The time is finally here! Let’s get down to the competitions. Round 1 of the 2020 BourbonGuy.com Bottom Shelf Brackets opens with Division 1 Number 1 seed Wild Turkey 101 versus Number 4 seed Four Roses.
This is a battle of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky’s favorite sons. First up is the flagship product of the Wild Turkey distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and tonight’s favorite. It is a two-time winner of the Bottom-Shelf Bracket contest in 2017 and 2019, winning both times it has appeared. Please welcome to the stage: Wild Turkey 101!
And their opponent is the entry-level release at the cross-town Four Roses distillery. Coming in a whopping 21° proof deficit. Please welcome fan-favorite mixer and wearer of the beige label: Four Roses Bourbon!
We strive to have a clean competition so these were tasted blind in the following order. Tasting notes are from before the reveal and may be a little unusual since they were being tasted at the same time.
Whiskey 1 (Four Roses Bourbon)
Purchase Info: $19.99 for a 750 mL bottle, Total Wine, Burnsville, MN
Details: 40% ABV.
Nose: Spearmint Candy, Cinnamon.
Mouth: Cinnamon, Caramel, hints of generic fruit.
Finish: Gentle and short. caramel and cinnamon.
Whiskey 2 (Wild Turkey 101)
Purchase Info: $18.49 for a 750 mL bottle, Total Wine, Burnsville, MN
Details: 50.5% ABV.
Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, a yeasty smell kinda like fresh-baked bread.
Mouth: Warm in the mouth with toffee and cinnamon.
Finish: Medium length. Warm cinnamon and nutmeg.
Pre-reveal Thoughts: Whiskey 1 has a cooler and thinner mouthfeel than whiskey 2. Guessing that the relative proof is showing its hand here. The flavor profiles are much more similar than I had expected but whiskey 2 is the clear winner.
Post-Reveal Thoughts: No upset tonight folks. The higher seed (and higher proof) wins in this one. Wild Turkey 101 wins the Battle of Lawrenceburg and is moving on to Round 2.
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