of weight added, which makes for a nice solid Manhattan. Vanilla bean and maple candy mix with an herbal-woodsy note and sweetness that immediately shifts dry on the finish. The herbaceous notes are nowhere in the general palate of just the whiskey. There’s also an interesting smokiness that presents on the finish. Overall, it’s an interesting, if non-traditional Manhattan.

In Review – Blue Note Uncut Single Barrel – r/bourbon “Supper Club”

Reviewing Blue Note Uncut Single Barrel – r/bourbon “Supper Club” is a bit of an exercise in futility. With the extremely limited availability, you’ll never see it. Given it’s a single barrel, it’s subject to all the variation that happens from barrel to barrel. Combine this with the fact that it’s a surviving barrel from a tornado strike, and we’ll it just isn’t representative. So why spend the time?

The fact is that limit availability bottles like this are good ways to peak behind the curtain of different distilleries, and to get an idea of the stock they’re working with. They can serve as potential guideposts when trying to evaluate either a single barrel selector (such as r/bourbon) or the brand (Blue Note). Ultimately, the challenge here is a mix of exclusivity and cost. These picks are not uncommon in many states, and retail for something closer to $40. After exclusivity mark up and shipping, this bottle ended up at $65.

That $20+ is a big jump, and brings this bottle into competition with things like 1792 Full Proof, Maker’s Mark Wood Finish Series and Private Selections, Russell Reserve Store Picks, and more. Those are some big competitors, and Juke Joint’s age and complexity just doesn’t feel like it has the depth to hang here.

W. L. Weller Antique

Posted on July 15, 2022January 9, 2023 by Nick

W. L. Weller Antique, more commonly referred to as Old Weller Antique (OWA), Weller Antique 107, or just red Weller, is a wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Thanks to the bourbon craze originally unleashed for Pappy Van Winkle, all things even possibly made of a similar mashbill ended up being chased by bourbon enthusiasts. As a result, cheap bottles like Weller Special Reserve and Weller Antique went from common, cheap, and wildly available to insane secondary values or being used as currency more than they’re consumed. Weller Antique fits squarely into the second half of this, where it more often serves as trade bait than actual drinking whiskey.

W. L. Weller Antique

To start, lets compare Weller Antique to Weller Special Reserve. Purportedly, these wheated bourbons are made of the same mashbill at Buffalo Trace. They’re aged a similar period of time, and then bottled at different proofs. Other than the label, these are the biggest differences.

Sight: Chestnut – oloroso sherry in hue.

Smell: A nice mix of cinnamon and hints of vanilla bean lead things off. Touches of walnut and stone fruit are joined by preserved bing cherries and other dark fruits. There’s also a little bit of roasted honey and a couple of whiffs of heat.

Sip: The mouthfeel is smooth and leads off with caramel and vanilla notes that are immediately inundated with cinnamon and touches of wood smoke. Cherries and hints of fig come out and are joined by oak and brown sugar. The proof isn’t overtly noticeable other than adding some weight to the middling body.

Savor: The ending continues with some oak and a healthy dose of cinnamon bark. It lingers with a good amount of tannins and a hint of tobacco.

W. L. Weller Antique is a nice, easy going sip with a healthy amount of complexity, and clearly defined flavors. The sweet elements are well contrasted with the spice, and there’s just enough dark fruit in there to keep things lively and interesting. The sugars and oak shifting around give layers to the flavor. As a sipper, it’s clearly why W. L. Weller Antique is popular.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan there’s a nice cinnamon and brown sugar play that leads things off. The vermouth gets a good amount of the stage adding in dark berry notes and cherry elements. The oak and tobacco hints come through as well. On the finish, it’s balanced, a touch tannic, and a hint sweet and oaky. Overall, it does well in a Manhattan, but wouldn’t necessarily be a stand out component.

Now that I’ve finished making a bunch of the taters clutch their pearls, let’s move on to the overall.

In Review – W. L. Weller Antique

W. L. Weller Antique is a very nice sipping whiskey, that has a good amount of complexity and friendly flavors. The proof provides a nice amount of punch and flavor without it being pushy. While it does just fine in cocktails, no one is likely buying it for making mixed drinks. There within lies the two problems with OWA.

