Blanton's from a friend

May 16, 2017 Eric Burke

Blanton's Bourbon from Holiday Market in Royal Oak, Michigan

Tonight a tornado hit the town where I grew up. My family is ok, no worries. Property damage, but no injuries reported from them so far. But as I was calling around, checking to make sure everyone was alright and learning about the damage they'd suffered, I thought about how important friends and family are. I don't live near most of my family, and that is by design. I enjoy a different lifestyle than would be possible in a small town in rural Wisconsin. But on nights like this, when their power is out, and they are only available by cell phone, I kinda wish I was closer.

Friends, however, are a different matter entirely. I have a lot of friends, and I value every one of them. It doesn't matter where I visit; I probably have a friend nearby. That's the beauty of the internet. I have good friends that I have never met in real life and good friends that I knew online well before I knew they lived near me. I even have friends from places I've never visited, but that I see almost every year in Kentucky.

One of the latter is Josh from Sipology Blog. I see him nearly every year at BourbonFest. Recently he reviewed a private selection of Blanton's from a retailer near him, and when he offered me a sample of that very interesting sounding bourbon, I jumped at the chance. Blanton's is a bourbon that, I'm surprised to say I've never reviewed on the site before. And come to think of it, that's probably because I've never purchased it. I've had it at bars and always enjoyed it, but every time I'm in the liquor store with $60 in my pocket I always seem to turn to something besides this Single Barrel Buffalo Trace product. I think the next time I see it, that will have to change.

Blanton's Single Barrel - Holiday Market Selection

Purchase info: This sample was graciously shared by Josh at SipologyBlog.com. He lists the Michigan state minimum as $60.

Details: 46.5% ABV. Warehouse H, Rick 15, Barrel 66.

Nose: Very fruity on the nose with mixed berries, oak and honey.

Mouth: Earthy honey, ripe fruit, oak and some spice.

Finish: Gentle, but not timid. Warm, but not overpowering. Lingering green apple, oak and spice.

Thoughts: This is a very tasty bourbon that was provided by a friend in Michigan. I'm enjoying the heck out of it. I'm loving the fruitiness and spice. I gotta agree with Josh, this one is recommended.

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Jim Beam Signature Craft: Whole Rolled Oat

May 11, 2017 Eric Burke

WOW! Has it ever been a busy time in the BourbonGuy household. This week, my major client has been on vacation so, since the weather is nice, I am busy trying to get caught up with all the projects I want to build for the Etsy store (BourbonGuyGifts.com should you want to check it out).

I love working with wood and I have some new things coming up that I am really proud of and hope everyone likes them as much as I do. Probably won't show up until next week though.

So why am I talking about that instead of the bourbon I'm reviewing tonight? Well, how much more can I say? I've already reviewed three of the six in the lineup (Brown Rice, Red Wheat, and Barley), and honestly, there isn't much more to say. Beam did a little experimenting. They changed the flavoring grain and/or flavoring grain ratio in their bourbon and then let it age for 11 years. They then released it at an absurdly high price, but I got a screaming good deal on the pack of six, so much so that I went back to get another six-pack.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Whole Rolled Oat

Purchase info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, Whole Rolled Oats used as flavoring grain.

Nose: Tropical fruit, caramel and oak.

Mouth: Peppery heat with spearmint and fruit along with a nice sweetness and nuttiness.

Finish: Long and peppery with oak and a hint of smokiness.

Thoughts: As you can see from the fill level above, I liked this one. I really liked it. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from the oat version of this. But man, the fruit and the strong spearmint are fun and fantastic. And though I get nutty notes from this, I wouldn't have ever guessed that it was a Jim Beam product if I had been served it blind. Very, very nice.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Brown Rice

May 9, 2017 Eric Burke

Rice. It provides more than one-fifth of the calories consumed by humans worldwide*. It's a bit of an understatement to say that it's a pretty important crop to humanity. And yet, for a long time, Americans drank more rice than they ate**.

That rice was not, however, consumed in the form of bourbon. Instead, Americans consumed their rice in the form of Budweiser beer. Up to four pounds of rice per person per year.

So, as I am of an age where I started drinking beer before the current iteration of the craft beer revolution, it is safe to say that I've consumed plenty of fermented rice in my life. I can honestly say though, that I've never had fermented and distilled rice before the bottle of bourbon I'm reviewing tonight.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Brown Rice

Purchase info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, Brown Rice used as flavoring grain.

Nose: Strong brown sugar, bubble gum, and oak.

Mouth: Peppery heat with peanut, mint, vanilla, and oak.

Finish: Peppery heat that fades fast and is replaced by a general lingering sweetness.

