Van Winkle Special Reserve "Lot B"

Special Reserve " Lot B" is the 12 year old bourbon from the Van Winkle collection. These wheated bourbons boast a uniquely soft profile with rich, sweet flavors.

Details:
-90.4 proof 
-12 years old
-Price: $59

Nose: A giant bowl of fresh fruit, with spiced peaches and dried mango. There are delicate notes of sweet wheat, caramel and vanilla spice.

 Taste: Silky smooth with a robust, sweet wheat on the tip of the palate. Peach cobbler, burnt caramel, and black pepper spice mingle gracefully for a delightful flavor.  

Finish: A smooth, quick finish, with a sweet spice and subtle oak. 

Conclusion: An overall wonderful experience. It's a bottle that is frightfully easy to finish with a some friends and  good conversation. It's so smooth and the quick finish will keep you coming back for more. People have asked, "what is the most I would pay for such and such bottle"...and while it is an entirely subjective question, I would spend up to $100 on this one; it's that good!  

My Rating: A (Great)

Follow @Blundon_Bourbon  

Bourbon Brothers:

 

Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

Sazerac Rye Whiskey is distilled and bottled by Buffalo Trace Distillery. Often referred to as "Baby Saz",  it is another Buffalo Trace whiskey that is difficult to find. I have been wanting to review this for a while but have had trouble finding a bottle; it is an enjoyable pour but not something you should consider paying over MSRP for.

Details:
-No Age Statement (6 years old via Sazerac.com)  
-90 proof
-Price: $40

Nose: An abundance of vanilla and spearmint are the first notes that float out of the glass. A thin layer of green tea follows, with canned corn, clove, and pepper.

Taste: Candied spices and citrus fruit jump on the tip of the tongue.  Mint transitions smoothly from the nose to the palate, and is joined by light notes of buttered toast, anise, and oak.

Finish: Short and smooth with slight hints rye spice and a low lying licorice. 

Conclusion: The majority of this bottle was used in cocktails rather than drinking neat. It is an enjoyable pour however I was slightly disappointed with the overall complexity when I drank this neat for the first time. It doesn't deserve the hype that comes with being a Buffalo Trace product, but it's certainly worth a try if you can find it for under $40.   

My Rating: B (Good)

 
Follow @Blundon_Bourbon

Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon

Old Rip Van Winkle (ORVW) is a 10 year bourbon from the Van Winkle collection. These wheated bourbons boast a uniquely soft profile with rich, sweet flavors. Unfortunately, the hype with anything Van Winkle related seems to grow year after year (exacerbated by a ridiculous secondary market value), making it very difficult to get your hands on. Buffalo Trace has recently started to combat this inflation by releasing press statements educating consumers on how to spot fake bottles floating around the secondary market, but for now, it's a storm we will all have to wait out.  

Details:

-10 years old

-107 proof

-Price: $55

Nose: Waves of vanilla and brown sugar sit at the top of the glass. Notes of roasted pecans, sweet spice, and oak follow.

Taste: Chewy with robust sweet wheat sitting on the tip of the tongue. Further sips reveal marshmellow, graham cracker, cherries, and tobacco.

Finish: Mellow with sweet wheat, cherries, tobacco, and a peppery spice. 

Conclusion: ORVW is simply delicious. A perfect combination of age and proof, it has everything I want from a wheated bourbon. If you can snag this for close to MSRP, consider yourself lucky! It's great bourbon, but in no way is it worth paying a price of $200+. 

My Rating: A (Great)

Follow @Blundon_Bourbon 

Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon

In December of 2014, spirit giant Luxco acquired a 50% equity position in Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky. Limestone Branch has been operated jointly by the two companies and Yellowstone bourbon is the first product released since the partnership. It is important to note that the product is a blend of three sourced bourbons, of which, only 6,000 bottles were produced. 

Details:

-Blend consists of the following: a wheated bourbon aged 7 years/ a high rye bourbon aged 7 years/ a high rye bourbon aged 12 years

-105 proof
-Price: $105

Nose: Cheesecake, cinnamon, salted caramel, graham crackers.  

Taste: Sweet hard candies, red hots upfront, followed by spice cake with vanilla icing, honey, rye spice, subtle salt, and toasted oak.

Finish: Sweet spice with a warming oak. 

Conclusion:  This is a sweet yet spicy bourbon. It's mellow, but at 105 proof boasts a thick mouthfeel with rich flavors. I know people will ask, so let me mention this now- Yellowstone bourbon barrels were selected by Limestone branch President and Distiller, Steve Beam; it is not the same juice as Blood Oath. At a $105 price tag, its not the greatest bang for your buck, but as it is truly a limited release, I recommend you give this a try. Lastly, shout out to David Cole for another amazing bottle design. 

My Rating: B+ (Very Good) 

Follow @Blundon_Bourbon

Woodford Reserve Rye

When I first heard Woodford Reserve was adding rye whiskey as a permanent addition to their portfolio I was ecstatic. Its been well documented that they have been experimenting with rye whiskey for a while now and I thought to myself, if it was anything like the 2011 Masters Collection new cask rye, we would all be in for quite a treat. This whiskey was first released early 2015 and I had to reach out to an out of state friend to pick me up a bottle since it is currently only available in select markets.

Details:

-Mashbill: 53% rye, 33% corn, and 14% malt

-No Age Statement
-90.4 proof
-Price: $40

Nose: Starts off spicy, with heavy rye grain and black pepper. Crème brûlée, pear, apple, and cedar lurk in the background.  

Taste: Vanilla cream, green apple taffy, honey, with  cinnamon toast crunch, mint, rye and black pepper spice.

Finish: Medium in length with a sweet spice.  

Conclusion: While this is nothing like the 2012 Master's Collection Rye, this whiskey is delicious in its own right. It took a few pours to open up, but quickly became a favorite among the bottles I had open. If you are a Woodford Reserve fan like me, its a must try with a friendly price tag around $38. 

My Rating: B+ (Very Good) 

Follow @Blundon_Bourbon