Kentucky Archives - Page 4 of 5 - First Pour Cocktails

1792 Small Batch Bourbon

Posted on December 17, 2021December 1, 2021 by Nick

A few years back, Jim Murray named 1792 Full Proof the whiskey of the year. Like many products that receive notoriety, 1792 went the way of Weller and Pappy Van Winkle and got incredibly hard to find in all guises, including Sweet Wheat, Port Finish, and 12 Year. In the state of Ohio, this included their entry level offering of 1792 Small Batch Bourbon. Unlike many of their other limited releases, Small Batch is findable with a little luck and no need to tater, but how is it?

1792 Small Batch Bourbon

A.B.V.: 46.85% (93.7 Proof)
Age: No Age Statement (NAS)

Sight: Slightly past deep copper, heading toward burnished.

Smell: Opens with candied cherries, bananas, brown sugar, and baking spices. Candied nuts and rock candy hang out in the background with some toasty oak. The cherries move toward preserved as it opens up and a touch of cocoa powder slips in.

Sip: The palate opens up with a combination of rye, spices, and oak. It’s dry, giving off various nuts, hints of stone fruit, and cherries. A vanilla and brown sugar mix begins to emerge, and creates a standoff between the sweet and spice. The mouthfeel throughout has a nice weight, and it does occasionally give off a little heat.

Savor: A barrage of spices come out ranging from vanilla extract to cinnamon to clove to nutmeg, along with touches of cigar box and toasted oak. A slight tannic note lingers with some red fruits.

1792 Small Batch Bourbon is a fairly spice forward bourbon that allows it’s rye notes to bring the spice. The spicy nature is part of the charm here, giving it a bit of character and zip. It’s not a bad sipper, and it has enough complexity to keep your attention. That said, it wouldn’t be what anyone would deems smooth.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan 1792 Small Batch Bourbon explodes with caramel, baked brown sugar and cinnamon, and vanilla. Cherries and stone fruit join in with plenty of rye and spices, and just the smallest touch of banana and orange marmalade. The mouthfeel is silky and easy going, almost creamy because of vanilla the notes. The ending is inviting with a slight ending of sweetness.

In Review – 1792 Small Batch Bourbon

1792 Small Batch Bourbon a slam dunk in a cocktail, opening up an amazing flavor profile that works well with other elements. The price point of around $30 makes it more than competitive with Elijah Craig, and a good alternative to Wild Turkey 101. The only real issue with 1792 is in some locations it’s allocated. However, if you have it available, we thoroughly recommend it as a bottle to use as your go to bourbon.

Heaven Hill Quality House Old Style Bourbon

Posted on November 26, 2021November 11, 2021 by Nick

Not every bourbon involves needing to line up at 11pm the day prior to wait for the opening of the shop to get. In fact, the vast majority of bourbons sit on the shelf and are completely serviceable. Perhaps the best example of this Wild Turkey 101, which offers amazing value for money. Among other bourbons we recommend is Elijah Craig Small Batch, which is made by Heaven Hill. Elijah Craig isn’t their intro brand, an honor that instead belongs to Heaven Hill Quality House Old Style Bourbon. At around $10, can this bourbon save your time and wallet?

Heaven Hill Quality House Old Style Bourbon

A.B.V. – 40% (80 proof)
Age – 3 Years

Sight: A deep gold.

Smell: Slight spices and a good dose of ethanol float up to start. Touches of fresh cherries and oak come in. The nose distinctly smells like oak, fruit, and hints of oak.

Sip: The body is light to moderate, but ultimately smooth. There’s a good amount of oak and light spicing here, with some fruitiness. There’s a bit of nuttiness that lingers throughout.

Savor: The ending is slightly oaky with just a touch of nuts and fruit.

Heaven Hill Quality House Old Style Bourbon is surprisingly smooth and not overly complex. For lack of a better way to put it, it smells like you’d expect bourbon to smell. Slightly oaky, with a little bit of fruitiness, and some spices and other flavors. Does it do anything particularly amazing? Not really. Would you be able to sip on it for a while? Sure. It’s easy going and not particularly offensive or hard to drink. If anything, the biggest criticism might be that’s just kind of simple.