Thoughts: While this is by no means a bad whiskey, it is my least favorite of the bunch so far. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say I like it, but I don't dislike it either. It's just kind of meh. Kind of how I feel about Bud Light.

*According to the Wikipedia article on Rice. Accessed 5/9/17.
**New York Times Food section, December 17, 1997. Accessed 5/9/17.

This is the third of six reviews in the Jim Beam Signature Craft, Harvest Bourbon Collection Series. I've previously reviewed the Six Row Barley and the Soft Red Wheat.

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Soft Red Wheat

May 4, 2017 Eric Burke

I am in heaven right now. I have Maddy, my little American Eskimo dog in my lap. I have Whiskey, my Border Collie mix at my feet and I have Niku, the Siberian Husky I'm dog sitting sleeping behind my chair. There are dogs everywhere, and I couldn't be happier.

Another thing that is helping the general sense of well-being is that I have a glass of bourbon close at hand. I like to have a touch of whatever bourbon I'm reviewing as I write the review just to double check my impressions from the tasting we did earlier in the week.

And it really is a good thing I do this. When I first started the blog, I did tastings, photos and articles all on the night that the article posted. But since that lead to a few too many spelling errors and typos, I decided to start doing the week's tastings on the weekend before to allow myself the luxury of ummm...well...writing sober? Which is why the posts are written with a touch of whiskey and not a full pour. I have enough typos as it is, I don't need help from our friend, beverage ethanol.

I've also found that spending a little more time with a bourbon gives more perspective into how I really feel about it. I've had things I really disliked and really loved in a Glencairn soften to meh or like in a rocks glass with more exposure. And honestly, since both glassware and circumstances affect your enjoyment of a whiskey (which of course is all I'm actually measuring since I refuse to use numerical scores...don't get me started on that topic) I like to gain as many exposures as I can to kind of average out the results.

Which brings me to tonight's bourbon. This is the second post on one of the Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection. I'm working my way through the six pack I found on sale at a local store for $100 (and if you want to play along, it looks like it still is on sale as I write this...don't worry, I made sure to pick up a second full set for myself already so have at it. No, they aren't sponsoring the post, I just thought it was a really good deal). On Tuesday I reviewed the Six Row Barley which I was pleasantly surprised by. Tonight I'm looking at the Soft Red Wheat bottle. I picked these two first since barley* and wheat are fairly typical ingredients in a standard bourbon. I was unimpressed by the Barley in a Glencairn and very impressed with it in a rock glass. I was impressed with the Wheat in a Glencairn and...well, let's find out, shall we?

Jim Beam Signature Craft: Soft Red Wheat

Purchase info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, Soft Red Wheat as flavoring grain.

Nose: Oak, caramel and dried wheat grains (think uncooked hot cereal)

Mouth: Tingly spice and brown sugar sweetness along with mint and oak.

Finish: Medium to long with more mint, spice sweetness, and oak.

Thoughts: I had a suspicion that this would be one of my top two out of the six. I like some wheated bourbons and I am pretty confident that I will really like the high rye (I've yet to open it). Turns out, not so much. I mean I like this, it's good. But I much prefer the Barley over it. Once again, my hang-up comes with the price. I got it for $16.67 for a half bottle which is about $33 for a full bottle. That seems about right for this. But, they want $50 for a half bottle. There is no way anyone should pay that for this. It simply isn't that good. Sure it's interesting, but interesting can only take you so far.

*Yes, I know bourbon typically uses malted barley and that this probably uses a combination of malted and unmalted barley, but whatever. Close enough.

Jim Beam Signature Craft Six Row Barley

May 2, 2017 Eric Burke

Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection: Six Row Barley

I'm dog sitting this week. It's a 9-month old Huskey puppy that belongs to the adult daughter of one of my neighbors. Interestingly enough his litter-mate lives at my neighbor's and so they get to play with each other whenever the daughter comes to visit her folks.

Having had a pair of Huskies for a decade and a half before my current pups, I know some of their quirks. Like their tendency to find a way to get above, around or under any obstacle in between them and where they want to be. Tonight the boys played with each other through the fence. Until the one who lives next door decided that it would be much more fun if he was in our yard and jumped the four-foot fence separating our yards.

To be honest, that's something I have been expecting since he really likes playing with my pups too. And I found it hilarious...my neighbor? Not so much. And truthfully, it is one of the things I love about Huskies. They are smart and they love to learn new things.

Which brings me to tonight's bourbon. I've recently had a lot of Jim Beam products on the shelf. I used to say I didn't care for things with Jim Beam on the label. But somewhere over the last couple years, I realized that I didn't really mind it. In fact some of them I actually liked quite a bit. So when I saw the entire line of the six Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection on sale for a third of the suggested price, I knew I needed to give it a much closer look. See if I could learn something from it.

