Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, 1st Edition

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

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Heaven Hill has announced a new annual spring release to balance the fall release of Parker’s Heritage Collection. The first edition is age-stated at 17 years old and is a blend of “ultra-aged” bourbons between 17 and 20 years old. Here are the details as described by Heaven Hill:

“The Collection, a testament to Heaven Hill’s patience and ultra-aging techniques, will feature one of the six traditional American Whiskey mashbills produced by Heaven Hill, the only heritage distillery to produce this range. The first edition features Heaven Hill’s Bourbon mashbill comprised of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, and bottled at a barrel proof of 118.2. With an age statement of 17 years, this release is made up of 28% 20-year-old barrels, 44% 19-year-old barrels, and 28% 17-year-old barrels pulled from Deatsville, Glencoe, Schenley, and Heaven Hill main campus warehouse locations.”

Of course, this is just the first release, and as you might expect with whiskey this old, attributes will vary by release. There is only so much old whiskey to go around, even for Heaven Hill who seems to have more than most. And if you are curious about the packaging and price they talk about that as well:

“Each Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 750ml bottle will be accompanied by a premium box in signature Heaven Hill blue with the double-H insignia stamped in gold to signify Heaven Hill. As will become a signature of the Collection, specific attributes such as warehouse site locations, production dates, mashbill percentage, and other designations will be noted prominently on the packaging.  Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17-Year-Old Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey will launch nationally on a limited basis with an SRP of $274.99.”

So now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, let’s see how it tastes.

Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, 1st Edition

Purchase info: This was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $274.99.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $18.33

Details: 59.1% ABV. Aged 17 years

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, mixed berries, nutmeg, and oak.

Mouth: Very rich. Caramel, vanilla, tobacco, chocolate, and nutmeg.

Finish: Long and warm. Lingering cocoa notes.

Thoughts: When I poured my sample into a Glencairn, the aroma filled the room. The glass was a foot away from my hand and I was already starting to pick up notes of caramel and vanilla. The nose is so rich that you could spend a happy evening just smelling this. But if you did, you would miss out on a very delicious whiskey. The mouth is just as nice as the nose. Typical Heaven Hill bourbon notes, but super concentrated. I love this. At over $18 per pour, I can't possibly afford it, but I do love it.

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George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend Rye

I spent the entire day today getting a new batch of items ready for the online store. Looks like I should have them up sometime tomorrow if you are in the market for relatively inexpensive bourbon-themed tchotchkes. In addition to the posters and tasting journals, I’ve been getting sticker packs, lapel pins, and keychains photographed and ready to be posted for sale. Now all I need to do is get them listed.

I’ve been sitting on most of these items for over a year now, running three businesses keeps a guy busy, but I finally found a couple of days in a row where my other businesses were slow enough to allow me to get off my ass and do it. It’s a nice problem to have, I guess.

What I love about the various things I put up on the merch site is that it gives me an opportunity to flex my creative muscles a little bit. One of my day jobs is creating items, mostly junk mail, for plumbers and electricians. It pays the bills but isn’t very creatively fulfilling. With these items though, even though I hope others will like it, I’m mostly just doing things that I want to have and then ordering enough to help recoup the cost. Any extra goes to help keep BourbonGuy.com up and running.

Whoa. I just wanted to talk about creativity and it turned into an ad (BourbonGuyGifts.com if the ad worked…). Ah well. In any case, it was serendipitous that I was working on creative items today as tonight’s whiskey is a creative collaboration between two well-respected distillers. Nicole Austin of George Dickel has done an absolutely bang-up job over the last few years, introducing products such as Dickel Bourbon and the delicious George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond whiskeys. Todd Leopold is, to quote the bottle, “one of the most respected and acclaimed pioneers of American Whiskey” and a 2020 James Beard Award Nominee. I know him as the guy who’s been making the absinthe that I use in my Sazeracs since I first fell in love with Sazeracs many years ago.

Here is what the Dickel website has to say about it:

George Dickel has teamed up with the Leopold Bros to produce an innovative rye whisky offering.The release blends George Dickel’s column still rye produced at Cascade Hallow Distillery with Leopold Bros’ Three Chamber Rye to recreate a historic style. This union between column distilled rye and Three Chamber distilled rye turns back the hands of time, returning to an era that saw heavy-bodied rye whisky served at bars and saloons throughout America. The Cascade Hollow component of this blend is a never-before released traditional column still rye.

