Bottom-Shelf Brackets 2018: Round 1d: Old Forester vs. Four Roses

March 27, 2018 Eric Burke

Round 1d of the 2018 BourbonGuy.com Bottom Shelf Brackets features the only bourbon on bourbon action of the entire first round of the contest. We have number 2 seed Old Forester Bourbon (86 proof) versus Number 3 seed Four Roses Bourbon (this bottle still has a yellow label).

Old Forester is a product of Brown-Forman. It is the lowest proof offering in the Old Forester family of expressions. It earns a number two seed due to being 86 proof.

Four Roses (Yellow Label) is the entry-level product in the Four Roses family of expressions. It is a mingling of all 10 bourbon recipes produced by the distillery. It is the only 80 proof whiskey in the Non-Age Stated portion of the contestants and as such is a number three seed.

These were tasted blind in the following order. My thoughts on each are from before the reveal.

Old Forester

Purchase Info: $34.99 for a 1.75L bottle at Total Wine, Eagan, MN.

Details: 43% ABV, non-age stated.

Produced by: Brown-Forman

Nose: Almond, cherry, vanilla, and hints of anise.

Mouth: Sweet with good spice. Nice mouthfeel. Cherry/almond, baking spice and a bit of capsaicin-style heat.

Finish: Medium Length cherry and baking spice linger.

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Very nice. Good mouthfeel. This could be a winner.

Four Roses (Yellow)

Purchase Info: $23.99 for a 1L bottle at Total Wine, Eagan, MN.

Details: 40% ABV.

Produced by: Four Roses

Nose: Floral, cinnamon red hot candies, a bit of citrus fruit.

Mouth: Floral, baking spice, cherry, citrus fruit. A thinner mouthfeel than the previous one.

Finish: Warm, very floral with hints of mint.

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Thin in the mouth and very floral.

Who wins?

I am an admitted and unashamed Four Roses fanboy. But then I like Old Forester too. Before the relatively recent release of the Whiskey Row series of expressions, it was my favorite of the brands made at least in part under the supervision of Master Distiller Chris Morris (86 proof, 100 proof and Woodford Reserve). It has since been surpassed as my favorite by the 1920 Prohibition Style expression but still ranks number two in the line-up for me. I had a feeling while setting up the initial matchups that this would be the closest of the four. It was not. One of these stood head and shoulders above the other when they were paired head-to-head. Thin and floral can't beat thick and spicy for me. Winner: Old Forester.

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Bottom-Shelf Brackets 2018: Round 1c: Ezra Brooks Rye vs. Mellow Corn

March 22, 2018 Eric Burke

Round 1c of the 2018 BourbonGuy.com Bottom Shelf Brackets features number 1 seed Mellow Corn Bottled in Bond Corn Whiskey versus Number 4 seed Ezra Brooks Rye.

Mellow Corn is a product of Heaven Hill Brands. It is a bottled-in-bond product, meaning it is the product of one distilling season, bottled at exactly 100 proof and was aged for at least 4 years. As this is corn whiskey, it is made from at least 80 percent corn in the mash recipe and was aged in either uncharred or used barrels. It is a number one seed due to its high proof.

Ezra Brooks Rye is a product of Luxco. It is a sourced whiskey that is assumed to have been distilled at the MGPi distillery in Indiana. It is a two-year-old rye. It is the youngest whiskey in the contest and as such is a number four seed.

These were tasted blind in the following order. My thoughts on each are from before the reveal.

Mellow Corn

Purchase Info: $11.88 for a 1L bottle at Blue Max Liquor, Burnsville, MN

Details: 50% ABV, non-age stated.

Produced by: Heaven Hill Brands

Nose: Buttery popcorn, spearmint, a touch of cinnamon, and after a while strawberry oatmeal.

Mouth: Warm and spicy. Cinnamon and honey.

Finish: Medium and warm. Lingering dried grain notes. A touch of bitterness.

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Nice and warm. Good spice. Only slight knock on it is a slightly dried grain note on the finish that doesn't agree with me.

Ezra Brooks Rye

Purchase Info: $17.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Eagan, MN.

Details: 45% ABV.

Produced by: Luxco (Assumed MGPi)

Nose: Strong mint and ginger ale.

Mouth: Thinner in the mouth than the last one. Mint and ginger spice.

Finish: Flavorful finish. A "Blossom" of flavor after swallowing. Mint, cinnamon, and ginger.

