Woodinville Whiskey: Tequila Barrel Finished Bourbon

This sample was provided by the producer with no strings attached.

I am an outlier in my family. I do not like tequila. At all. Not in a margarita, not in a cocktail, not in a glass on its own. I’ve tried expensive tequilas and inexpensive ones. It just doesn’t mesh with my palate. So when a bottle of Woodinville Bourbon that had been finished in tequila barrels landed on my doorstep, I was a little concerned about how this review would go. But I persevered and did the tasting anyway. I mean, there’s no way it would be as bad as some of the TerrePure bourbons I used to occasionally review. And I went into this review with an open mind, even though I’ve been known to describe a margarita as “lovely sweetened lime juice ruined by tequila.”

So, what is this bourbon? And where can a person get their hands on a bottle if they adore both tequila and bourbon? Well, I’m going to let the producer tell you a little story about that. They went through all the trouble to write a wonderfully transparent story. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.

“Tequila and Bourbon, together— a pairing Woodinville co-founder and head distiller Brett Carlile could not wrap his mind around. “It’s something I always wanted to try but was afraid to take a stab at. Eventually, curiosity got the best of me. So, I went for it and was blown away by how well Tequila and Bourbon play together,” says Carlile.

 Brett’s experimentation landed on what he and Orlin see as a real winner: Tequila Finish Woodinville Flagship Bourbon. It’s a Bourbon that’s made quite the trek. It started with grains grown in Quincy, WA where the Omlin family has farmed for four generations. Then those grains headed across the Cascade mountains to our distillery in Woodinville, WA, to be distilled in this Western Washington town where nearby wineries and breweries send their wild yeasts into the air— lending a distinct terroir to the whiskey.  That new-make whiskey heads back across the mountain pass, again, where it’s placed in new American Oak barrels built from wood that seasoned in the elements for 18-24 months. 

 Brett tasted that Bourbon, and once it reached nearly 6 years, he deemed it ready for a fun project in the top-secret Warehouse 1. (It’s an original barrelhouse on the farm that’s home to numerous experiments.) Brett sourced some Extra Anejo Tequila barrels, and the team filled those emptied barrels with Woodinville Bourbon. And there it sat. Orlin and Brett revisited it, during the sweltering summers and frigid winters of Central Washington. And, a few months back, they tasted it and knew it was ready to release.”

According to the press release, 2,000 bottles were produced. 500 of them will be available at the distillery on May 3rd starting at 10 a.m. On May 5th, the rest will become available on their website, woodinvillewhiskeyco.com. The price will be $69.99 per 750 mL bottle.

Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Woodinville Whiskey: Tequila Barrel Finished Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67

Details: 50% ABV. Aged for over 5 years.

Nose: Green apple, brown sugar, and woodsy notes.

Mouth: Dry and oaky—trending toward, but not reaching, astringency. Notes of agave syrup, baking spice, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Finish: Warm and on the shorter side of medium length. This is where the tequila influence appears strongest to me—notes of agave and cinnamon.

Thoughts: As mentioned above, I've been known to describe a margarita as “lovely sweetened lime juice ruined by tequila.” I do not care for tequila. So I am turning this over to my usually silent, tequila-loving tasting partner and wife so this one gets a fair shake.

"I like this. What stands out to me is how well the flavors produced by the yeast that Woodinville uses play with the tequila. I like the woodsy notes on the nose—kind of a cedar, oak, underbrush sort of smell. On the mouth, I like how the bourbon adds richness and baking spice to the product, flavors that tequila typically lacks. If I'm nitpicking, I could wish it was sweeter—not a huge fan of the dryness—but I can get past that. I like it, but am not sure I'd reach for it if I was looking for bourbon. But when I can't decide if I want bourbon or tequila, this will work well."

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Woodford Reserve Batch Proof, 2024

My friends! Today, I come to you with a product that has been sitting in my Whiskey Closet since September 2024. After driving for about 10 hours that day, I picked it up in Bangor, ME. I know it was a liquor store we stopped at between a visit to a dispensary and the BBQ place where we were having supper. It had been a rough day in the car to wrap up a long drive—one that ultimately took us from Minnesota to our vacation destination in Maine. All I wanted at that point was to collapse on the hotel bed and watch my Green Bay Packers play in Brazil.