So on top of it being an interesting blend, this also contains our first taste of Dickel-distilled rye. The rye they sell now is sourced from MGP. So let’s see how it tastes.

George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend Rye

Purchase Info: $139.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Chanhassen, MN.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $9.33

Details: 50% ABV.

Nose: Cedar, mint, floral cherry, and baking spices.

Mouth: Floral and herbal with notes of mint, cedar, cinnamon, and caramel.

Finish: Nice and warm. Medium to long. Notes of cherry, cedar, cinnamon, and spearmint.

Thoughts: I was unsupervised at the liquor store for this one. After reading about it last week, I was so excited that I ignored the price when I saw it on the shelf. Luckily, this is so good that my wife/accountant has forgiven me for the splurge. It is one of those whiskies where you could just nose it all night long. And, bonus, you also get to drink it too! This is complex in all three phases, nose, mouth, and finish. And delicious to boot. I do not regret this purchase at all.

It will, however, be placed on the special shelf so it has a better chance of lasting a while.

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Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: C921

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample to me with no strings attached.

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You know, I like Bourbon. I know that doesn’t come as a shock to most of you since, well, I do tend to write about it twice a week. But it is worth saying now and then when you are someone who acts as a critic. I love bourbon. Everything I write on this site stems from that. I won’t go so far as to say there is no bad bourbon, there is. (Cough…TerrePure…cough cough). But generally, I like bourbon. It’s one of the reasons the majority of products get a “like” rating. I just generally like the stuff. Occasionally there is one that I very much dislike. Like, it is bad. Or that really does nothing for me. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t for me. I don’t have this happen too often because I try really hard to only purchase things I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy. I mean, I’m going to have the rest of the bottle left after the review and I can only use so much prop bourbon.

But every so often, something surprises me. I’ve been doing this long enough that when a sample of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof shows up, I know I’m going to really enjoy it. I expect that and have never been disappointed. It is just damn fine whiskey. But this time I was surprised. Read on to see why.

Eijah Craig Barrel Proof, C921

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. I have found previous editions locally for as low as $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine.

Price per Drink (50mL): $4.67

Details: 60.1% ABV. 12-years-old.

Nose: Caramel, mint, red fruits, chocolate, and vanilla.

Mouth: Warm, but not as hot as the proof would lead you to expect. Sweet with notes of caramel, vanilla, allspice, red fruits, and chocolate.

Finish: Medium-long and sweet. Notes of floral vanilla, chocolate and baking spices.

Thoughts: This is delicious. Even at 120 proof it is drinkable neat. Sweet caramel, vanilla, and chocolate throughout. Nice baking spice notes. It isn’t enough to say that I'm a big fan of this one. I love it.

Comparison to B521: In my opinion, there is no question that C921 is better in every way. It is richer in the mouth and on the nose. Sweeter, spicier, better mouthfeel. It's so good. Don't get me wrong, I really liked B521, but I love C921! If you run across it, do yourself a favor and buy it. This might be the best bourbon I've had this year.

In fact, I’m going to pull out a very seldom used award. I’m going to say that Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C921 is only the second recipient of the BourbonGuy.com Bourbon of the Year Award. I only give this to bourbons that are by far the best thing I’ve had all year. The last one was awarded way back in 2017. I haven’t had a bourbon that was that much better than every other bourbon since. But this one qualifies. Nice job Heaven Hill!

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more.

Remus Repeal Reserve Series V

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing the review sample with no strings attached.

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Thanks to the magic that is Comixology Unlimited, I’ve found myself reading a lot of old comic books lately. For as long as I remember reading, I remember reading comic books. I’ve always read a wide variety of books. From novels to history textbooks, the fantastic to the non-fiction. I just love stories. I love reading them and I love writing them. It’s one of the reasons I start these reviews with as many personal anecdotes as I do. But comic books were always there in the mix of my reading choices. Lately, I’ve been digging deep into DC’s Vertigo lineup from the late 1980s and early 90s. I was too young to read these when they came out, but I was introduced to the Sandman in college and have revisited it periodically over intervening decades. Sometimes it’s nice to revisit something that you just know is going to be good.

I feel that way about tonight’s bourbon too. I’ve reviewed every iteration of Remus Repeal Reserve and I’ve liked every single one. MGP makes fantastic whiskey, even if their choice of namesake leaves a bit to be desired. (Speaking of rereading old content, I wrote about George Remus way back in 2017 during the first release of this product. I think it was pretty good. If you haven’t read it before, give it a look.)