You probably won’t find OWA at MSRP outside of controlled liquor states. Even then, you likely will need to hunt to find a bottle (and might even need to become a dreaded tater!)
The MSRP is $50. At $50 it’s a good, solid value sipper. It is not, however, particularly deep, interesting, or a good bottle for making cocktails with.

As with all allocated bottles, we can’t recommend W. L. Weller Antique as a bottle to keep on you shelf (due to availability). However, if you do happen to find a bottle at MSRP or a decent priced pour on a restaurant list, it’s worth trying to see if you feel the hype is worth it.

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel

Posted on July 11, 2022July 14, 2022 by Nick

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel is a relatively new product from Heaven Hill. Starting with Elijah Craig Small Batch, the bourbon is then finished again in a new specially toasted oak barrel. Similar to their Small Batch, there’s no aged statement here, and the site doesn’t suggest how long it’s in the barrel. The idea is that the new finishing step will add chocolate and baking spice flavors to compliment the oakiness. It also adds another $20 to the price, so does it justify the cost?

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel

Sight: Burnished Chestnut / Sherry

Smell: The nose is an explosion of freshly made caramel, butterscotch, and stewed cherries. Confectioner sugar, fresh candy store fudge, and almonds follow things up. Traditional notes of oak and spice come through with some additional fresh red fruit and plum (albeit slightly heading toward fermenting). There’s a hint of heat to the nose as well, and a little bit of corn or grain.

Sip: The body is on the light to medium side. There’s a strong influence of oak that leads things off with vanilla and caramel notes. Spice and plum skin start to pick up with a bit of dried cherry. There are touches of butterscotch, more oak, cigar box, and almost a confectioner sugar / artificial vanillin. There’s a touch of heat, but the flavor profile isn’t overly clear or aggressive.

Savor: The ending hits on a deep undercurrent of oak, with flavors of charred oak giving way to vanilla and unripe cherries. There’s a touch of nutty toffee and a little heat. The char begins to lean bitter over time.

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel packs a solid amount of oak into a turned up version of their standing offering. The result is something that gives the vanilla and oak a forefront, but doesn’t appear to give a lot of room to many other flavors. The result is a tasty bourbon with an extra step of finishing that doesn’t add a whole lot of extra complexity.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel brings a lot of oak and caramel to the party. The result is a spicy and caramel ladened sip with some peaks of red fruit, which is followed by a literal battering of oak. The oak is so strong it leads to bittering and tannic notes on the back end of the palate. Which is amazing, because Carpano Antica is one of the most aggressive vermouths on the market (to the point where some cocktail groups will even recommend avoiding it for certain bourbons). Elijah Craig Toasted just steamrolls it.

In Review – Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel is oaked. Really oaked. In the wine world, we’d complain when a wine was oaked to the point where the actual grape got lost in a mess of vanilla, wood notes, and caramel flavors. Toasted Barrel is fringing into this territory. If you happen to find the flavor of oak to be the thing you want to focus on, this is a potential winner for you. For everyone else, $55 plus territory is going to be expensive, chased after by bourbon lovers, and outshined by other more balanced bottles.

Old Overholt Straight Rye

Posted on June 24, 2022June 1, 2022 by Nick

Few whiskeys have the prevalence or brand lineage of Old Overholt Straight Rye. Take a close look at the rail of almost any bar, and you’re likely to see a bottle of Old Overholt hiding somewhere. The reasons for the prominence are multiple, including it being one of the oldest rye brands in the country. Not only did it survive prohibition, but it also managed to endure the decline of whiskey in the U.S. post World War II. The easiest reasons to note today are the price (typically at under $20 a bottle) and the ownership by Beam Suntory since 1987. The rye in the bottle is young, aged only 3 years, but is non-chill filtered and comes in at 86 proof.

Old Overholt Straight Rye

Sight: A chestnut oloroso sherry – deeper than expected.

Smell: The nose starts off with some elements of cigar box and peppery spice. Peach blossoms and touches of baked cherry Danish join in. There’s a slight touch of mint and a healthy dose of orange marmalade round things out. There’s also a bit of a burn.

Sip: The mouthfeel is thin and it’s slightly hot. The flavors of pepper, oak, and orange zest come through sloppily. Other touches of burnt caramel and touches of floral elements hang around the edges.

