Bottom Shelf Bourbon Brackets 2015: The Championship Rounds

April 2, 2015 Eric Burke

They’re here, the Championship rounds. We’ve made it through the opening rounds and tonight we find out who graduates to the Fancy Shelf.

Once again, I am struck by just how good the competition has been. There were plenty of matchups where I actually liked both of the bourbons involved. Obviously one more than the other, but still. There was only one I would absolutely rule out ever buying again and that is the Old Crow. I doubt that I’ll get the OGD 80 again just because its higher proof brothers are still inexpensive and much better. Benchmark, I’d grab this for a cheap everyday whisky on occasion. It’s pleasant enough. And Henry McKenna was a pretty good card-playing bourbon.

Of course now that we are down to four, it is interesting to note that all four are from Heaven Hill and that three of the four are 100 proof or greater. I’d say this means that when it comes to putting out bourbons that both taste good and are good values, Heaven Hill knows what they are doing. It’s interesting to note that they also won last year’s competition.

So here we go. These were tasted blind again. And remember as with last year, these were not formal tasting notes, just impressions to let us decide which one we liked better.

Round 2: Down to Four

Division 1: Fighting Cock vs Evan Williams (Black)

Nose A: Fruity and sweet

Nose B: More vegetal, but otherwise similar

Mouth A: Sweet and spicy with a hint of fruit

Mouth B: Sweet with baking spices but with a vegetal undercurrent

Finish A: Warm and long. nice and spicy

Finish B: Hints of baking spices and oak

Thoughts: A is a much nicer bourbon. It has hints of fruit that really tie it together. B was showing a bit too vegetal in comparison.

Winner: A wins this one hands down. It is Fighting Cock. It really is amazing to me that what I interpreted as oak in Evan Williams last round is showing as vegetal today. That says more about me than the bourbon, but it is still interesting.

Division 2: JW Dant Bottled in Bond vs Evan Williams Bottled in Bond

Nose A: Caramel, hint of spice, slightly fruitier

Nose B: Caramel, hint of spice, slightly drier

Mouth A: Sweet, baking spices, oak

Mouth B: Drier than A, but otherwise very similar.

Finish A: Spicy, baking spices

Finish B: Slightly more oak, but otherwise similar

Thoughts: When you consider that these are both the same distillate, more than likely aged to about the same amount of time and bottled at the same strength, it isn’t too surprising to find out that they are very, very similar.

Winner: Today, the winner is Evan Williams Bottled in Bond. Tomorrow it might be the Dant, it is that close. These will both be on my shelf again. When it comes to buying, I will probably just go with which one the store I’m at carries and which is cheaper if it has both.

Fancy Shelf Championship

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond vs Fighting Cock

Nose A: Fruity and sweet with hints of oak

Nose B: Exactly the same. I can’t tell the difference.

Mouth A: Spicy, sweet and hot.

Mouth B: Spicy, sweet, hot with a little tannic bitterness.

Finish A: Spicy and sweet

Finish B: Spicy and sweet with some lingering oak.

Thoughts: Once again, there is no surprise that these are very similar. Same juice put into the barrel. One aged for an assumed 4+ years, the other for a stated 6 years. One 100 proof, one 103. Very, very similar. And which is better, that will depend on who you ask. Like a touch more wood? Go with B. Like a touch less? Go with A.

Winner: That said, I enjoyed having just a touch more oak so the Fancy Shelf Champion is: B, Fighting Cock.

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Bottom Shelf Bourbon Brackets 2015: Round 1: Evan Williams Bottled in Bond vs Henry McKenna

March 31, 2015 Eric Burke

Round 1d of the 2015 Bottom Shelf Bourbon Brackets features Number 2 seed Evan Williams Bottled in Bond versus Number 3 seed Henry McKenna.

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond is a product of Heaven Hill Brands. This is the Bottled in bond version of the black label version that competed in Round 1b. That means it is 100 proof, over 4 years old and is the product of one distillery in one season. It’s a pretty good snapshot of what was happening at Heaven Hill 4+ years ago. This is one of a batch of Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond products that I’m quite fond of. The others being JW Dant, Old Heaven Hill and Henry McKenna Bottled in Bonds.

Speaking of Henry McKenna the number 3 seed of this contest is the non-bonded version of Henry McKenna. It is also a product of Heaven Hill Brands. I was told by an employee of Heaven Hill once that the juice going into the barrels is the same, but that the main difference between Evan Williams and Henry McKenna is where they are aged. The Henry McKenna being aged on a hillside where it gets a lot of sun where Evan Williams ages more evenly. I’m not sure the veracity of that statement, but it sounds plausible.