Series V of Remus Repeal Reserve is a medley of two different MGP produced bourbons, their 21% Rye recipe (mash bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley malt) and their 36% Rye recipe (mash bill: 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% barley malt). They use a combination of ages of these recipes in order to make the final product. And as usual, they give you the percentage breakdown right on the front label. Series V is made from 9% 2005 Bourbon (21% Rye), 5% 2005 Bourbon (36% Rye), 19% 2006 Bourbon (21% Rye), 13% 2008 Bourbon (21% Rye) and 54% 2008 Bourbon (36% Rye).

Let’s dive in and see how it tastes.

Remus Repeal Reserve Series V, 2021

Purchase price: This sample was graciously provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99. Releases September 2021.

Price per Drink (50mL): $6.00

Nose: Green apple, clove, caramel, nutmeg, and oak.

Mouth: Nice and spicy. Cinnamon, oak, caramel, and almond.

Finish: Spicy and long. Nutmeg, almond, black tea, oak, and caramel.

Thoughts: This is one to keep an eye out for. I've been a big fan of most editions of Remus Repeal Reserve, and I'm fully aware this might be recency bias, but I think this might be the best yet. This one is getting a heart. I love it and I'm really hoping to get my hands on another bottle when it releases in September.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more.

Wilderness Trail Private Selections from the Party Source

Private Selections or Store Picks can be a contentious topic. On one hand, you don’t know what you are going to get. Depending on the store, and the person doing the choosing, you might get something that is only a little different than the standard release. Or worse, something you don’t like as much as the standard release. And that comes down to who is doing the picking and if their palate aligns with yours. Some stores go all out and do an in-person tasting even to choose barrels, some get multiple samples sent to them for them to choose from, and some just want a barrel, any barrel, and get one chosen for them.

Of course, on the other hand, you don’t know what you are going to get! The surprise and excitement are part of the fun. It’s like opening a pack of baseball cards when I was a kid. Sure you got a lot of commons but once in a while, there was something really special in the pack you bought.

Personally, I’m aware of the first point, but I’m driven to buy by the second point. I bought a lot of baseball cards when I was a kid. Right up to the point where I discovered music and girls and traded the entire collection for some cassette tapes and a few issues of Playboy that one of my friends had swiped from his older brother. By the time I got into collecting again, I was more into comic books than baseball. But I never got over the thrill of buying something and have it turn out better than expected.

I think that is why I pick up at least one bottle of almost every Store Pick I run across. It scratches that same itch that I had as a kid. I mean you never know what you are going to get. It might be good, but it could be great. And plus, it makes a fun souvenir when you are traveling.

And speaking of traveling, tonight I’ll be looking at a couple of whiskeys from Wilderness Trail that I purchased the last time I traveled a long distance. I picked up both of these whiskeys at the Party Source (Bellevue, KY) in December 2020 and the notes were tasted in a hotel room in Duluth last month.

I’m realizing now that those are the only two nights I’ve spent outside my house since last March and it is an odd coincidence that these whiskeys were part of both trips.

Anyway, I picked up a single barrel version of both the Settler’s Select Rye and the Black Label Bourbon which is usually their small-batch product. Here is what the distillery website has to say about each:

Our Small Batch release mash bill is 64 percent corn, 24 percent rye and 12 percent malted barley using our yeast strains. We entered the cooper select, toasted and #4 char barrel at 110 proof after coming off the still around 137 proof. [For] our Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskeys…our three-grain recipe is 56 percent rye, 33 percent corn and 11 percent malted barley. Our rye mash bill is one we created for a broader balance of flavor to offset the typical high ryes commonly found.

Wilderness Trail “Black Label” Bourbon, picked by "Lion's Share"

Purchase Information: $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle, The Party Source, Bellevue, KY

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 57.5% ABV. Barrel#: 15F01-4. Aged: 4 years, 3 months. Barrel: ISC#4 Char & Toasted. Rickhouse: E-S08R12. Yeast: FermPro1.

Nose: Cinnamon, brown sugar, herbal mint, and a hint of oak

Mouth: Nice and spicy. Notes of Caramel, cinnamon, crisp apple, and oak.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes of black tea, cinnamon, and honey.

Thoughts: This is a fantastic bottle of bourbon. My first sip caused me to breathe: "Oh, that's good" under my breath. It's complex, spicy, sweet, and fruity with a wonderful finish. I'm not sure who "Lion's Share" is, but they picked a fantastic bourbon.