Jim Beam Signature Craft Six Row Barley

Purchase Info: $16.67 for a 375 mL bottle (on sale) at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Details: 11 years old, 45% ABV, Six Row Barley as flavoring grain.

Nose: Caramel, nutmeg, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy ginger, vanilla, caramel, a toasty/nutty note and oak.

Finish: Spicy with a medium length. Oak and hints of brown sugar.

Thoughts: I went into this one not expecting much. The brief taste of it I had at a whiskey festival a couple years ago didn't leave me wanting more. Especially for the suggested price of $50 for a half bottle. When I saw the entire line of six on sale for $100 though, I figured I better take the plunge and give it another chance. If nothing else, I'd get a few blog posts out of it. But guess what? I really like this. And though I probably still wouldn't pay the suggested price, I'd happily pay $50 for a full bottle, but twice that? Nah. It's too bad Beam priced this out of the range of sane shoppers.

Lazy River Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

April 18, 2017 Eric Burke

Every so often, Total Wine will have a display of miniature bottles in the bourbon aisle. I have often picked them up. I have also often regretted doing that (see the Parker Hayes Reserve review). But even though I don't often care for what is being pushed, I still keep doing it.

For one thing, it's an inexpensive way to get content. And seriously, I do have a lot of fun unloading the day's frustration on a terrible whiskey. But the other reason I keep buying them is that I am an eternal optimist. I keep hoping that just one of them is going to turn out to be something that is a good everyday drinker. One that isn't expensive, but also doesn't taste awful.

It's ok. You can wish me good luck on that. I'm not offended, the miniatures they push in this way don't have the best track record. If I were anyone but a blogger looking for content I'd probably write that placement off as the kiss of death for a product at this point.

Until tonight's selection, that is. This one looks to be another Total Wine exclusive, (though you can buy it online at Ace Spirits for cheaper should you wish). Unlike many of the Total Wine house brands though, this doesn't look to be a Terra Pure product or to be produced by Sazerac. In fact, a little digging shows that the COLA belongs to Frank-Lin Distiller's Products. They are the company who owns the Medley and Wathen brands of bourbon. Not the greatest bourbons, but also not bad either.

Lazy River Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Purchase Info: $1.99 for a 50 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN.

Details: 45% ABV. No age statement.

Nose: Granulated white sugar, juicy fruit gum, mint and a touch of oak.

Mouth: Peppery spice, sweetness, and a general fruitiness.

Finish: Short to medium length. Peppery spice with a good hit of dry oak.

Thoughts: This is not a bad bourbon. Not at all. It isn't fantastic. But around $25 it is certainly worth giving a shot, especially since you can pick up a 50 mL for just a couple bucks. It straddles the line between meh and liking it for me. Your mileage may vary though.

Four Roses Elliot's Select Single Barrel, 2016

April 13, 2017 Eric Burke

If you follow me on Twitter, you might realize that I am a passionate guy. Whether the topic is politics, football or my loved ones, my opinion is out there for the world to see. But there is no topic that I am more passionate about than my wife. Over the years, I've lost count of the number of times that I've slept in a hospital chair as she recovered from surgery. But the one that happened about five years ago was the worst by far because that was the time she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

One of the reasons that I love my wife so much is that she has an unconquerable spirit. Instead of just quietly accepting her illness, she took every bit of her doctor's advice. She not only went through the chemotherapy but, to quote her, she did her very best not to let it "get in the way of living." Three months after Chemo was over, with her full strength just starting to return, she hiked up a mountain in the Rockies.

My wife truly is the best thing in my life. And so on Monday, when she got back from her cancer doctor and said that the doctor didn't need to see her anymore, we felt it was worth celebrating. And yesterday when we got the final test results back, we felt like celebrating again. Now yesterday's dram was pretty special. During one of her last Chemo treatments, we read the news that Elijah Craig 18 year was going on hiatus. She had me run out the next day and buy her two bottles. One to drink then, and one to put away until she officially reached five years cancer-free. Last night we opened that bottle to celebrate. It was the tastiest bourbon I've ever tasted, and it had almost nothing to do with what was inside the bottle.

Oh and the one we celebrated with on Monday? Well, that was a sample generously shared with me by a friend of mine. It was last year's Four Roses Elliot's Select. We have been big fans of Four Roses for a long time. Just about five years in fact...