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Just the opposite of the last one. This has a pretty mild mouth, but a fun finish.

Who wins?

So, Mellow Corn is sweet baked good on the nose while Ezra Brooks Rye is a spicy soda. This is a draw on the nose. Mellow Corn has a nicer mouthfeel while Ezra Brooks Rye has a more pleasantly flavorful finish. This is the hardest matchup in the contest. These are both good and to be honest my wife and I both chose a different winner. After sitting on this for most of a week I have to declare a winner based soley on the finish. Winner: Ezra Brooks Rye.

Bottom-Shelf Brackets 2018: Round 1b: Hirsch Selection Straight Corn vs. Two Stars

March 20, 2018 Eric Burke

Round 1b of the 2018 BourbonGuy.com Bottom Shelf Brackets features number 2 seed Hirsch Selection Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey versus Number 3 seed Two Stars Bourbon.

Hirsch Selection Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey is a Limited Edition straight corn whiskey. But wait? Why would a Limited Edition be in the Bottom Shelf Brackets? Well, mostly because the price was right. I found it on a shelf in Minneapolis for $16.99. I haven't seen it anywhere else, so I'm going to guess this is an inexpensive shelf turd from a few years ago. So, now you know. This has no age statement so it is at least 4 years old. It states it was aged in used barrels.

Two Stars bourbon is a Total Wine exclusive bourbon produced by the Clear Springs Distilling Co. Clear Springs is a dba used by Sazerac when they produce house brands for stores. Last I heard (2016) this one was a product of the Barton distillery, though it is possible that has changed by this point.

These were tasted blind in the following order. My thoughts on each are from before the reveal.

Hirsch Selection: Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey

Purchase Info: $16.99 for a 750mL bottle at Surdyk's Liquor and Cheese Shop, Minneapolis, MN

Details: 45% ABV, non-age stated.

Produced by: Preiss Imports

Nose: Delicate. Almost a white wine note and brown sugar. After sitting a bit a vinegar note flashes across the nose before disappearing again

Mouth: Cooling and thin at first. As it sits in the mouth a sweet baking spice note develops.

Finish: Starts almost nonexistent but a gentle burn develops after a little bit of time.

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: This could be a wonderful whiskey for a white wine drinker. I find it interesting, but not something I'd come back to.

Two Stars

Purchase Info: $17.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Eagan, MN.

Details: 43% ABV.

Produced by: Clear Springs Distilling Company (Sazerac)

Nose: Almond, brown sugar, nutmeg.

Mouth: Gentle at first with more spice developing as it sits in the mouth. Almond and mint.

Finish: Warmer than the mouth. Lingering bitter almond, baking spice and mint.

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: This is more to my tastes than whiskey #1.

Who wins?

I'm not sure either of these would have won if they had drawn a different matchup. They are both pretty meh. They are strangely similar. Both of these start very much the same, they are both gentle and both take time to develop in the mouth. But at the end the day, I like where Two Stars ends up better than Hirsch Corn. Winner: Two Stars.

Bottom-Shelf Brackets 2018: Round 1a: Old Grand-Dad Bonded vs. Old Overholt

March 15, 2018 Eric Burke

Round 1a of the 2018 BourbonGuy.com Bottom Shelf Brackets features a pair of Old Guys from Beam Suntory. Number 1 seed Old Grand-Dad Bonded versus Number 4 seed Old Overholt Rye. There are a few similarities that make this an interesting matchup. Both are very old brands, dating back to the mid-1800s or before. Both were popular brands when owned by National Distillers and both were mostly neglected after they were sold to Beam before both recently received a renewed marketing push. Old Grand Dad got a packaging update and Old Overholt got a brand extension. Old Grand-Dad is a high rye bourbon and Old Overholt is a barely legal rye. And though it has no impact on the flavor, both feature the fanciful, grizzled visage of their namesake.

Old Grand-Dad Bonded is a high-rye bourbon from Jim Beam. Since this is one of two bonded whiskeys in the competition, this 100 proofer gets one of the top seeds. This old guy is a frequent guest in the BourbonGuy household as we love a good value.

Old Overholt is a barely-legal, 80 proof rye whiskey from Jim Beam. At only three years old, this gentle rye earns one of two number four seeds. And in a fun twist, is also the first-ever non-bourbon in the contest.

These were tasted blind in the following order. My thoughts on each are from before the reveal.

Old Grand Dad Bonded

Purchase Info: $22.99 for a 1 L bottle at Blue Max Liquor, Burnsville, MN

Details: 50% ABV, non-age stated.