In Cocktails

Quality House Old Style Bourbon in a Manhattan leads to more of the same. The drink is clearly based in bourbon, but the flavors are more of oak and spice. The vermouth gets a strong leg up here as there aren’t a lot of other flavors to stand in the way. The body is solid, if not noticeable. The net result is an uninspired but serviceable Manhattan. It somehow manages to pull the exact same trick in an Old Fashioned – which is amazing given it’s most of the drink.

In Review – Heaven Hill Quality House Old Style Bourbon

Heaven Hill Quality House Old Style Bourbon offers a nice value for a very unobtrusive bourbon. At about $12 a liter, this is impressive value, but not necessarily something to go out of the way for trying to make amazing drinks. If you want to offer a bourbon for the end of the evening or for a large group of guests, this is a nice option. For these reasons it’s a situational bourbon, but nothing that you’d have to be ashamed to serve.

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year Bourbon

Posted on November 12, 2021November 2, 2021 by Nick

Made by Jim Beam, Knob Creek represents part of their Small Batch collection (including Basil Hayden, Bookers, and Baker’s). The Knob Creek series has been in existence since 1992, and carried a 9 Year age statement for most of its history. The 9 year age statement returned in 2020, making it one of the few bottles in this price point still carrying an age statement. So is Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year Bourbon worth the price?

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year Bourbon

Color: Tawny

Smell: Beautiful caramel and cigar box notes comes off the top with a light whiff of heady alcohol. A nutty note of roast peanuts comes in, with touches of brown sugar and toasted cinnamon. The nose opens up with more touches of oak and cloves, as well as hints of preserved blackberries and bing cherries.

Sip: The palate opens smooth and soft with plenty of cinnamon, cloves, and other baking spices. A nuttiness roles in with plenty of toasted oak and luxurious caramel. The light fruity character comes back and rounds out a little bit of dark fruit notes. A bit of tobacco brings the sip bottle home.

Savor: The ending continues leveraging spice and oak notes, but a complimentary vanilla and tobacco backbone supports throughout. The finish is long, lingering, and pleasant.

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year is spicy with lots of sweet notes a healthy dose of complex oak. The amount of flavor is surprisingly robust, but doesn’t get overly hot despite the proof. While a small amount of the peanut funk is still there, the caramel and spice notes really lead things off. A subtle sweetness pervade through out. The overall word here is balance.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Knob Creek provides a solid and well oaked backbone with hints of caramel. The vermouth is allowed to play a more forward role, and the spices are pronounced, but not overwhelming. Some of the complexity and sweetness diminishes, but the overall Manhattan is well balanced. Overall, the weight of the bourbon helps here, giving a solid mouthfeel.

In Review – Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year

Knob Creek Small Batch 9 Year offers a healthy amount of value in the mid $30 price point. If you happen to live in area where it’s under $30, this is a no brainer option to try or add to your collection. Between the proof, the versatility, and the complexity, Knob Creek Small Batch offers a compelling set of reasons to add it to your shelf. For these reasons, we’ve added it to our Recommended Bottles for Beginning Your Home Bar.

Elijah Craig Straight Rye

Posted on November 5, 2021October 1, 2021 by Nick

We’ve been a big fan of Elijah Craig’s Small Batch bourbon for a number of years. While it keeps tettering back and forth on our recommended bourbons list, we keep it there because the produce is incredibly well made for the price (even if the price creep is what keeps threatening to throw it off the list). Earlier this year, Heaven Hill committed to bringing a rye to the market under the Elijah Craig brand. Similar to Rittenhouse, Elijah Craig Straight Rye is a barely legal rye. This is surprising given Heaven Hill owns both brands, and only a small amount of supporting corn and malt separates the two. We previously also noted that Rittenhouse offers a great value, so should you give Elijah Craig the additional dollars?