These were tasted blind in the following order.

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond

Purchase info: MGM Wine and Spirits, Burnsville, MN. $17.99, 1 Liter Bottle.

ABV: 50%

Produced by: Heaven Hill Brands

Nose: Fruity and Sweet. Caramel, apple, vanilla, rose petals and just a hint of pea pod.

Mouth: Started with a hint of vegetal pea pod, but that faded quickly to reveal a hot and sweet dram with ginger and toffee.

Finish: Warm and spicy. Fades fairly quickly. Numbs the mouth.

Thoughts: I like this one. That faint vegetal hint aside, this is a good one.

Henry McKenna

Purchase info: Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN. $11.99, 750 mL Bottle.

ABV: 40%

Produced by: Heaven Hill Brands

Nose: Floral, caramel and brown sugar.

Mouth: Thin. Warm and dry. Ginger spiciness. Strong oak influence with hints of caramel.

Finish: Nice flavor, but very brief.

Thoughts: It has a nice flavor but is a bit thin and the finish is a bit too brief for me. It makes me think that this might be a great bourbon to cook with though. When you want the bourbon flavors, but not the ethanol ones.

Winner: Evan Williams has a nicer nose, finish and mouthfeel. Henry McKenna has a nicer flavor, but since Evan Williams flavor isn’t that far below I’m giving the nod to Evan Williams Bottled in Bond.

Bottom Shelf Bourbon Brackets 2015, Round 1: JW Dant Bottled in Bond vs Old Crow

March 26, 2015 Eric Burke

Round 1c of the 2015 Bottom Shelf Bourbon Brackets features Number 1 seed, and last year’s winner JW Dant Bottled in bond versus Number 4 seed Old Crow.

JW Dant Bottled in Bond is a product of Heaven Hill Brands. It was initially chosen as a part of last year’s competition where it eked out a split decision victory over Sazerac’s Old Charter (8 year old). This year it is back to defend it’s crown against new competition. Can it become a two time winner?

Old Crow is a product of BeamSuntory and, like it’s Beam stable-mate Old Grand-Dad, was once a label produced by National Distillers. Unlike Old Grand-Dad, Old Crow was converted over to the standard Beam recipe and has languished there ever since. It normally lives a full and uneventful life as many a bar’s well whiskey, being mixed into drinks that no one cares enough about to specify a brand or being shot by frat boys who are “tougher” than those who just want Fireball.

These were tasted blind in the following order.

JW Dant Bottled in Bond

Purchase Info: Blue Max Liquors, Burnsville, MN. $15.99 for a 1 liter bottle

Stated Age: NAS (Assumed 4+ years)

ABV: 50%

Produced by: Heaven Hill

Nose: Fruity, cinnamon and cocoa powder to start. Followed by a strong caramel candy note.

Mouth: Sweet and hot with caramel, cocoa and sharp oak tannins..

Finish: Warm and sweet with nice length and lingering oak.

Thoughts: The nose on this one is fabulous. The rest was fine, but a bit of a let down after the show the nose put on for us.

Old Crow

Purchase Info: Blue Max Liquors, Burnsville, MN. $10.94 for a 1 liter bottle

Stated Age: Aged “for a full 3 years”

ABV: 40%

Produced by: Jim Beam

Nose: Initially: barn. After that passed, grain, mint and baking spices.

Mouth: Silage, baking spices and a hint of mint. But mostly silage.

Finish: Mild warmth, black pepper and more silage.

Thoughts: My first nose of the glass was: “Holy shit! That smells like a barn. Not an old barn, but one currently holding cattle.” Luckily it faded quickly. Water helps this one, but only because it dilutes the silage. You might want to stick to mixing this one…maybe on the rocks…nah, skip the intermediary and just dump it out. In the toilet. It really is too bad that Beam let this fall on such hard times. It might have been kinder to put it out of its misery.

Winner: JW Dant Bottled in Bond wins this one hands down. And not by default. It actually had things going for it as opposed to just being not-Old-Crow. The nose was fantastic. The rest was ok too. For Old Crow…yeah I have nothing nice to say. When it starts with barn and goes downhill? Yeah. just pass on this one. At just north of $10 per liter this is actually overpriced. When we revealed which was which neither of us were surprised to see which was Dant and which was Old Crow.

Bottom Shelf Bourbon Brackets 2015, Round 1: Evan Williams vs. Old Grand-Dad (80 proof)

March 24, 2015 Eric Burke

Round 1b of the 2015 Bottom Shelf Bourbon Brackets features Number 2 seed Evan Williams versus Number 3 seed Old Grand-Dad (80 proof).