Produced by: Jim Beam

Nose: Dusty wood, cooked cereals, and honey.

Mouth: Follows the nose with cooked cereals and honey. Fairly dry. Nutmeg and cinnamon.

Finish: Nice and warm. On the longer side of medium. Lingering baking spices.

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Spicy and warm. This is tasty.

Old Overholt

Purchase Info: $12.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN.

Details: 40% ABV, 36 month age statement

Produced by: Jim Beam

Nose: Mint, ginger and citrus.

Mouth: Thin in the mouth with ginger and mint.

Finish: On the shorter side of medium with lingering dry, dusty grains.

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: This is a little bitter compared to the other one, though I much prefer the nose here. Unfortunately, the mouth disappointed compared to the nose.

Who wins?

One of these is gentle and thin with a fun nose. The other is a warm and spicy, yet kinda grainy whiskey. There are certain family similarities between these two that I had never noticed before. I found that fun and interesting. At the end of the day though, proof wins out and Old Grand-Dad is the winner. Based on this, I might have to go back and compare OGD Bonded to the Old Overholt Bonded on my own time.

The 2018 BourbonGuy.com Bottom-Shelf Brackets

March 13, 2018 Eric Burke

So, this past Sunday my Twitter feed filled up with people complaining about the format of a show that announced whether their favorite team of college basketball players did or didn't make the cut to play in a basketball tournament. It reminded me, among other things, that I'm not much of a college basketball fan. It just never caught my interest. But just because I don't have a passion for college basketball, does that mean I want to miss out on all that competitive March bracketing?

No. No, it does not.

And for the last four years, I've been getting my fill of competitive bracketing by finding inexpensive bourbons and pitting them against each other head-to-head to see if there is one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. I mostly do this to have fun, but I also have a desire to find out if I can satisfy my inherent Midwestern frugalness and yet find an overlooked diamond in the rough.

But this is the fifth year of the Bottom-Shelf Brackets and I've been forced to shake things up a little bit. First, I've removed the word "Bourbon" from the name and opened the proceedings up to other forms of Straight American Whiskey. Second, I've been forced to redefine my definition of "Bottom-Shelf" to a slightly higher price point. Both of these have the same cause: I just couldn't find enough bourbons that met the price qualification that hadn't been in the tournament before. Even some of the previous winners have moved out of range.

The third thing is the most exciting for me though. I've included a couple more judges this year. Some of these people are complete novices. I did this mostly because one of my non-whiskey drinking friends asked if he could be a part of it and I thought it might be fun to get outside perspectives on the results.

Now that the changes are out of the way, just what are these qualifications that I spoke of earlier?

It must be straight American Whiskey, and it must be labeled as such. Too many brands are getting rid of this very basic statement of quality and I refuse to reward that. This means that Jack Daniel's Black label would not qualify for the tournament, but that Jim Beam White label would.
It has to sell for 2.4 cents per milliliter or less. Now, this might seem like a weird arbitrary number, but it works out to $18 per 750, $24 per liter or (in true bottom shelf fashion) $40 for a 1.75 L handle. And yes, I know that the math is wrong on that last one, but since you normally get a price break by buying in that large of quantity, I worked that into the equation. I raised it from $15, $20 and $35 this year, which had been the price since the initial year. In that time, just following the inflation rate would get us to over $21 for a liter so I decided to future proof a little.
The final guideline is that it must have never been in the tournament before. It would get pretty boring to see if I liked the same whiskeys year after year.

After I purchased the whiskeys here are the rules I used to seed them.

Stated (or assumed) age. Straight whiskey has to be at least two years old. But unless it is under four years old, you don’t have to put an age on it. So if someone does, it’s either a good thing or a bad thing. I like to reward good things and punish bad things.
Proof. Higher proof often equals better flavor. Not always, but it can be a good rule of thumb.

So who are the contestants? The top six seeds were all non-age stated, and so I am assuming the 4-year minimum on them. The two number one seed in each of the divisions are Old Grand-Dad Bonded and Mellow Corn Bottled in Bond, both at 100° proof. Behind them at 90° proof is a Straight Corn Whiskey from Hirsch Selections. I found this one on sale, so it is a bit of a cheat but also figured that sale prices count when the entire point is to be frugal. A pair of 86 proofers come next. Old Forester 86° proof is the second number two seed while the Barton produced, Total Wine exclusive, Two Stars nabs the first number three seed. The final number three seed is 80° proof Four Roses Yellow Label. After that, we get to a pair of ryes that clock in at under four years old. Old Overholt is three years old and gets the first number four seed with two-year-old Ezra Brooks Rye nabbing the final spot.