Elijah Craig Straight Rye

Mashbill: 51% Rye – 35% Corn – 14% Barley
A.B.V.(%): 47% (94 Proof)
Age: No Age Statement (N.A.S.)

Sight: Tawny bordering on auburn.

Smell: There’s a heavy amount of herbal and minty elements that run parallel to a nice vanilla and spice mix. There’s a nice dried apricot and fresh plum note going on as well.

Sip: The herbal notes are definitely there giving it a black pepper and mint heavy character. Spice and black tea come out with an almost smoked character, similar to peat. Despite all the heavy elements going on, it’s not a very heavy mouthfeel.

Savor: The finish is leaned into campfire smoke and charred wood. Herbal notes run though the background over time with a bit a traditional bourbon sweetness.

Elijah Craig Straight Rye on its own is a smokey, herbal, and kind of bourbon like rye. Its nature is probably not for everyone, and not that inviting as a sipper. The result is also somewhat bitter, and oddly like licorice candies at the end of a meal. Both palate cleansing and somewhat off putting.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan the spice of the rye is clearly forward. Notes of black pepper, banana, green apple, unripe black cherries, and cardamom all are present. An oversteeped black tea element and the tannic nature that goes with are around at the end. This flavor profile isn’t inherently smooth, but rather aggressive and bombastic.

In Review – Elijah Craig Straight Rye

Elijah Craig Straight Rye is uneven, aggressive, and a more savory set of flavors. Some of these flavors aren’t that weird in rye, such as herbal notes, but they get away from Elijah Craig here. In tasting side by side with Rittenhouse, the Rittenhouse displays more fruit, more caramelized sugars, and fewer burnt notes. The body is also more even. When you consider the Rittenhouse is $7 less per bottle, and comes in at a higher proof, then you end up with a hard sell on Elijah Craig Rye. For all these reasons, we don’t recommend you select Elijah Craig Rye over the cheaper, better Rittenhouse.

Four Roses Single Barrel

Posted on October 15, 2021August 4, 2023 by Nick

Four Roses Single Barrel sits between their Small Batch and Small Batch Selects in their line up. If you factor in their highly sought after and extremely limited annual limited edition, then you can think of this as the middle of the road for their offerings. Our previous review of the Small Batch left us with the impression that Four Roses was making a solid, if slightly delicate bourbon that on occasions would slip out of the cocktail. This widely available single barrel is a high rye blend at 35%, and a higher proof point, so does it fare better?

Four Roses Single Barrel

Made using only the OBSV formulation, Four Roses Single Barrel comes in with the following characteristics:

Blend (B): 60% Corn | 35% Rye | 5% Malted Barley
Expected Characteristics:
- Straight Whiskey (S)
- Rich Fruit (O)
- Delicate Fruit (V)
Warehouse No: QN
Barrel: 11-4E
A.B.V.: 50%
Aged: 7-9 Years

Sight: A burnished deep copper

Smell: There’s a bit of heat in the lead, but it gives way to perfumed vanilla (almost floral) and hints of dried fruits. Touches of honey and poached pears join in. A very subtle hint of spice hangs around the edges.

Sip: The body is delicate but firm. It doesn’t quite give up it’s secrets right away, but rather slowly opens up. Delicate notes of flowers, plum skins, and a sweet vanilla express themselves. Further back, a honeyed note overlays a touch of oak and spice. Unripe nectarines join in toward the end.

Savor: The finish is more unripe nectarine, slight caramel, and a healthy amount of toasted oak and spice. It lingers pleasantly, waiting for another sip.

Four Roses Single Barrel is an interestingly delicate and powerful bourbon. On the one hand, the flavors come at you on each sip, begging to be recognized. On the other, the flavors are subtle, almost restrained. The net effect is a wonderfully sippable single barrel that’s both inviting and unique.