Savor: The finish picks up a cracker / cereal like note laced with spice and a bit of heat. The ending grows increasingly oaky with touches of rye.

Old Overholt Straight Rye is more inviting in the nose than on the palate. The palate isn’t necessarily muddled, but it works harder than the nose implies it would. The finish is also slightly more one note than might be expected. The fact of the matter though, is that you don’t buy this bottle for sipping. So how does it do at making cocktails?

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Old Overholt Straight Rye produces a surprisingly balanced Manhattan. The oak and orange flavors join up with the spice notes from the vermouth and balance sweetly. There’s a good moderate weight to it, and just a hint of heat. The finish maintains that cereal linger note after showing just a few fruitier elements.

In Review – Old Overholt Straight Rye

Old Overholt Straight Rye is certainly serviceable if not the most interesting rye in the world. While not as complex as Rittenhouse Rye, it also doesn’t lean heavily into some of the green notes that rye can produce (like Elijah Craig). Given the price differential (typically sold around $15), it’s also significantly cheaper. If you’re only looking to add a rye to your bar, and really don’t want to want spend the extra, there’s nothing wrong with Old Overholt, but for a few dollars more, you can enjoy the wonderful flavors of Rittenhouse.

Pikesville Rye

Posted on June 10, 2022June 9, 2022 by Nick

Pikesville Rye was originally distilled in Maryland and is now owned by Heaven Hill. Despite this, it holds the distinction of being one of the last remaining Maryland rye brands. Reportedly, the mashbill reflects it’s new Kentucky origin, and sits at a required minimum 51% rye. Coming in at $50, it almost doubles Heaven Hill’s slightly younger Rittenhouse Rye (coming in at 4 years). So is it worth it?

Pikesville Rye

Age: 6 Years
Proof: 110
Mashbill (Unverified): 51% Rye, 39% Corn, 10% Malted Barley

Sight: Between amber and tawny.

Smell: Buckwheat honey and caramelized sugar come through with deep baking spices and notes of dark chocolate. Mint, slight herb, malt, and touches of graham cracker join in. Undertones of forest floor and a robust nuttiness join in. There’s also just a touch of floral. The overall nose is sweet and relatively complicated with lots of earthy and baking notes – especially chocolate and nutty notes.

Sip: The body starts off with a moderate to heavy weight and is smooth. It quickly opens up with a barrage of caramel laden rye spices echoing things from clove to burnt cinnamon. Earthy notes make an underlayer here, giving a forest floor, cocoa, and slight dried mushroom underpinning. Buckwheat honey and slight blackberry notes come in. There’s also some mint and cereal. Hold it too long, and the smoothness gives way to alcohol.

Savor: The ending carries forward notes of cocoa, caramel, rye, and a hint of earthiness. The finish lingers – giving way to more rye spices and 100% cocoa as it lingers.

Pikesville Rye is delightfully complex and doesn’t impart quite as much wood as you might expect for a minimum 6 year release. The flavors are deep, complex, and layered. The earthiness bumping up against the chocolate notes with a hint of minty herbs is a beautiful combination. It invites the imbiber to continue to seek out new flavors in each sip. On it’s own, it’s a wonderfully layered and complex rye.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan the earthy flavors manage to pull off this interesting background note where notes of dark cocoa powder, forest floor, and a slight grilled portabella mushroom umami play background. In the forefront is a great amount of caramel and latent rye spice. The more minty and buckwheat notes are present, but more minimal, subdued by some of the vermouth notes. The bitterness on the finish is more prominent, as the background note of unsweetened chocolate and forest floor come more to the fore with hints of burnt marshmallow.

In Review – Pikesville Rye

Pikesville Rye has incredibly deep and complex earthy notes. It’s important to note here that those looking for sweet flavors are going to find this more on the savory side. It does these savory flavors really well, giving depth and robust character to each sip. As a result, drinks made with Pikesville end up more taught and brooding than some younger more herbal – fruity ryes. There’s a ton of things to love here though, and at around $50, this is good value that you might want to try before you buy.

Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength

Posted on May 27, 2022May 25, 2022 by Nick

Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength originally started its life as a distillery only release back in 2015. This release was designed to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Maker’s Mark 46. The limited release proved success, and for the 10th Anniversary, Maker’s decided to release it again in 2020 in a slight broader release. In 2021, they expanded the release even further, and I knew based on the solid offerings of their standard Maker’s, Maker’s 46, and their limited releases, this would be a must try. So was it worth the hunt?

Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength

Sight: A robust tawny.

Smell: Spiced honey and baklava lead. Stewed cherries and a perfumed vanilla note express themselves. Fresh cherries mix with spicy oak notes and there’s a bit of heat. A milk chocolate element joins in toward the end.

Sip: There’s a sizable amount of weight to start things off, but it’s still smooth despite a hint of heat. An immediate explosion of baking spices come forward and are toned down by the appearance of vanilla sugar and dried cherries. Caramel drizzles out, but is reigned in by brandied Bing cherries. A slight nuttiness and preserved figs show up with a little stone fruit.

Savor: The nuts and spices are accompanied by a tingly finish and lots of lingering tannins.

Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength is packed with flavor, almost to the point of being super saturated. The flavor complexity is delicious, but almost overwhelms at moments. The flavors kind of supersize the normal Maker’s Mark Cask Strength / Maker’s Mark. Where it gets a little lost is the French Oak finish. Somehow it loses some of the smoothness and finesse of it’s proofed down relative. Water teases this smoothness out, but it’s much more layered – almost like two different whiskey’s.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength continues it’s single handed push for every spice it can grab out of the pantry. It only reaches for these after it runs through a quick wall of vanilla and a series of preserved cherries. The weight is incredible, and it kind of gets into syrupy territory. The finish grabs more oak and wood notes, and the whole experience lingers dramatically. As it warms up, it picks up more warm vanilla notes, and hints of brown sugar.

In Review – Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength

Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength is an enjoyable offering, but the extra horsepower of cask strength doesn’t necessarily add to the fun. This offering is a bit of a mystery to me, as it seems to combine the strength of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength without the finesse of the finishing for Maker’s Mark 46. The result is like pushing a V8 engine into a Miata. Sure, it’s bonkers and entertaining, but it doesn’t necessarily make it any better for daily driving or track use. The biggest issue is at $60, this puts it at almost $20 more than Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and $25 dollars more than Maker’s Mark 46. For a sipper, this might make sense, but as a cocktail whiskey, this is a hard pass.

Maker’s Mark

Posted on May 6, 2022May 6, 2022 by Nick

Among bourbon’s featuring wheat, there are few as readily available and recognized as Maker’s Mark. Made with soft red wheat, the intention of Maker’s is to be easy to drink without the bite of rye. This recipe is rumored to have at one point in its history share roots with Pappy Van Winkle’s Old Fitzgerald recipe. Factor in a couple of Beam boys and their yeast, and you have a recipe with more than a couple twists and turns. Figure that distilleries have sold, distillers have been replaced, and that recipes have been tweaked for modern palates; and you basically have the wax on the bottle as the best guess as to what to think.

So let’s throw all the history and tater baiting out the window, and start with a much more basic question. Is Maker’s Mark good bourbon?

Maker’s Mark

Sight: Between deep copper and burnished.

Smell: Chocolate, almonds, and cherries lead things off. Cocoa powder and touch of spice join in. Oak and a hint of ethanol finish things off.

Sip: Smooth and mild to start, with a medium body, Maker’s Mark is invitingly easy. Cherry, tobacco, oak lead, and hints of chocolate, spice, red licorice, and a brown sugars come into give a layer of complexity.

Savor: On the finish, oak leads and has touches of bing cherries with a slightly tannic nature and a bit of heat

Maker’s Mark is simple, well rounded, and built upon smooth, inviting flavors. While the body and the flavor profile isn’t the most complex, the texture makes up for it, and the wheat influence and fruity character makes it enjoyable and reasonably priced. As a result, it’s managed to find its way into most bars and is widely available. As a sipper, it’s perfectly fine on ice, but nothing to make you write home.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Maker’s Mark opens with maraschino cherries and touches of orange marmalade. Notes of almond and pecan come in, and there’s a good amount of clove and spice. Just prior to the finish, there’s a pop of dark brown sugar and caramelized stone fruit that then gets connected to an oaky finish.