Evan Williams is a product of Heaven Hill Brands. You’ve probably seen it. It’s available almost everywhere. It’s the third-best selling American Whiskey. It also tends to look more than a little like the first best-selling American Whiskey: Jack Daniels so you will be forgiven if you didn’t notice it hiding down on the lower shelves. But unlike Jack Daniels, this is one bottle worth paying attention to. Though uninteresting, it is tasty and can be had for south of $15 per liter here in Minnesota.

Old Grand-Dad is produced by BeamSuntory. Though it’s part of Jim Beam, it has a higher rye content in it’s mashbill than the standard Beam recipe because of it’s heritage as part of the former National Distillers group of labels. There are 4 labels produced using this juice. Old Grand-Dad 114 proof, Old Grand-Dad Bonded, Old Grand-Dad 80 proof and Basil Hayden. Basil Hayden is also 80 proof. I’ve had the other three. I’ve liked them all. I’ve never had OGD 80 proof and have been looking forward to this round so that I could try it.

These were tasted blind in the following order.

Old Grand-Dad (80 proof)

Purchase Info: Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN. $13.99 750 mL

Stated Age: NAS (Assumed 4+ years)

ABV: 40%

Produced by: Jim Beam

Nose: Dried Grain/silage, cinnamon gum, oak and a hint of leather.

Mouth: Sweeter than I expected from the nose, but very hot as well. The cinnamon gum is there from the nose as well as the silage.

Finish: Hot and sweet with lingering oak and more silage.

Thoughts: Hot as this is, don’t try adding water. Water destroys this one. To be honest, I’m shocked by how little I like this one considering how much I like its higher proof brothers.

Evan Williams

Purchase Info: MGM Wine & Spirits, Burnsville, MN $12.47 for a 1L

Stated Age: NAS (Assumed 4+ years)

ABV: 43%

Produced by: Heaven Hill

Nose: Caramel corn, dusty old wood, baking spices.

Mouth: Sweet and soft. Baking spices, molasses and oak tannins.

Finish: There is a little heat, but it fades quickly. Lingering oak. Beyond that there isn’t much here.

Thoughts: In the past, I’ve described this as a “card-playing bourbon.” Tasty, but not very interesting. I stand by that here. Also, adding water seems to have little effect on this one.

Winner: Of the two, the Old Grand-Dad was certainly more interesting. There isn’t much going on with Evan Williams. That said, OGD does have a very unappealing silage flavor that is hard to get past. For a “tasting” in a Glencairn, I’d rather have interesting Old Grand-Dad, but as I will be merely “drinking” these from this point on, I have to give the win to Evan Williams.

Bottom Shelf Bourbon Brackets 2015, Round 1: Fighting Cock vs. Benchmark

March 19, 2015 Eric Burke

Round 1a of the 2015 Bottom Shelf Bourbon Brackets features Number 1 seed Fighting Cock versus Number 4 seed Benchmark Old No. 8 Brand.

Fighting Cock is one of those bourbons that I passed over based solely on it’s frat boy name. I’ve read that it was supposed to be a competitor for Wild Turkey (the kickin’ chicken) with its a high proof and 6 year age. I have no doubt that’s the case, but I still can’t say the name without snickering. Which says more about me than the name, I guess. In any case this was a bourbon that was recommended to me numerous times last year when I called for entries, but it was always just outside the price range. Increased competition in this market has made it available in the contest’s price range, so here it is as a number one sed based on both stated age and proof.

Benchmark Old No. 8 Brand Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. If I told you this was a Sazerac product, would it surprise you that it used to be Benchmark 8 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey? Well, it is. And it was. I’m sure some people out there haven’t noticed the 5 year drop in age. People like the store I bought it from that still calls it “Benchmark 8YR” on the sales receipt. This looks to be one of the first bottles to receive Sazerac’s now infamous “Number Treatment.” It seems to have lost it’s age statement and gained it’s 8 in 2004. Strangely, it did gain an age statement of sorts in 2013-2014 by becoming young enough to drop below the 4 year old minimum for being truly NAS. In any case It was recommended last year and met the criteria so here it is as the number 4 seed based on that new age statement.

Fighting Cock

Purchase Info: Total Wine & More, Burnsville, MN $14.99 for a 750 mL

Stated Age: 6 years

ABV: 51.5%

Produced by: Heaven Hill

Nose: Green Apple, cinnamon, caramel, anise, bubble gum and vanilla.

Mouth: Hot and fruity with apple, cinnamon candy and a good hit of oak.

Finish: Hot and long. Mint, oak and cinnamon candy.