Because it had been a very long drive over the course of three days, I promptly lost the receipt. And then promptly forgot almost everything about where I bought it. I have a vague recollection that the shelf tag listed it around $125, but that’s about it. I do remember being extremely happy to pick this guy up as a vacation souvenir. I mean, it had always been good in the past, so I didn’t figure I had much to worry about.

So what is it? Well, it’s the Batch Proof version of Woodford Reserve, silly. I mean, it’s right there in the name. As far as I can tell, this particular batch came out in early 2024—the press release listing one with this proof has a February 2024 date on it. Beyond that, there’s not much more to say. I just finally stumbled upon it in the closet and decided to bring it out.

Let’s see how it tastes.

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection: Batch Proof, 2024

Purchase Info: This was purchased in September in Bangor, ME, for somewhere around $125. I’ve lost the receipt and can’t remember the store—or most of the details—other than it was in Bangor. The suggested retail price is $149.99 for a 700 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $10.71 (at MSRP)

Details: 60. 6% ABV

Nose: Maple syrup, almond, caramel, vanilla, and oak.

Mouth: Caramel, cherry, baking spice, cocoa, and oak.

Finish: Hot and long with notes of cinnamon, cocoa, cherry, honey, and oak.

Thoughts: This is a hot one! Hot in the mouth, hot on the finish. Luckily, it takes a splash of water well. The mouthfeel is thick and rich. It’s sweet, spicy, and full of nice fruit and oak notes. What’s not to like? I mean… the price, but that’s everything these days. Oh—and the fact that they dropped the bottle size down to 700 mL from 750 mL since the last time I got my hands on one. Not a huge fan of folks doing a sneaky price increase like that. That said, I like the bourbon a lot! It’s really, really tasty.

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Remus Master Distiller Experimental Series No. 1

I’d like to thank Ross & Squibb and the Brand Guild for providing this sample with no strings attached.

And here we are—back to talking about new bourbon releases! I received this particular sample just before we went on break for the bracket series. And here’s a little secret: I wrote all of those posts ahead of time, so I’ve actually had a nice three-week break from writing. Of course, I was sick for the first chunk of that, so it was more like a week and a half off... but whatever. I’m just happy to be back and talking about bourbon again.

There’s been a bit of turmoil since I was last here. Buffalo Trace—and a large portion of Kentucky—has flooded. The economy is unsettled and doing weird things. There’s a lot of anger and finger-pointing going around. But at the end of the day, no matter our views on the state of the world, we can all bond over bourbon. So let’s get to it, shall we?

Tonight’s bourbon is a limited release. So limited, in fact, that it will only be available in a handful of states: AZ, CA, CT, KS, MA, MD, MO, NY, OH, TX, UT, WA, and WI. It was aged for nine years in lightly charred but heavily toasted Seguin Moreau barrels. According to the press release, the staves of those barrels were aged for 24 months. The bourbon was bottled at 107 proof, and the suggested retail price is $79.99.

Let’s dig in.

Remus Master Distiller Experimental Series No. 1

Purchase Info: This 200 mL sample was provided by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 ml): $5.33

Details: Nine years old. 53.5% ABV.

Nose: Smokey toffee, strong floral vanilla, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy and sweet with notes of tobacco, caramel, vanilla, almond, and oak.

Finish: Medium length and sweet with notes of toffee, almond, and vanilla.

Thoughts: This is delicious. Super sweet caramel and toffee notes run throughout, with a solid hit of oak to balance the sweetness. I’m finding that it drinks a bit hotter than the 107 proof suggests—though it’s more “spicy” than “hot.” It’s not like you need to water it down to enjoy it; there’s just some nice heat in the experience. I’m a big fan of this one: rich, thick, spicy, and sweet.

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12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: The Championship Rounds

Welcome back, folks! We are now at the end of the 2025 contest. Eight whiskeys entered the arena. Four have fallen by the wayside. There have been some delicious treats, with not a single stinker in the bunch. Let’s see how it all ends and if we’ve learned anything along the way. First, we have the Round Two matchups.

Division 2: Gleaming Pancake (Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon) vs. Lumpy Telescope (Maker’s Mark)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: As I go back and forth nosing these, I'm always amazed at how the comparison allows you to sense different notes. When Lumpy Telescope was being compared to Soggy Parrot, there was no hint of the smoky maple on the nose that I'm getting now that it is being compared to Gleaming Pancake. This is why the "real" tasting notes I do are always done with a clean palate.

Both of these are quite tasty in the mouth. However, the softer mouthfeel of Gleaming Pancake and the baking spice is a little nicer than the slightly bitter stone fruit notes of Lumpy Telescope.