In Review – Maker’s Mark

Maker’s Mark is a widely available wheated bourbon. The flavors are clear, clean, and strong. It provides good hints of nuts, spice, chocolate, and cherries, while not requiring a wait in line or bartering your left kidney. It’s well made and enjoyable, as well as well rounded. From this perspective, and around the mid $20 price point, there’s nothing here that’s not worth the time to experience. Maker’s is a foundation whiskey with good reason, and reportedly can trace it’s origins to Weller-Stitzel. We recommend you try it to see if you enjoy it, and potentially even keep it around your bar.

Barrell Seagrass

Posted on February 25, 2022February 15, 2022 by Nick

Barrell Seagrass was one of those polarizing whiskeys that made a lot of noise from reviewers over the past year. Consistently ranking highly, this Rye Whiskey is finished in Martinique Rum, Madeira, and Apricot Brandy Barrels for a one of a kind flavor. The result of this finishing is a character nothing quite like the rye whiskeys most people are used to. People have ranged from gushing to confused as a result, but most admit that it’s more of a flavor choice and price point than any actual defect with the whiskey.

Professional whiskey enthusiast Fred Minnick agreed, naming one of Barrell Seagrass’ one of his top 2 American whiskey of 2021. As result, Barrell Seagrass has been flying off the shelves, so it is worth the chase?

Barrell Seagrass

Barrell Seagrass is a blend of American (distilled in KY, IN, and TN) and Canadian rye whiskeys. These sourced whiskeys are then finished in the Martinique rum, Madeira, and apricot brandy barrels before being blended to make the distinctive flavor of Barrell Seagrass. As a result, proof varies between batches. This batch comes in at 118.58 proof.

Sight: Deep copper

Smell: Apricot and bubblegum come floating out with a good waft of heat. The apricot is sort of malleable, giving way to an apricot compote with a spiced note. Grassy notes with a touch of mint come in. The nose fringes into candy, almost like gummy bears laced with elderflower. The nose is very perfumed.

Sip: The palate is smooth and slightly sweet. The flavor of candied and dried apricot starts things off, before opening into spiced oak notes and a touch of grass. There’s a bittersweet almond and cocoa note that hints at the fringe. Grapefruit and elderflower come toward the tail and leave the ending with a floral character.

Savor: The ending brings in a wet stone, fresh rain on wood notes, and laces with grassy element, nuts and spices. The finish continues on with touches of unripe apricots and grapefruit pith.

Barrell Seagrass is distinct and unique thanks to the finishing process. The flavors are very well layered and balance between sweet, floral, and earthy. Apricot standouts out here, giving a perfumed character that runs all the way through the whiskey. The floral and nutty notes, combined with citrus makes for an exciting mix of flavors that keeps each sip evolving. Martinique rum also lends the earthy and funky flavors that make it hard to pin down what flavor is leading. Overall, the finishing job is tremendous, and it’s excitingly well done.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, the apricot sweetness comes through front and center. It mingles with the grassy rhum notes and slightly minty rye notes to vibe with the herbal notes in the vermouth. The juicy red berry and caramelized notes of the vermouth bring an additional level of fruitiness. Finally a crazy floral streak runs right through the middle to brighten and perfume the whole drink. Spice and apricot round things out for a long finish. Overall, it’s a wild Manhattan, but probably not the best use of a high end finished rye.

In Review – Barrell Seagrass

Barrell Seagrass is priced at $80 – $90. The price is undoubtedly high, but the quality of the product matches in this case. From a cocktail enthusiast’s perspective, Barrell Seagrass offers an opportunity to make supercharged, superstar unique cocktails – but the price is prohibitive to experiment with. For standard classic cocktails, you’ll want to go with something more traditional like Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye or Pikesville, or even Rittenhouse. However, none of those will be anywhere near the unique sipping experience that Barrell Seagrass offers. This is a must try (and perhaps a try before you buy for a full bottle.)

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation

Posted on February 18, 2022February 15, 2022 by Nick

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation is the fifth release in Jim Beam’s curated collection from Eighth Generation Beam Master Distiller Freddie Noe. “The Invitation” invites tasters to explore interesting blends, ages, and flavors in the evolving world of whiskey. The blend is meant to highlight the diverse influences that have influenced Freddie Noe’s journey and and shaped his style as a distiller. The results are nothing short of being fantastic, as the Little Book Chapter 5 has ranked number 3 on Fred Minnick’s Top 100 American Whiskeys of 2021.