In Cocktails

Making a Manhattan with Four Roses Single Barrel emphasizes the beautiful honey and stone fruit characteristics that hide in the background. Hints of peach and honey overlap spiced caramel and cigar box. Hints of herbs and red fruit join in, and there’s a wonderful balance achieved between sweet and dry. On the finish, it’s marvelously tannic, while also gently suggesting coffee, clove, and burnt marshmallow notes. In a cocktail, it’s quite beautiful.

Update – Comparing Barrels

Warehouse No: KE
Barrel: 72-5A

Last year, we picked up a bottle for the groomsmen during the wedding (it is great whiskey after all). People believe that the number in the right side of the barrel makes a large difference in flavor profile, with the higher numbers indicating better flavor. The idea is the warehouse’s high changes how the whiskey ages in that 7-9 year period. Below are some notes:

Sight: A burnished deep copper.

Smell: Light pears and apples come out with notes of delicate rose petal and honeysuckle. Vanilla and caramel notes come up with plenty of nice spice and touches of plum. The nose is slightly lighter, heading toward a more bright and peppy plum (or cran/raspberry). It’s lively and a little bright.

Sip: The palate is elegant and moderately weighted, pulling in a nice vanilla note off the start. There’s a subtle sweetness here that gives way to creamy caramel, black pepper, plum, and a bit of honey. Mild oak and spice come out, giving it a touch of backing warmth.

Savor: The ending is smooth, vanilla and honey with bits of plum and gently spiced oak. The ending lingers heading toward black pepper and fresh plums.

Overall, it’s a great example of the whiskey, with a very similar texture and flavor profile. That said, it’s definitely a single barrel, and equally good to the first, even if it’s different. The flavors are dynamic, evolving, and continues to drive home the value I originally experienced.

In Review – Four Roses Single Barrel

As with all single barrel bourbons, your mileage with Four Roses Single Barrel may vary. As sippers go, it’s inviting and complex enough to keep interest, while subtle enough to tease the imbiber. As a cocktail bourbon, there are benefits to knowing the formulation isn’t going to shift. That said, barrel variation may lead to drinks made with this shifting slightly.

Finally, there’s the price to consider. At $45, there’s a good amount of value here, but the returns are on a sliding scale when comparing to the Four Roses Small Batch. The main benefit is that it covers some of the weakness seen from a body and character standpoint in a mixed drink. While there’s no shame in using it in that application (quite the contrary, it’s delicious), it also may lead to underappreciating the whiskey itself depending on the drink you make. All in all, there is a corresponding bump in quality when making a cocktail with Four Roses Single Barrel, but for casual imbibers, you may struggle to taste the benefit over their Small Batch or other bourbons around the $30 price point.

Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon

Posted on September 20, 2021September 21, 2021 by Nick

As I previously mentioned, my first exposure to Ezra Brooks was the OHLQ store pick Distiller’s Collection bottle. The bottle so wowed me that I felt the need to explore at least one other Ezra Brooks product. While getting to 107 in there line up is no longer possible (without a store pick), they still offer both a 99 proof and barrel proof offering. To make an appropriate evaluation, I chose to take the smaller price different, and compare with the Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon (retailing for $24 at time of purchase – compared to $35 for the Distiller’s pick).

Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon

Sight: Deep copper bordering on sherry.

Smell: Notes of vanilla, caramel, and hints of ethanol lead off. The nose is sweet with touches of caramelized pome fruit and a hint of something bright (like pineapple?). Hay and grain notes add some backbone.

Sip: The sip starts off rather middling, neither smooth nor harsh. Notes of charred oak slowly creep in before ceding some space to vanilla and light caramel. Touches of peanuts and sweet pops of light brown sugar come out as well.

Savor: The ending leaves a bit of that sweetness and a lightly tannic charred oak finish.

Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon is obviously younger just from a sight perspective, and the nose shortly after confirms this with a straightforward enjoyable bourbon characteristic. The sip doesn’t really change this, offering a nice amount of bourbon flavor without getting too complex or interesting. The finish is a bit more of the same, but with a bit more of an oak influence. Overall, it’s an acceptable sip that’s slightly sweet and wouldn’t be unpleasant on ice.