There are a lot of interesting matchups this year with multiple styles and multiple price points going head-to-head. I think this one is going to be a lot of fun.

King's Creek Tennessee Whiskey

March 8, 2018 Eric Burke

Last week I got an ad circular letting me know that King's Creek Tennessee Whiskey was Total Wine's Whiskey of the Month for March. I promptly forgot about that since I don't make a habit of buying whiskey on price, preferring instead to purchase most of the stuff I review based on how interesting I think I can make it.

So when I got to the store and noticed that it was 9 years old, my curiosity was piqued. It was a "Spirits Direct" selection which normally means store brand, though there are exceptions. I was curious because a nine-year-old Tennessee whiskey could really only come from a few places. Mostly because there are only a few places in Tennessee that have been distilling and aging whiskey since 2008/2009.

So, what do we know about this? Not much. It is nice years old. It is 90° proof. It was bottled in Princeton, Minnesota so, since it is a Tennessee Whiskey, it is obviously sourced. Like I said, there are only a few places that have been around long enough to put this out so I'm thinking it is either Jack Daniel's, George Dickel, Prichard's or maybe the old Collier and McKeel since, based on my research/SKU's wonderful list, it seems that they may or may not be supplying Costco's Tennessee Whiskey as well.

Based on that, I thought I had pretty good odds of it being something decent. I mean, I'd had 9-year-old Dickel and it was delicious. I've had Prichard but I don't really remember it (I assume that I'd have remembered it if it was bad). Jack can make good whiskey. And that left the one that I knew nothing about except that they sold their brand to a California company that may or may not be supplying Costco.

Well, now onto the important stuff: how does it taste?

King's Creek Tennessee Whiskey

Purchase Info: $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN.

Details: 9 years old, 45% ABV.

Nose: Dried Grain, oak, and peanut.

Mouth: Cherry, dried grain, hints of spice.

Finish: Robitussin Cough Syrup. Long and gentle.

Thoughts: Oh please, let this finish stop! The flavor lasts forever and in this case that is not a good thing. You do not want Robitussin to be a lasting reminder of a whiskey and that is precisely what happens here. This is a terrible whiskey. I'll give it this. It would only be a meh if you didn't need to swallow it. But since we all swallow...nothing kinky...this is a hard pass. It is a mediocre mixer but neat? Just steer clear of this one. You can get a better Tennessee whiskey from the same store (Jack Daniel's) at less than half the price. Well, at least I know where my next prop whiskey will come from.

Old Overholt Bonded

March 6, 2018 Eric Burke

Old Overholt Bonded. It's a year older and 20° proof higher than the standard Old Overholt that has been around for years. It's got a suggested retail price of $24.99 for a 750 mL. I've found it for as low as $22.99 for a 750 and $27.99 for a liter locally.

Since this is the third affordable rye in Jim Beam's line-up so I though that it might be interesting to see how they match up to one another in a blind tasting. So I did. Blind pours of Jim Beam Rye non-age stated at 90° proof (16.99 for a 750ml bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN), Old Overholt 3 years at 80° proof (12.99 for a 750ml bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN), and the new Old Overholt Bonded 4 years old at 100° proof (28.99 for a Liter bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN).

Whiskey 1

Nose: Mint, almond, a hint of oak, cardamom, ginger and fleeting hints of dill.

Mouth: Tingly spice with black pepper, mint, lemon oil and dusty oak.

Finish: Warm and medium length. Lingering black pepper ginger and dusty oak.

Thoughts: This is fine. Very much not my favorite of the three, but not the worst either.

Whiskey 2

Nose: Sweet with almond, cardamom, and a hint of mint.

Mouth: Easy going with hints of spice. Clove and almond.

Finish: Gentle with lingering spice.

Thoughts: Not much here. Delicate and sweet with minimal spice when compared to the last one.

Whiskey 3

Nose: Warm, dried grain. Brown sugar, dusty old lumber, and black tea.

Mouth: Sweet with tingly spice. Black pepper, mint, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Finish: Medium length and warm. The spices from the mouth continue to linger into the finish.

Thoughts: I'm kinda liking this one. It drinks more like a high rye bourbon than a rye.