Winner: Gleaming Pancake (Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon) moves on to the Championship Round on the softer mouthfeel and baking spice.

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Division 1: Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown) vs. Wobbly Cactus (Jim Beam Black)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Not a ton of difference on the nose between these, with Rusty Marshmallow being slightly more vibrant. As for the mouth and finish, it seems that I like whichever I’ve had last. The cinnamon roll notes of Rusty Marshmallow are delicious. But what puts it over the edge is that I like its finish better. Tough one.

Winner: Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown) moves on to the Championship Round on the strength of that cinnamon roll note.

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Championship Round: Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown) vs. Gleaming Pancake (Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: On the nose, Rusty Marshmallow is slightly more interesting. A little breadier. Not better, but more interesting. Still tied as we head into the mouth and finish. I must be really into cinnamon spice notes right now because both of these have that in spades on the mouth and finish. Damn! This one is tough. At the end of the day, Rusty Marshmallow just had slightly more flavor than Gleaming Pancake, and since both were delicious, I'll use that as the tie-breaker.

Winner: Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown)

Congrats to Old Bardstown, the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Bracket Champion!

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This was an interesting contest for me. I knew going in that there was only one bourbon that I might need to brace myself for before taking the first sip. Unfortunately for me, I had no idea when or where that one would show up. But luckily, every one of the bourbons was good. I don’t think I’d say there was anything in here that would warrant a “meh/neutral” rating if it were being tasted alone, which makes the contest so much fun as a taster. Though, seeing my reactions to bad whiskey might have been more entertaining as a reader.

So, what did I learn about each of these?

First off, the winner—Old Bardstown. I’m not sure that when I started this project 12 years ago, I would have ever expected a craft bourbon to be in the contest, much less win it. Twelve years ago, small distilleries were almost exclusively more expensive and lower quality than the big guys. At that point, the idea that a small distiller could compete with the big brands on price was ludicrous. Plus, most of them just didn’t taste as good. That has changed over the years, and I’m very happy to see it.

Moving over to the other Championship contender, Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon was the bottle that I thought I might need to dump after the competition was over. I wouldn’t mean to, and I’d swear during the competition that it was pretty okay. But I’d never reach for it and would eventually dump it when I needed the shelf space. That’s what I thought I’d be writing here. But no—this was a decent bourbon. And since it is likely a blend of MGP and Dickel, based on the listed states of distillation, that’s no surprise. A Dickel bourbon won last year, so it’s not surprising that one made from it would go far this year too.

Benchmark Bonded was one that I was surprised to see knocked out in the first round. I hadn’t had it before, but I’d had the old 90-proof Benchmark and enjoyed it. I also picked up the Benchmark Full Proof back in September as well. Really enjoyed that too. I fully expected that the 100-proof version of Benchmark would go far. A probable contender. If forced to put money on a winner, this would have been the one I’d have chosen to win its division.

Maker’s Mark is the other one that I would have chosen to win its division. I really like Maker’s Mark and would have guessed I’d have liked it better than Larceny, Old Forester, and something I’d never heard of before. Not much for me to learn here. I just really like it.

These days, when I think of Larceny, I usually think of the Barrel Proof version that I get samples of a few times per year. I almost never think of the standard 92-proof version. I had a bottle that tasted funny a few years back, and it put me off of it for a while. I enjoyed it here, but there was no way that it was going to beat one of my favorite bourbons. It got a bad draw and suffered from it. I wonder how it would have fared if Larceny and Jim Beam Black had switched spots so it could have gone up against the final wheated bourbon.

Speak of the Devil, Rebel 100 is the final wheated bourbon in the contest. I had really wanted to find one more sub-$25 wheated bourbon so I could have wheated and non-wheated divisions, but alas, there aren’t that many wheated bourbons on the market, and even fewer that are affordable. If memory serves, I think Buffalo Trace might be the only other “big guy” to regularly produce one. And good luck getting anything that shares a mash bill with Pappy out of there without it costing an arm and a leg.

Jim Beam Black is a good bourbon. For some reason, I never buy it, but it is a good bourbon. The issue is that I usually need to be in the mood for it. And I don’t drink enough these days to have “change of pace” bourbons on my shelf.

Finally, Old Forester 86 is also a great bourbon. Personally, I prefer its higher-proof cousins, though. The 100 proof is delicious, and the Whiskey Row Series is just phenomenal. But 86 proof is nothing to sneeze at.