In Cocktails

Making a Manhattan with Ezra Brooks 99 makes a drink forward loaded on sweetness. The result is a Manhattan that naturally emphasizes caramel, brown sugar, brandied cherries, fruity red notes, and vanilla. Even with the use of Angostura bitters, there’s a bit of a turned down spice component here. While the vermouth is usually working over time to help bring out the bourbon’s characteristics, they almost seem to share the space as equals here. With that said, both elements seem to be adding caramel notes, making a very caramelized Manhattan.

Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon In Review

Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon is a pleasant bourbon that’s not particularly dominant. It’s sweet and friendly, but almost comes across as gentle. There’s something interesting to be said for making a gentler or sweeter drink with it, but it’s not going to appease drinkers of high rye, bold and brash bourbons. Most regrettable is the gulf between the Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon and Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon. At only $10, there’s a massive gulf of flavor. As a result, this is a recommendation to try or sample before committing to a full bottle.

Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon – OHLQ Selection #1

Posted on September 17, 2021September 21, 2021 by Nick

Allocated bourbon and store picks are exciting. They offer an opportunity to receive a single barrel selection at an equal or better price than the equivalent bottle. Theses picks are typically highly sought after and generally hard to find. They also have a significant amount of bottle to bottle and batch to batch variability. In some cases, it can even be dependent on the selector for the store or liquor authority. For these reasons, I generally don’t purchase these selections since they’re two variable to recommend as liquors for bases for cocktails. I generally follow this rule, but made an exception for Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon – OHLQ Selection #1.

Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon – OHLQ Selection #1

Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon – OHLQ Selection #1 has a 53.5% A.B.V. (107 Proof). It’s barrel number was 7015900, and the barrel was filled 2/23/15. I purchased the bottle in early January of 2021, shortly after it’s release. OHLQ provided the following information on the barrel:

Warehouse: 1
Floor: 5
Rick: 39
Tier: 3
Position: 17
Description: Warm caramel and vanilla, sweet.

Sight: Bordering on tawny.

Smell: The nose undoubtedly starts sweet, and instantly leans into vanilla and caramel. Touches of hay and wheat join in, with black cherries and black tea. A rough splash of clove joins in with touches of clove and tobacco.

Sip: The sip starts smooth and sweet, before opening up into vanilla, caramel, brandied cherries, and oversteeped spice tea. Pops of clove overwhelm the other spices, before allowing oak to come to the forefront. A hint of ethanol comes out too.

Savor: The finish gets tannic, pulling in notes of charred wood, strong clove, and a slight sour cherry.

Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon – OHLQ Selection #1 is sweet and spicy sip that doesn’t disappoint. The proof isn’t so high as to be difficult to drink, but it comes loaded with flavor. The texture is smooth with just a hint of burn. The complexity is in line with a $35 bottle, and opens up with more sweetness, especially after a sip of water.

In Cocktails

This particular bottle of Ezra Brooks is unbelievably great as a Manhattan. The caramel and vanilla notes come through with touches of black pepper and black tea. The weight feels perfect, just like liquid silk should. The play off the vermouth shows them sharing the space as equals, giving space for the fruity flavors of the vermouth and the sweetness and herbal notes in the bourbon.

Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon – OHLQ Selection #1 in Review

Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon is honestly one of the standout bottles I’ve had in 2021. Upon sharing it with my father, he confirmed my bias to enjoy it. At $35, I picked this up as an impulse buy and found it punched well above it’s weight. Which led me to wonder whether or not the rest of Ezra Brook’s selection is anywhere near as good.

In short, I recommend Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection, but as a store pick or limited time offering, we won’t be adding it to any of our formal lists.