Reveal:

Whiskey 1 was Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Style Rye. Whiskey 2 was Old Overholt 80. Whiskey 3 was Old Overholt Bonded. All of these shared a strong family resemblance. The proof seems to be the biggest factor in how enjoyable they are to sip on. The highest proof is also the most enjoyable and the lowest proof is the least enjoyable.

A few further notes on the Old Overholt Bonded. I'm not as high on this one in cocktails as others are. I feel like it is getting lost in cocktails meant for Rye. On the other hand, I'm enjoying it quite a bit in a rocks glass in front of the tv. Like I noted in the blind notes, it drinks more like a high-rye bourbon than a Straight Rye, but since it is barely legal at 51%, that is to be expected. Overall I'd say that the added proof and extra year of age is worth the cost over the standard Old Overholt. Whether it is worth the cost compared to the Jim Beam Rye will be up to you. I enjoyed it more so I'd be likely to say yes for me. Still not my favorite rye, but if I pretend it is a bourbon I am more than content with it.

Crown Royal: Bourbon Mash / Blender's Mash

March 1, 2018 Eric Burke

I used to work with a guy that almost no one in the company liked. He'd been there forever and was extremely enthusiastic about the job and the mission of the company. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that after a while his habit of going around the proper channels to get his pet projects done started to grate on my nerves as well. Especially since, though he had a lot of enthusiasm, he didn't have nearly as much talent as he thought he did. Unfortunately for him, everyone knew this fact about him, including the higher-ups. As such, he got shuffled from position to position until he was finally let go in the first of many rounds of layoffs that the company went through. Apparently, after he lost his job, he had a hard time of things and ended up taking his own life.

While he was still with the company, he had a piece of paper taped up in his cube where he and passers-by could see it. It had three simple words on it: "Assume positive intent." Something about that simple reminder to be empathetic made a big impact on me. It was a key point in adopting my "don't be a dick" philosophy. I wish I could tell him how big of an impact he has made on my life. I feel bad that after this long, I can't even remember his name.

I thought of this tonight when I was doing a little research on tonight's whisky. This one received a lot of flack from the self-proclaimed "consumer advocates" of the whisky community. See, the TTB originally approved the label for this whisky even though it was in clear violation of the standards of identity (§5.22 (l)). I will be kind and assume that these "consumer advocates" really think they are doing a public good by going after these companies. And they probably are having a positive effect. But from the outside, it sure does seem that they love the "gotcha" moment, appearing to assume that every company is out to pull a fast one and that the regulators are corrupt, stupid, incompetent, or some combination of the three.

I will, however, choose to "assume positive intent." The description on the label is technically correct. It is a Canadian whiskey distilled from a bourbon mash. The fact that it is also a prohibited use of the word bourbon? Sure, it may have slipped past someone on a bad day. Hell, people make mistakes. Even marketing people. (If I got fired from every job where I made a mistake, I'd have never kept one.) That the TTB then came back to Diageo and revoked the approval and asked them to surrender it makes it a non-issue to me. So Diageo gets to sell it for a year based on the agreement with the TTB. Then it goes away and becomes a piece of trivia for hardcore whiskey nerds. And a collector's bottle for those who think it will become a collector's bottle.

But now on to the important question: How does it taste?

Crown Royal Bourbon Mash

Purchase Info: $26.99 for a 750mL bottle at Savage Liquors (Hy-vee), Savage, MN.

Details: 40% ABV. Non-age stated (but to be called whisky Canadian whisky has to be at least three years old).

Nose: Delicate. Caramel, vanilla, mint and almond.

Mouth: Thick, almost syrupy mouthfeel. Tingly spice. Nutty sweetness.

Finish: On the short side of medium. Gentle spice. Lingering notes of nuts and cocoa.

Thoughts: This is alright. Not great, not terrible. It splits the difference between a bourbon and a Canadian whisky. Unfortunately, when I'm in the mood for a bourbon, I want a bourbon, and when I'm in the mood for a Canadian whisky, I want Canadian. That said, this is fine, but it doesn't really have a place on my shelf.

Blog

Old Forester

Four Roses (Yellow)

Who wins?

Mellow Corn

Ezra Brooks Rye

Who wins?

Hirsch Selection: Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey

Two Stars

Who wins?

Old Grand Dad Bonded

Old Overholt

Who wins?

King's Creek Tennessee Whiskey

Whiskey 1

Whiskey 2

Whiskey 3

Reveal:

Crown Royal Bourbon Mash