Thoughts: This is a much more complex bourbon than I was expecting. It deserves it’s name. This thing wants to fight. It’s hot and spicy, but that is balanced by a nice fruitiness. Adding water destroys it though as it becomes all about the dried corn.

Benchmark Old No. 8 Brand

Purchase Info: MGM Wine & Spirits, Burnsville, MN $13.49 for a 1L

Stated Age: At least 36 months

ABV: 40%

Produced by: Buffalo Trace

Nose: Toffee, dried fruit, a vitamin tablet, corn and faint cinnamon.

Mouth: Velvety. Hot. Mint, corn, oak and brown sugar.

Finish: Residual heat and mint. Nothing to write home about.

Thoughts: This was a surprise. Nice heat. A good complexity. It may only be three years old, but there is nothing to keep this from being a nice card playing bourbon. Adding water amps up the sweetness and turns it into a butterscotch bomb.

Winner: Fighting Cock. But this was a match-up primed for an upset. Benchmark was a real surprise. We were tasting blind and it was the first one we tasted. Based on its heat and a decent complexity, I honestly thought it had to be the Fighting Cock. It wasn’t, obviously. After tasting both whiskeys we agreed that, out of a Glencairn, the Fighting Cock was much better. But for the way my wife drinks whiskey (with a cube or two of ice) she actually thinks that the Benchmark is more her style. It's the better of the two after dilution. Personally I’ll stick with the Fighting Cock, but don’t be too surprised to see either of these in the stash in the future.

Russell's Reserve Small Batch 10 year old bourbon

March 5, 2015 Eric Burke

Ever been to the Wild Turkey website? If you haven’t, it’s ok. It doesn’t look like they’ve been there for a while either. Videos are missing, the store is practically empty with only three items for sale and Eddie Russell has the wrong title. But it does have a few redeeming qualities. The main one being the featuring of Jimmy Russell.

Jimmy Russell is the Master Distiller at Wild Turkey. He’s been working there for 60 years. At this point, it’s easy to say that Jimmy Russell is Wild Turkey. I had the pleasure of chatting with Mr. Russell this fall while visiting Kentucky. We talked for about 15 minutes and I have to say that I’ve yet to meet a nicer person. He gave us all of his attention for as long as we wanted.

Russell’s Reserve was introduced in 1998 to celebrate Mr. Russell’s 45 anniversary with the company. It was a limited release at first, but eventually became a permanent part of the Wild Turkey line, spawning two further extensions in the Rye and Single Barrel versions. I’ve overlooked it for a long time, only having purchased it once before. It’s 90 proof, spicy and delicious.

Russell’s Reserve Small Batch

Purchase Info: $32.99 for a 750 mL at Marketplace Liquors, Savage, MN

Details: 10 years old, 45% ABV.

Nose: Mint, dried corn, apple blossoms, dried grass, deep underneath is some caramel

Mouth: Spicy and dry. Predominate oak and mint followed by dried corn, brown sugar clove and black pepper.

Finish: Warm in the chest and mouth with lingering oak and mint.

Thoughts: Jimmy Russell has stated publicly that he doesn't like older bourbons and if he’s drinking Wild Turkey I can see why. Wild Turkey seems to show more oak than other bourbons of a similar age so it would be easy to go too far. Especially for someone like me who tends to not like as strong of a sharp oak flavor. Beyond the oak, this shows fairly typical bourbon flavors: sweet balanced with spiciness and mint. It's a nice bourbon, though I think I like the Wild Turkey Rare Breed and 101 expressions a bit better.

What the Hell? (An exploration of the Craigslist secondary market)

March 3, 2015 Eric Burke

Want a laugh? Go troll Craigslist looking for bourbon. You will find legitimate collectable items of both the liquid and memorabilia types. But mixed in among the legit collectables are those that people only wish were collectable. Folks looking to make a buck (or hundred) by preying on the unsuspecting and uninformed.

A while back, I solicited people on twitter to send me some of their favorites. What follows are the ones I liked best out those submissions. Thanks to all who participated.

St. Petersburg

Let's start with something that really is hard to find, But seriously? This is over a 300% markup. Glad to have paid gift shop prices for mine.

That's a little better. Only a 200% markup (roughly). It must be on sale though. I mean "Ther prise is Final !" after all.

"It may not have the same demand as (That which will not be named) but that won't stop me from charging the same price as it."

I was starting to worry that this guy wouldn't be able to feed his family after the last two which were listed at only a 200% markup. But here we are, back to 400% or so. whew!

Chicago/Illinois

I like the bourbon...but damn.

In case you were curious, you shouldn't drink this $100 bourbon. It's for display only.

Apparently if you leave the city, the price drops. Those poor suckers in Champaign/Urbana. (shakes head) But if you want tasting notes with your gouging, this is your guy.