See, my wife was sitting down in the chair for her first Chemo treatment. She was nervous as hell, as you might expect and earlier that morning she'd posted such on Twitter. Once her treatment began she basically just had to sit in the chair until it was done. When she opened her phone, she found a simple message from the Four Roses Twitter account: "Get well soon! You are in our thoughts." It's weird how much the fact that someone who wasn't a friend or family was thinking of her affected us both. From that moment on, I've been an unashamed Four Roses fanboy. So celebrating with a glass of Elliot's Select just seemed appropriate.

Four Roses Elliot's Select Single Barrel, 2016

Purchase Info: This large sample was a generous gift to us by one of our whiskey loving friends.

Details: 14 years old. OESK recipe. 58.6% ABV. Warehouse QN. Barrel 532W. Bottle 9483 of 10,224.

Nose: Brown Sugar, cedar, and a lovely floral note.

Mouth: Hot and sweet. Floral, nutmeg, and anise. The mouthfeel is lovely and viscous.

Finish: Long and hot with lingering floral notes.

Thoughts: (I did these tasting notes before we got the good news, so it didn't affect what I am about to say) I love this. I never seek out the Limited Single Barrels because they are mostly sold closer to the tall buildings here in the metro than I regularly venture. I really wish I had sought it out. I love floral Four Roses bourbons and much to my surprise, this OESK had that in spades. Just so much love!

If You've Had... the Jim Beam Edition

April 11, 2017 Eric Burke

A seven bourbon line-up of Jim Beam labeled products

I've always envisioned this site as a place where people can come to learn. Learn a little history. Learn a little about what they like. Learn what they should check out (whether it is bourbon or not). And ultimately learn enough to make informed decisions about where they put their money.

Of course, I write tasting notes. And tasting notes are a great way for you to get an idea of my feelings on a particular whiskey. Or at least, an impression of how I felt about something on a particular day. And cumulatively, they can certainly tell you a lot about the types of things that I'm reminded of. But they aren't always a great way to compare whiskeys one to another unless I happen to be reviewing a couple at a time.

To that end, for the last year and a half or so, I've been running a series on the blog that I call "If you've had...". The setup is like this: "If you've had Whiskey A then Whiskey B is..." hotter, spicier, sweeter, more floral, etc. Each section is written as compared to one of the whiskeys in the lineup. So if you've had that one, but not the others, then that section will be of the most use to you. Remember there are no value judgments here. You get to decide based on what you know of Whiskey A if Whiskey B sounds like something you'd want to try.

This is the sixth entry in the series and it is by far the biggest. We did this over the course of four nights and the spit cup was our best friend (seriously, each night used 4-8 ounces of whiskey, we'd be dead otherwise). Tonight we are discussing a large portion of the Jim Beam line of products. I chose seven bourbons that are labeled with the Jim Beam name. Jim Beam White Label, Jim Beam Black, Jim Beam Double Oak, Jim Beam Devil's Cut, Jim Beam Bonded, a local store pick of Jim Beam Single Barrel and Jim Beam Choice. Normal caveats with the Single Barrel, your mileage may vary. Especially since this is a store pick. I included the Choice even though it has been discontinued because maybe that was your only exposure to Jim Beam and you've been wondering if you were missing anything. I'm ordering these by proof. Please remember these are notes as compared to one another

If you've had Jim Beam White Label then...

Jim Beam Choice is: a little fruitier on the nose. The mouth shows less dried grain, more bubblegum, and a touch more oak. The finish is a little longer and has a touch more baking spice.

Jim Beam Black is: very similar on the nose, maybe a touch sweeter. The mouth shows fewer cereal grains, but more spice. The finish shows more oak tannins.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: sweeter on the nose showing less dried grain. The mouth shows more cocoa, oak, and cinnamon. The finish shows more cinnamon and oak.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut: shows less grain and more spice on the nose. The mouth is fruitier with more baking spice. The finish shows less grain.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal on the nose. Similar, but with less pronounced grain and more cinnamon and oak. The mouthfeel is more viscous and the finish is warmer and longer.

Jim Beam Bonded is: fuller on the nose showing more pronounced fruit gum and spice. The mouth is more viscous and sweeter, showing less grain and more spice. the finish is warmer with more spice.

If you've had Jim Beam Choice then...

Jim Beam White Label: shows more grain on the nose, mouth, and finish.

Jim Beam Black is: sweeter on the nose, showing more caramel. The mouth shows more baking spice and oak tannins. The finish features more oak and spice.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: a little fruitier on the nose and shows more oak. The mouth shows less dried grain and more almond and oak. The finish is warmer, longer and has more oak.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: very similar on the nose, maybe showing it's proof with a little more alcohol. The mouth is more peppery and shows more baking spice. The finish is warmer and longer.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal on the nose, showing less grain. The mouth shows more cinnamon and clove. The finish is hotter with more intense flavor.