Wilderness Trail Settler's Select Rye, picked by the Party Source.

Purchase Information: $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle, The Party Source, Bellevue, KY

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 56.5% ABV. Barrel#: 15L21-2. Aged: 4 years, 5 months. Barrel: ISC #4 Char & Toasted. Rickhouse: A-N04A7. Yeast: FermPro1.

Nose: Dominant mint. Brown sugar, baking spice, and black tea.

Mouth: Mint, Cherry pipe tobacco, honey, and allspice.

Finish: Very warm and medium length. Very minty, cherry pipe tobacco, lots of spice, honey.

Thoughts: If I could give a standing ovation in writing, I would. I'm in love. This is delicious! Since I live nowhere near where I bought this, it is going on the special shelf to be had only occasionally. I love the pipe tobacco notes, the mint, the spice. I'd keep gushing but I think I've made my point.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Knob Creek 12-Year-Old Cask Strength Bourbon

At just a hair over six feet tall, I am not the tallest person in the world, but I am the tallest in my family. I could literally look over a sea of in-laws, back when we could have holiday gatherings. I wasn’t just taller, but taller by a foot or more in some cases.

That’s right, I married into a family of short people.

And I’m here to tell you that this is a great thing. Sure, my wife asks me to get things off of the top shelf all the time but in return, I get a little something too. I have someone who can easily look on the bottom shelf at stores. Which is how we found this particular bottle.

We were at Total Wine to grab a handle of Wild Turkey 101. At $31 per 1.75-liter bottle, it’s the cheapest way to stock up on Wild Turkey within easy driving distance. And, as you do, as long as I was there I needed to browse the shelves. I noticed a couple of facings of Knob Creek 12-year-old down on the bottom shelf but didn’t think much of them as I’d already had it.

My wife, however, being much closer to the ground, noticed that each of the facings had a different price. One is almost twice the price of the other. After she pointed this out to me, I needed to take a closer look. It turns out that what I thought was two facings of Knob Creek 12 year old was in fact one facing of Knob Creek 12-year-old and one of Knob Creek 12-year-old Cask Strength. Obviously, this bottle came home with me.

I don’t feel too bad though as I’ve heard from friends that they also noticed the price difference without noticing the proof difference. To be fair to all of us, the labels look a lot alike. But enough of what the labels look like, let’s see how this one tastes.

Knob Creek 12-Year-Old Cask Strength Bourbon, Limited Edition

Purchase Info: $92.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50mL): $6.20

Details: 60.25% ABV. 12 years old.

Nose: Caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla

Mouth: Spicy heat. Vanilla, caramel, oak, cinnamon red hots.

Finish: Medium to long with a big hit of oak initially which fades to reveal lingering cinnamon and mint.

Thoughts: I love this one. It's thick and chewy with the stereotypical bourbon notes that I just love. Damn. I really wish that I'd have bought two of these. But I'm guessing that my wife would have shot down the idea of spending about $250 when we had anticipated $35. Still though...

Later that day: OK, I couldn’t help myself. Right after I typed that, I went and looked at my local liquor store (Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN). And huzzah! They had it too. So I grabbed another one. This one had a higher proof (124.3) and a lower price ($84.99). I tasted them side-by-side and they are very similar with the higher proof one being a touch hotter and brighter. Still love it though. Really glad I got my hands on a second one.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

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Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch C920

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

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As I was getting ready to write this tonight, I remembered that one of my local liquor stores had Elijah Craig Barrel Proof for $58 or so the last time I was there and made the decision that I was going to get one. I made the bold declaration that batch B520 was my favorite yet when I reviewed it back in May. And even though I had already done a comparison tasting of B520 and C920, I wanted one more chance to compare them.

But when I arrived, wouldn’t you know it, the shelf was empty. This is why you don’t wait when you see something you want, especially for a price that good. Ah well. I’ll just have to console myself with C920. I mean, it’s probably pretty good too, right?

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch C920

Purchase info: This sample was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. Locally Elijah Craig Barrel Proof sells for as low as $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle when not on sale.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 66.4% ABV, 12 years old

Nose: Brown sugar, dark chocolate, a nutty note, and a hint of mint.

Mouth: Thick and rich. Very spicy due to the proof. Lots of "tingle" on this one. Caramel, cinnamon, chocolate, roasted nuts, mint, and oak.

Finish: Medium and warm. Lingering chocolate, mint, and oak.