Now that we are done, it’s time to turn the page to the future. Next week, we will look at the samples that have been stacking up while the contest was going on. As much fun as this was, it’s fun to try new bourbons too.

Once again, congrats to Willett and Old Bardstown on their 2025 Championship!

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1: Benchmark Bonded vs Old Bardstown

Welcome to the fourth and final matchup of Round One for the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Brackets. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. Tonight, Division 1’s Number 1 seed, Benchmark Bonded, takes on Number 4 seed, Old Bardstown.

Benchmark Bonded is a product of the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY. This bottle was purchased in September 2024 at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago, IL, for $19.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.33 per pour.

Their opponent is Old Bardstown. A product of the Willett Distillery in Bardstown, KY, it is the only true craft bourbon in the competition. This bottle was purchased at South Lyndale Liquor in Minneapolis, MN, for $21.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.47 per pour.

All of the competitions this year were tasted blind, and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all recorded before we knew which bourbon was which. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were tasted side by side and will have influenced the perception of one another.

Rusty Marshmallow (Old Bardstown)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.47

Details: 45% ABV

Nose: Vanilla, red fruit, and a touch of oak

Mouth: Strong cinnamon spice notes followed by caramel and bread notes. Reminds me of a good cinnamon roll

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Good cinnamon spice notes

Baffled Toaster (Benchmark Bonded)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.33

Details: 50% ABV

Nose: Brown sugar, apple, and oak

Mouth: Cinnamon, clove, toffee, apple, and leather

Finish: Medium in warmth and length, with notes of cinnamon, clove, and toffee

Thoughts:

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Here’s another close one. Baffled Toaster is delicious—I’m really digging the apple notes. However, that cinnamon spice on Rusty Marshmallow is just calling to me. My favorite dessert is a great cinnamon roll, and this captures that.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: Another surprising result. Not only is there the David vs. Goliath angle of Willett vs. Buffalo Trace, but there’s also the proof difference between the pair. But one thing that isn’t surprising is that Willett turned out to be the giant slayer. They’ve been releasing sought-after bourbons for decades, even if they only started putting out products they distilled themselves about 10 years ago.

Winner: Old Bardstown is advancing to round 2.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1: Larceny vs Maker’s Mark

Welcome to the third matchup of Round One for the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Brackets. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. Tonight, Division 2’s Number 3 seed, Maker’s Mark, takes on Number 2 seed, Larceny Bourbon.

Maker’s Mark is possibly the most famous bottle of bourbon there is. It is available everywhere. The look is iconic and has remained relatively unchanged for over 60 years. It is distilled at the beautiful Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY. Honestly, if you haven’t visited, add it to your bucket list. It is the second of the three wheated bourbons in the competition. This bottle was purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel in Prior Lake, MN, for $24.97 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.66 per pour, making it the most expensive bourbon in the competition.

Their opponent is the last wheated bourbon in the competition. That’s right—it’s a wheated-on-wheated matchup. Larceny Bourbon is produced by Heaven Hill out of Bardstown, KY. This bottle was purchased at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN, for $22.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.53 per pour.

All of the competitions this year were tasted blind, and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all recorded before we knew which bourbon was which. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were tasted side by side and will have influenced the perception of one another.

Lumpy Telescope (Maker’s Mark)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.66

Details: 45% ABV

Nose: Stone fruit, dusty oak, and a touch of caramel

Mouth: Sweet and fruity, with notes of stone fruit and caramel

Finish: Medium length with sweet, fruity, and cinnamon notes

Soggy Parrot (Larceny)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.53

Details: 46% ABV

Nose: Muted. Can't pick up much beyond light caramel, vanilla, and oak

Mouth: Oak, toasted nuts

Finish: Gentle with a nice bitterness

Thoughts:

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: f these were matched against other opponents, they might have both advanced. However, I have a bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to bourbon. For that reason, Lumpy Telescope advances.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: No surprises here. I’ve long said that Maker’s Mark is my favorite wheated bourbon. Plus, it is the highest-priced product in the contest. If it is worth the price being asked, it should win, especially if the proof and age difference are negligible.

Winner: Maker’s Mark is advancing to round 2.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1: Rebel 100 vs Jim Beam Black

Welcome to the second matchup of Round One for the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Brackets. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. Tonight, Division 1’s Number 3 seed, Jim Beam Black, takes on Number 2 seed, Rebel 100.