Bulleit Bourbon

Posted on July 30, 2021July 19, 2021 by Nick

One of the most eye opening cocktails I had in my youth was the Clara Bow at Rye in New York City. Made with Bulleit Bourbon, grenadine, lemon, St. Germain, and mint, the cocktail was shaken and served in a coupe. The result was a bright, balanced, and complexly flavored cocktail that toed the line between dark spicy bourbon notes and bright fruity, floral ones. While Rye restaurant has since closed and Serious Eats removed the recipe for the cocktail from their site, Bulleit Bourbon still holds a special place in my heart, and I still believe it’s a good bourbon to add to your bar.

Bulleit Bourbon

Sight: Between burnished and sherry in color with a hint of muscat.

Smell: The nose starts with a candied cherry and berry sweetness before picking up elements of black pepper, vanilla, and candied apricot. Spices pick up as it opens and builds with touches of oak and chocolate.

Sip: The body is on the thinner side, and the start is packed with spices, clove, almond, and touches of preserved cherries. Notes of chocolate and black pepper mingle with a light berry like note, and a hint of charred oak. There’s a hint of heat present.

Savor: The ending continues with a 100% dark chocolate, spice, and a touch of cherry and charred oak.

Bulleit Bourbon is spicy, slightly fruity, and very earthy. While not the smoothest bourbon to sip on, it does provide some nice nutty and woodsy notes. The fruity flavors give it a little extra personality, although nothing that’s overly standout. There are better whiskeys to sip on, and Bulleit has better applications in drinks.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, the chocolate and spice notes shine and allow the fruity flavors of the vermouth to come forward. The result is a well balanced Manhattan that flows smoothly between the various aspects of bourbon and fruit. This same pattern continues in a Clara Bow, where the acidity of lemon accentuates the spice and woodsy elements while giving the grenadine space to flex. In a simpler preparation like an Old Fashioned, the spice is amplified and some of the caramel notes are free to join in with more clove notes.

In Review – Bulleit Bourbon

Bulleit Bourbon is marketed as a mixing whiskey, and it’s a wonderful whiskey for that application. Even though it’s designed for mixing, it’s not a bad sipper either. The result is a whiskey that’s priced toward the middle of the pack, and is a reasonable stand in for a bourbon to choose when starting your home bar.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon

Posted on July 2, 2021January 9, 2023 by Nick

There was a time (and in some states still is a time) when you could walk in and purchase a bottle of Eagle Rare in the mid $20 price point. Depending on where you live, Eagle Rare is now a borderline rare bottle that inspires truck chasers to wait in long lines for a chance to sample it. While one can debate the virtue (and value) of doing this, one thing isn’t up for debate. Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon is in fact very tasty for the MSRP.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon

Sight: A beautiful copper that leans toward oloroso sherry.

Smell: Beautiful notes of ripe, red cherries waft out followed by notes of caramel, roasted almonds, and spices ranging from nutmeg to cinnamon. The background has an almost mulled wine like character with cooked berries and orange notes. The nose has just the slightest about of heat and has a good oak backbone that doesn’t shine too aggressively.

Sip: The mouth feel is smooth and the texture is well rounded. The immediate flavor profile starts out with cherries, hints of orange, and touches of caramelized sugar. Hints of plums and spices enter back in before giving way to cigar box, cherry jam, and toasted oak.

Savor: The ending builds on the cherry notes and baking spices. It leans dry, and lingers for a long period of time bringing in more char.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon is delightfully complex and well rounded with a slightly dry finish. The complexity of the nose is matched by the great texture and complex flavor on the palate. The flavor profile is also dynamic, evolving throughout the experience of sipping it. It continues to open up new dimensions of itself. The most impressive part is the value, which at $30 is exceptional.

In Cocktails

Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon plays delightfully in cocktails if you can bring yourself to spare it for the application. The flavors of cherry accentuate the nuances of the sweet vermouth and building on both the spice of the bourbon and the bitters. The net result is a smooth Manhattan that’s well rounded between fruit, spice, and sweetness. In an Old Fashioned, it amplifies the spice elements while providing a red fruit hint from the bourbon.