With Water: Caramel bomb on the nose. Really tames the heat, but amps up the mint in the mouth. still a lot of cocoa and caramel.

Comparison with B520: C920 is much sweeter than B520 on the nose and mouth. Really enjoying the more prominent cocoa notes.

Thoughts: Delicious! As much as I enjoyed the last release (and I gave it a rare Heart rating), when I tasted them side by side, I liked this one even more. I'm loving the cocoa/chocolate notes mixed with cinnamon and caramel. It tastes like an alcoholic chocolate cookie. Big fan! I guess it is ok that I “have” to “console myself” with the C920

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Fall Brackets 2020: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Edition: Round 1a, 2018 vs 2015

This is the first September since 2013 that I haven’t had a vacation to Kentucky to look forward to. And, for that reason, it is also the first year since 2013 that I have no shot of getting a bottle of Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch. I mean, I’m in the drawing like everyone else, but I know how I usually fare in drawings of that sort. Here’s a hint: not well.

Back in 2013, I had a lucky break when a friend in Las Vegas was able to find a bottle for me. This was back when, in some areas, you could still find it on the store shelves now and then. This year, I’ll have to be happy with the taste I got when they sent me a sample. Oh, and the seven unopened bottles that I’ve saved from years past.

Which brings me to this little bracket I’ve decided to throw together. It all started last year when I was talking to Brent Elliot at the breakfast that Four Roses usually holds the Friday of BourbonFest. I’m not intentionally name dropping here, just giving credit where due. In a way, this series of posts is all his fault. See we were discussing what I thought of the 2019 Small Batch release when it came up that I had a bottle of almost every edition back to 2012 and that I had gotten most of them at that very event.

His very good question was: “What are you saving them for?” Well, I didn’t have a good answer for that. I had this vague idea that I wanted to be able to open them up all at once and share the experience with friends. But I didn’t have any firm idea for what to do with them. So I decided that at some point in 2020, I was going to gather a few like minded-friends to give them all a taste. Yeah…so much for that. 2020 kinda put the kibosh on that thought, but I was inspired to open them all up anyway as a way to “console myself” for not getting a bottle this year. And since they are open anyway why not see which one is the best?

These were tasted blind. In order to remove any preconceived notions, I poured samples of each into 100mL bottle bottles that were only labeled with a 10 digit alphanumeric code. I then shuffled them around as best as possible, seeded them, and then waited a week so that I would no longer even have a hint of what year went with what code. Over the course of a week, we tasted all the way through to the winner before we revealed what bourbon went with what code.

I was determined to make this into an event for ourselves. And now I’ve decided to share the results with you over the course of the next month. (Don’t worry, if you find a challenge between bourbons that you are unlikely to have to be boring, I am not running all the posts consecutively.)

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2018

Original Review: 2018 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: “This is a hot and spicy beast of a dram. It is hot. The caramel is at the forefront, and the spice will bite you if you aren't prepared for it. The fruit is still there, but this year it plays more in the ripe, juicy peaches and cherry range. This is not a "mellow" bourbon.”

Details/Original Price: A blend of 10-year-old OBSV, a 13-year-old OBSF, a 14-year-old OESV, and 16-year-old OESK. 54.2% ABV. $140 MSRP.

Nose: Caramel, nutmeg, vanilla, and almond.

Mouth: Caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, red fruits, and oak.

Finish: Sweet and spicy. Medium length. Cinnamon, oak, and almond.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2015

Original Review: 2015 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Review

Pertinent Quote: “Oh. My. God! I hesitate to say this for fear of fanning the fervor, but this might be my favorite Limited Small Batch yet. This is Mr. Rutledge’s last outing on this and he has outdone himself. Standing ovation on this one. Amazing!”

Original Details/Price: A mix of 16-year-old OBSK, 15-year-old OESK, 14-year-old OESK and 11-year-old OBSV. 54.3% ABV. $120 MSRP.

Nose: Very rich. This smells like a baking cinnamon roll. Bready, sweet brown sugar and cinnamon.

Mouth: Bright and floral. Cinnamon, cherry, brown sugar, and oak.

Finish: Medium to long. Oak, oak, oak. Brown sugar

Thoughts:

2015 is my clear winner in this matchup. The nose is amazing. Extremely rich. The bright floral mouth is a pleasant addition. 2018 is also very good, obviously. It just isn't as complex as 2015. The Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2015 moves to round 2.

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Thanks to Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot for inspiring this series of posts.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.