Missouri

$125 for a liter of "Poor Man's Pappy." Apparently the definition of poor is different in Missouri. Having traveled through much of it, I wouldn't have guessed that.

Dallas

It's Booker's! with keywords of Buffalo Trace, Angel's Envy and (That which will not be named).

New York

It's impossible to find as shown by all the Weller 12 listings we've found. Though by this point in the list, this asking price feels almost...reasonable.

Damn! Man! At least leave the store parking lot before you sell that collectible bit of HAZMAT!

Minneapolis

Can't leave my home town out, can I?

Feel like trading your Booker's 25th, Four Roses Limiteds, or Buffalo Trace Antique Collections for a bit of Old Weller Antique 107 proof? Yeah, me neither.

"The value is in the collectable (sic) container, its label, not contents inside." Finally one I agree with. The stuff inside is terrible. Though if you want, the container that bad I'll give you mine. I'll even throw in the last quarter bottle or so for good measure

Alaska

Nothing seems shady here. $75-$100 for an ounce and a half of liquid in an unmarked bottle? Or I can get all 12 and save $100!?! Where do I sign up?

Louisville

And before you think it's just folks who don't know bourbon, here's one from the heart of Bourbon Country.

I just want to know how much he's charging for that collectible mason jar filled with a "representation of a 50/50 mixture that has mingled for two weeks" in a mason jar. I mean, I'd also imagine it'd be delicious (if it were intended for consumption).

Looking at Old Forester (86 proof)

February 24, 2015 Eric Burke

Old Forester is getting quite the love from producer Brown-Forman these days. It started a few years ago when the labels got a branding refresh. This past fall, when visiting the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, I noticed that the "Woodford Reserve Booth" at the Sampler was now double-branded, sharing equal billing with Old Forester. Then there is the planned Whiskey Row distillery/visitor space in Louisville. And of course, how could we forget the Whiskey Row series of bourbons? The Original Batch 1870 is already out and the Bottled in Bond 1897 has had a label approval. I even saw an Old Forester branded ready-to-drink cocktail while trolling the COLA site. This one for a Mint Julep.

So with all this love for the brand and all the new products on the horizon, it is only fitting that we would want to take a look back at what's already out. Make sure we are up to date on where we're at before we move into the brave new future.

Brown-Forman has been making Old Forester for about 140 years now. It's gone though numerous expressions before settling in at an entry-level expression of 86 proof, a 100 proof "Signature" expression, a single barrel program, and the yearly Birthday Bourbon release (some would toss the Woodford Reserve expression in there as well since they share a mash bill and at least a partial distillation site) before adding the brand extensions listed above.

The 100 proof is described by the company website as "spicier and more robust." I described it as "hot and bitter." The single barrels I've had have all been good, but wildly different. Some being fruity and others spicy. This year's Birthday Bourbon was something special being fruity, spicy, and creamy all at the same time. But what about the 86 proof? Let's find out.

Old Forester (86 proof)

Purchase info: $19.99 for 750 mL at Ace Spirits, Hopkins MN

Details: 43% ABV

Nose: A delicate collection of the typical bourbon notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak. Plus some floral green apple, and allspice.

Mouth: Delicate and floral. Brown sugar, honey, nutmeg, and hints of oak.

Finish: Baking spices and floral notes linger with a gentle heat.

Thoughts: This is a well put-together bourbon. It is delicate, but tasty, with just enough heat. A good value as an everyday sipper. My wife claims this is one of her favorite bourbons to nose because it has all the notes she looks for but it doesn’t overpower with alcohol.

So far, the evidence I've tasted has led me to the conclusion that in general, I like Old Forester/Woodford Reserve at less than 100 proof. I like the 86 quite a bit as a everyday bourbon that you don't need to feel bad about using up too quickly. I liked the Single Barrels at their 90 proof. I seem to remember liking Woodford at just over 90 and I really liked the 97 proof Birthday Bourbon this year. The 100 proof Signature is the outlier.

So even though Old Forester is an old brand, the future looks bright. I'm excited to try the 90 proof 1870 when I can get my hands on it and the Bottled-in-Bond 1897 when it appears.

Blog

Round 2: Down to Four

Fancy Shelf Championship

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond

Henry McKenna

JW Dant Bottled in Bond

Old Crow

Old Grand-Dad (80 proof)

Evan Williams

Fighting Cock

Benchmark Old No. 8 Brand

Russell’s Reserve Small Batch

St. Petersburg

Chicago/Illinois

Missouri

Dallas

New York

Minneapolis

Alaska

Louisville

Old Forester (86 proof)