In Review: Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon

Eagle Rare is an exceptionally good bourbon for the $30 price point. The hardest part of Eagle Rare is reliably finding it. While some states are known to have heavy allocations (to the point that it’s regularly available on their shelves), other states [like Ohio] are subject to some fairly out of control tatering. This could unfortunately means you’ll be driving out of state or sitting in lawn chair on delivery day to try to get bottle of Eagle Rare. That said, if you find it at retail, you should absolutely buy a bottle. The tight supply regrettably means that Eagle Rare will not be added to our recommended list of bottles for starting a home bar.

Eagle Rare Website

Four Roses Small Batch

Posted on May 28, 2021May 16, 2021 by Nick

Four Roses Small Batch is a blend of 4 different blends of bourbons. Four Roses has two different mash bills (E and B), and 5 different yeast strains that allow them to make 10 different bourbon recipes. The mash bills are as follows:

B – 60% Corn | 35% Rye | 5% Malted Barley
E – 75% Corn | 20% Rye | 5% Malted Barley

For this blend, they utilize the slight spice yeast and rich fruit blends from both mash bills to create Four Roses Small Batch.

Four Roses Small Batch

Sight: A moderate gold, somewhere between deep copper and burnished.

Smell: The nose starts a little warm before resting, but opens up into a creamy caramel and spice. Oak begins to show itself prominently, and touches of dried apricot and cherries come through. The nose is inviting, if not complex.

Sip: The mouthfeel is lighter and more delicate than expected, but there’s plenty of caramelized sugars, oak, and spices. Fruits emerge gently, bringing forward touches of summer berries and stone fruits. It’s almost deliberately delicate.

Savor: The finish actually amps up slightly, delivering a punch of spice and browned sugar notes before relaxing back into a mix of ripe fruit, toasted oak, and almost cocoa nib like notes.

Four Roses Small Batch is really an interesting bourbon. Not only is it somewhat delicate on both the nose and palate, but it doesn’t fade on the savor. Instead, that amp up makes it even more satisfying since the flavors linger warmly. On its own it’s enjoyable, even if it’s a little straight foward.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, it unsurprisingly creates a softer drink. The emphasis here ends up on some of the fruitier notes in the whiskey, combining with the vermouth to emphasize a very caramel like outcome. The oaked notes become more subtle, and the spice subsides, linger around the edges. The overall character is softer, allowing more of the wine’s sweetness to play the lead.

Four Roses Small Batch In Review

Four Roses Small Batch is delicate, yet inviting. It allows other elements to play in synchronicity, instead of trying to take over. The result is a bourbon that’s both at home neat and in cocktails. While it is good, and the value is fair in the low to mid $30 price point, it also isn’t quite as versatile as other bourbons. From that stand point, we suggest you try Four Roses Small Batch if you’re a fan of more delicate, subtle bourbons, but don’t necessarily stock it as your primary go to bourbon.

Four Roses Website

Wild Turkey 101

Posted on April 19, 2021April 18, 2021 by Nick

Finding good bourbon can be such a chore. If you’re seeking a rare bottle, you could be doing anything from paying 5-10x market price or chasing trucks to deliveries. While many of these bourbons are incredible, you don’t need a 10 year old bottle of Pappy to make a great drink. In fact, one of the best cocktail / sipping bourbons is probably sitting on you liquor store shelf waiting for you to take it home – since even before the taters went nuts. The one, the only, Wild Turkey 101.

Wild Turkey 101

Sight: Primarily russet in color, but leaning into tawny.

Smell: Notes of brown sugar, toasted oak, and spice waft out of the glass. Touches of vanilla and toffee mixed with nuts join in. They’re followed by touches of polished leather, a hint of heat, and a touch of cereal. The nose is well layered and rotates the notes adding complexity.

Sip: There’s a prickle of heat that builds as you go, but the start is very smooth and full bodied. Elements of spice begin to build, adding in toasted oak and caramelized sugar. Hints of char and light caramel join in with a touch of tobacco. The full experience is spicy, woody, and layered.