Jim Beam Bonded: shows more caramel and spice on the nose. The mouthfeel is more viscous and the mouth showcases more intense flavors of spice, chocolate, and leather. The finish is warmer with more spice and oak flavors.

If you've had Jim Beam Black then...

Jim Beam White Label is: very similar on the nose. The mouth shows more grain and fruit. The finish shows less oak and more grain.

Jim Beam Choice is: showing more cereal on the nose. The mouth shows more mint and grain, but less oak. The finish is more grain-forward.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: sweeter on the nose showing more maple. The mouth is sweeter, with more vanilla and caramel. the finish has less oak and is sweeter.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: similar on the nose, though it shows a few more herbal notes. The mouth has more "burn" as it shows off it's higher proof. It also shows more fruit and grain. The finish has more baking spice, but less heat.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal on the nose. The mouth has more ripe fruit and caramel. The finish has more concentrated flavors.

Jim Beam Bonded is: sweeter on the nose showing more vanilla and less oak. The mouth is less fruity and nuttier with more cinnamon. The finish follows the mouth.

If you've had Jim Beam Double Oak then...

Jim Beam White Label is: more grain forward on the nose mouth and finish.

Jim Beam Choice: shows less caramel and almond on the nose. The mouth shows more grain and less oak and almond. the finish is less spicy with less oak.

Jim Beam Black is: less sweet and oakier on the nose. the mouth is drier with more oak. The finish shows more oak.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: drier with more grain on the nose. The mouth shows more baking spices and oak. The finish is drier, showing more dark chocolate.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal and sweeter on the nose. The mouth is sweeter, showing more baking spice and caramel. It has a fuller finish with more concentrated flavors.

Jim Beam Bonded is: shows more fruit gum and spice on the nose. The mouth shows more grain and less chocolate. The finish is spicier with more grain and peanut.

If you've had Jim Beam Devil's Cut then...

Jim Beam White Label is: more grain-forward on the nose. The mouth is softer and more grain-forward. The finish is gentler with more grain and less oak.

Jim Beam Choice is: very similar on the nose. The mouth is more gentle showing more grain. The finish also shows more grain and is more bitter.

Jim Beam Black is: fruitier on the nose. The mouth shows more oak and the finish is warmer, oakier and a bit more bitter.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: sweeter on the nose, showing more caramel and vanilla. The mouth is sweeter with more grain notes. The finish is sweeter showing more grain and less heat. .

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal and sweeter on the nose. The mouth is hotter, spicier and sweeter on the mouth. the finish is longer, warmer and more herbal.

Jim Beam Bonded is: fruitier and sweeter on the nose. The mouth is spicier and hotter with more peanut. The finish is hotter showing more peanut.

If you've had Jim Beam Single Barrel then...

Jim Beam White Label is: less complex with less sweetness on the nose. The mouth is less sweet and shows much more dried grain. The mouthfeel is thinner and the finish shows more grain and mint.

Jim Beam Choice is: drier, showing more oak and (strangely) more grain on the nose. The mouth has more mint and grain. The finish is gentler.

Jim Beam Black is: similar on the nose, though showing some green apple and more oak. The mouth has more baking spice, peanut, and oak. The finish shows more peanut and oak.

Jim Beam Double Oak: shows more chocolate on the nose. the mouth shows more peanut and oak. The finish follows the mouth.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: a touch oakier on the nose. The mouth shows more green apple and oak. The finish has more baking spice.

Jim Beam Bonded is: showing less oak and more bubblegum. the mouth is hotter with more baking spice. The finish is warmer with more cinnamon red hot candies.

If you've had Jim Beam Bonded then...

Jim Beam White Label is: grassier on the nose with some more mint and grain. The mouthfeel is thinner, showing more grain. The finish is shorter with more bitter grain flavors.

Jim Beam Choice is: drier on the nose. The mouthfeel is thinner and the flavors more delicate. The finish is gentler and shows more grain.

Jim Beam Black is: drier on the nose, showing more oak. The mouthfeel is thinner and less sweetness and more oak. The finish shows more oak and less peanut.

Jim Beam Double Oak is: sweeter on the nose, showing more maple. The mouth is sweeter, showing chocolate notes. The finish is sweeter and has less peanut.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut is: drier on the nose. The mouth is drier with less spice and peanut. The finish is drier with less peanut.

Jim Beam Single Barrel (store pick) is: more herbal and sweeter. The mouth is sweeter, with a thinner mouthfeel. The finish is sweeter with more herbal notes.