Jim Beam Black is the extra-aged and higher-proof version of their flagship White Label bourbon. It is a product of the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, KY. Beam Black recently regained an age statement of seven years. It was purchased at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN, for $20.99 per bottle or $1.40 per pour.

Their opponent is the first wheated bourbon in the competition. Rebel 100 is produced by Lux Row Distillery in Bardstown, KY. This bottle was purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel in Prior Lake, MN, for $17.09 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.14 per pour, making it the least expensive of the contestants in this year’s competition.

All of the competitions this year were tasted blind, and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all recorded before we knew which bourbon was which. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were tasted side by side and will have influenced the perception of one another.

Wobbly Cactus (Jim Beam Black)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.40

Details: 45% ABV

Nose: Cedar, circus peanuts, and oak.

Mouth: Juicy Fruit gum, baking spice, cedar, and oak.

Finish: On the shorter side of medium and follows the mouth with notes of fruit and baking spice.

Grumpy Cloud (Rebel 100)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.14

Details: 50% ABV

Nose: Milk chocolate and cinnamon candies.

Mouth: Milk chocolate, cinnamon, and black tea.

Finish: Shorter side of medium, with notes of milk chocolate, oak, and cinnamon.

Thoughts:

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Both noses are great. The mouths are good alone, but do not play nice with each other (not that they should, but still). I like both of these, but in a squeaker, Wobbly Cactus advances.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: I’m both surprised by this result and not surprised at all. I buy Rebel 100 a lot more often than I do Beam Black, so I thought I liked that one more. But I’m not surprised that the one with the age statement won. Age statements describe the youngest bourbon in the bottle, so the youngest bourbon in Jim Beam Black is possibly older than the oldest in Rebel 100. But proof has been proven in previous years to beat age (within reason) most of the time.

And then there’s the wheated versus rye bourbon aspect of the contest. But I usually prefer rye bourbons over wheated bourbons, so that part isn’t surprising.

Winner: Jim Beam Black is advancing to round 2.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

12th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1: Old Forester 86 proof vs Jeppson’s Bourbon 100 proof

Here we go! Let’s get down to the competitions. I hope that you guys are as excited about this as I am. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2025 BourbonGuy.com Brackets starts with Division 2’s Number 4 seed, Old Forester, taking on Number 1 seed, Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon.

Old Forester, the country’s first bottled bourbon, is a product of Brown-Forman in Louisville, KY. It shares a corporate umbrella with Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniel’s. This 86-proof version is their entry-level Old Forester. It was purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel (Prior Lake, MN) for $22.49 per bottle or $1.66 per pour.

Their opponent is a bourbon that I’ve never had before. In fact, I didn’t even know it existed before going shopping for this competition. Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon is a sourced bourbon from the folks in Chicago that bring you Malört. If you know anything about Malört, you can see why this gave me pause. It was sourced from distilleries in both Indiana and Tennessee. This bottle was purchased at South Lyndale Liquor in Minneapolis, MN, for $19.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.33 per pour.

All of the competitions this year were tasted blind, and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all recorded before we knew which bourbon was which. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were tasted side by side and will have influenced the perception of one another.

Zesty Doorknob (Old Forester 86 proof)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.66

Details: 43% ABV

Nose: Vanilla sugar, red fruit, a touch of baking spice

Mouth: Oak, red fruit, and baking spice

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of oak and baking spice

Gleaming Pancake (Jeppson’s Bourbon 100 Proof)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.33

Details: 50% ABV

Nose: Dusty oak and a nice mineral note. It’s reminding me a bit of an old garage

Mouth: Soft in the mouth. Cinnamon, caramel, and oak

Finish: On the longer side of medium, with notes of almond, oak, and baking spice

Thoughts:

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Gleaming Pancake is much softer on the mouth with a nicer mouthfeel. Zesty Doorknob is a bit harsher. Flavors are decent on both, but I like Gleaming Pancake more.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: I’m a bit surprised by this one. Not because of an upset or anything—I mean, usually, proof beats price in these matchups, and that happened again. But instead, because the lower-priced one was a sourced whiskey. Adding a middleman usually increases the price. Also, since the Jeppson’s name is most well known for Malört—a spirit marketed as being really unpleasant to drink—I did not have high hopes for this one. But that’s why we do this blind.

Winner: Jeppson’s 100 Proof Bourbon is advancing to round 2.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.