Savor: The finish carries through notes of caramelized malt and cereal layered with peppery spices. The finish lingers well, giving a hint of oak and vanilla as it extends.

Wild Turkey 101 is well balanced, full flavored, and layered in it’s complexity. The start is smooth, toasted and caramelized without being sweet. The elements of spice, nuts, and subtle cigar box notes build as it opens up. The finish carries this though, keeping it’s smooth character and building in a toffee-oaked combination that makes it inviting.

In Cocktails

One of the tricks you can use to help bring up the flavor of a cocktail is to use a higher proof spirit. If you use too much, and you risk overwhelming the drink. Wild Turkey 101 sits in the perfect spot where you can use the full amount of Wild Turkey and not worry about the drink becoming to spiritous or losing any of the elements. In a Manhattan, it is a rock star, giving spicy and toffee like notes that compliment the fruitiness and sweet notes of the vermouth. It works just as well for crafting or in simple drinks like an Old Fashioned – lending flavor without overwhelming the other elements.

Wild Turkey 101 Overall

Wild Turkey 101 is absolutely stellar. The additional proof gives it the body to stand up beautifully in cocktails. The juice itself is well balanced, not overwhelming, smooth, and loaded with flavor. When you throw in the price point and availability, Wild Turkey is an absolute steal. For all these reasons, we’ve add Wild Turkey 101 to our list of Recommended Bottles for Starting a Home Bar.

Looking for a drink to make with Wild Turkey 101? Check out our Cocktail List for Originals and Classics.

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength

Posted on March 19, 2021March 4, 2021 by Nick

As mentioned last fall, finding some whiskeys can be a real challenge. Depending on your state, you may not be able to Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor, Weller, or a whole host of other well respected bourbons. Among bottles you’re likely to find is Maker’s Mark, and sitting up range from their base offer and their refined offer is Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. So it is worth taking a flyer on it?

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength

Sight: A delightful tawny.

Smell: Vanilla and fruity caramel waft out of the glass. A spicier note than normally comes across in Maker’s Mark comes up as well. Touches of wheat, tobacco, spice, and dried apricot are jumping out. Like all high proofs, there’s a hint of burn if you pull in too much. The nose is nicely complicated.

Sip: The body starts out silky smooth, and then moves ever so slightly toward prickly over time. Spices begin to come the the vanilla and caramel notes. Touches of preserved fruit float in, and are complimented with touches of black tea and toasted oak. There are hints of almost sauternes like orange and honeyed sugars.

Savor: The end is more notes of spice and various brown sugar and caramel mixed with toasty wood notes. The finish lingers pleasantly, almost invitingly.

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is undeniably a high powered bourbon. While it doesn’t reach the echelons of some other barrel strength offerings, it delivers massively on flavor. As a result, it feels wonderful, inviting, and balanced. Yes, there can be harsh moments, but in general it’s very friendly and fits in a huge amount of flavor.

In Cocktails

Higher proof bourbon can be useful in making cocktails by providing the ability to put more concentrated flavor in a smaller volume of liquor. The trade off is more actual alcohol notes that have to be balanced to prevent over asserting themselves. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength sitting at around 110 proof sits in a nice sweet spot, where there’s a great amount of flavor, but not quite as much booze as something heading toward 150 proof. That lower proof helps keep Maker’s Mark Cask Strength wonderful in cocktails. In a Manhattan, it fills in the gaps that normal Maker’s Mark leaves (which rye can slot wonderfully to fill). In an Old Fashioned, it’s smooth character is accentuated, as the ice help open up the complexity of the spice notes and sugars.

Final Thoughts on Maker’s Mark Cask Strength

Overall, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is a beautiful, powerful whiskey that’s extremely reasonable for the step it provides in quality. While it doesn’t remove Maker’s Mark as a great option for your bar, it does add a great step up that could serve as a high proof wheater in your crafting line up. Overall, at $40, it’s a great choice that’s widely available and not subject to bourbon hunters.