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation is a blend of 2 year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 3 year-old Malted 100% Rye Whiskey, 5 year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 15 year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The final result comes in at 116.8 proof.

Sight: Chestnut – Oloroso Sherry

Smell: The nose is an evolutionary experience with Little Book, changing gradually over the time you leave it in the glass. On first pour, there was a heavy dose of peanut and charred oak. After opening, the nose explodes with juicy caramel, brown sugar, rich toffee, peanut brittle, and a jammy cherry. As the nose continues to open, there are elements of charred oak, cigar box, toasted spices, black tea, maple syrup, warm vanilla, and a touch of almonds. Despite the proof, there’s not a lot of heat.

Sip: The body opens smooth and then warms up slightly. The flavors of preserved cherries and warm vanilla laced caramel come through. Touches of brown sugar and molasses open the door to almond brittle and notes of grape. The oak influence kicks in, adding elements of cigar spicing, roasted sugar, baking spice, and tobacco. Elements of black tea and a slight fruit funk jump in and compliment the light spicy sweetness.

Savor: The finish pulls through the creamy brown sugar and caramel elements with a healthy dose of spice. Roasted oak and spice goes through with a hint of burnt marshmallows. The finish lingers beautiful, layering in more wood and sweet sugar notes.

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation is simply incredible. The flavors are layered, complex, and intricate. The sweetness of the caramelized notes is pervasive, but evolves constantly at Little Book continues to open. The fruit notes are present enough to give it variety, while the nuttiness and wood make up all the in between notes. The result is an incredible whiskey to simply savor over hours.

In Cocktails

Let’s start with the obvious, you’re not buying this bottle make cocktails. To a certain extent, there’s probably some group that would argue putting this in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned is sacrilege. All that said, if you own one, it’s your bottle, and you should enjoy it as you see fit. So here’s what I think of it in the one Manhattan I made.

Is it a good Manhattan? Oh god yes. Is it 3-4 times better than a $30 – $50 bottle of whiskey? No, not even remotely. You’d have to be out of mind to be making Manhattans or Old Fashioneds with it. The flavor is explosive with juicy cherries, spiced oak, and caramel. The notes of nuts and black tea are absolutely present, and it fights with some of the herbal character of the vermouth, explaining to pretty much every other element in the drink that is the superior element. The spicing and brown sugar flavors are so intense that it actually manages to pull off the same length of finish it does in the Glen Cairns glass.

To date, this is the most expensive Manhattan I’ve ever made, and was delicious. I do not however recommend you use Little Book for this purpose.

In Review – Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation

Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation is one of the best whiskeys I’ve ever encountered. This sort of bottle is obviously not a stock it and keep it around for making drinks sort of thing, but it is an incredible offering if you can manage to find it. One of those, words-fail-you sort of offerings that you keep for special occasions. Even at $125, there’s a lot of value here and you should try it if you get an opportunity.

Maker’s Mark 46

Posted on January 28, 2022February 7, 2022 by Nick

To the unfamiliar observer Maker’s Mark 46 appears to just be the next step up the line in Maker’s line up of bourbons. While it does represent an increased cost to purchase, Maker’s 46 should be considered an extension of the standard Maker’s Mark line up, and their entry point into their wood finishing series. Instead of changing their base recipe, 46 takes fully matured Maker’s Mark and then continues to age it with 10 virgin French Oak staves added to the barrel. The result is Maker’s Mark, but with a French oak twist. So is it worth the extra price?

Maker’s Mark 46

Sight: A burnished chestnut color.

Smell: French vanilla coffee and fresh baked pastry leads off, followed by jammy cherries. There’s a certain amount of creaminess here that gets paired with caramelized brown sugar and notes of crème brulee. Hints of banana, leather, cigar box, and spicy oak play background.

Sip: The sip leads of smooth and silk, but quickly becomes firm and slightly warm. There’s a pop of smoked vanilla and latte that explodes out. The French vanilla combines with oak and baking spice. A lazy caramel drizzles its way through, lavishly coating things, while a slightly smoky preserved cherry hides in the background.

Savor: The ending preserves that smoked vanilla cherry note, while adding in some toasted oak and caramelized sugar (with just a hint of charred marshmallow)

Maker’s Mark 46 is beautifully French oak polished Maker’s Mark. There’s a lot going on here beyond the normal cherry, tobacco, and oak of ordinary Maker’s. Specifically, it pops with French vanilla, coffee notes, and other toasted wood elements. The addition of caramelized sugar notes bring a subtle sweetness. Maker’s 46 is lovely on it’s own, and reasonably priced for the additional complexity.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Maker’s Mark 46 adds a variety of vanilla and caramel notes immediately out of the gate. The vanilla almost becomes floral, like a vanilla bean. It then balances back out, allowing touches of cherries and baking spice to join in. Brown sugar and almond notes accentuate and have a hint of bitterness. Texturally it’s still rich, but more balanced throughout and the ending avoids being tannic.

In Review – Maker’s Mark 46

Maker’s Mark 46 is a clearly step up and departure from its sibling. While it does deliver additional flavor, the flavor is much more focused on the traditional vanilla notes associated with French oak influence than creating deeper version of the original Maker’s Mark. In doing so, they’ve created a separate but related product that maintains its quality and is both a very good bourbon and great finished bourbon. Its amazing flavor also plays well in classic cocktails and adds another dimension for crafting new items. While it isn’t a must have for a bar, it is a must try for any fan of French oak aged wines, vanilla fans, or Maker’s Mark fans. For only $8-10 more, it’s certainly worth a try.

Mellow Corn

Posted on January 14, 2022January 2, 2022 by Nick

Perhaps the first thing to note about Mellow Corn is that it is not labeled as bourbon. The reason is that Mellow Corn is actually produced to the specifications required for a lesser known spirit classification, Straight Corn Whiskey. These whiskeys require that at least 80% of the mashbill be made of corn and can not exceed 160 proof at distillation. Straight corn whiskey is not required to be aged. For aged straight corn whiskey the barrels must be uncharred or previously used. A bottle may be labeled as Bottled In Bond if aged a minimum of 4 years, and meeting the other requirements as set forth by the U.S. Bottled In Bond act.

Mellow Corn

Mellow Corn is one of those quirky sorts of bottles that has an unshakable following. Supporters will extol the virtues of Heaven Hill’s bottom shelf dweller in poetic terms, before gushing about the price. At under $20 and a fairly decent level of availability, it’s not surprising that folks would look to find value in a steadily increasing world of bourbons priced in the $50 – $80 range.

Mash Bill:
- 80% Corn
- 8% Rye
- 12% Barley
Age: 4 Years+
Aging Vessel: Used Bourbon Barrels
A.B.V.: 50% (100 Proof)

Sight: Yellow Gold

Smell: Roasted popcorn and a hint of nuts leads things off with a bit of an ethanol hit. Warm, toasted caramel joins in with a healthy dose of spice, and there’s just a hint of fruitiness. There’s also a subtle corn hint. The heat is pretty prevalent throughout.

Sip: The body is light, and that unmistakable flavor of roasted corn and popcorn is prevalent throughout. Touches of spice flirt with the flavor and a hint of sweetness joins in. The heat is notable, if not oppressive.

Savor: The ending carries forward a good mix of oak spice and notes of a variety of corn (roasted, fresh, popcorn) with in a twinge of heat.

Mellow Corn is an enjoyable experience that keeps things straightforward and flavorful. If you didn’t realize this was a different product, you might even be inclined to mistake it for a bourbon. What it lacks in complexity, it makes up in straightforward whiskey flavors you’d expect. As a straight sipping whiskey, it’s interesting, but not something that would keep you investigating it over and over.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan the corn just vanishes. Thanks to the lighter flavor profile of the whiskey, the vermouth gets a free pass letting notes of fruity elements and spice fly freely. As the drink warms up, it begins to develop some notes of corn. On the finish a light caramel notes comes out.

In Review – Mellow Corn

Mellow Corn is an interesting and unique offering in Heaven Hill’s line up. It never quite crosses into amazing, but it definitely reaches interesting when on its own. As a sipper, this a fine way to not break the bank and trying something new / pass it around. As a cocktail whiskey – it poses something of a challenge. It clearly can’t hold it’s own against dominate flavors, but simultaneously brings in body. For these reasons, and the unusual classification, we recommend this bottle as a potential straight sipper, but not a bottle to stock in your bar.