Fun fact. Both of the names on tonight’s labels have won this annual contest before. In the case of Very Old Barton, the 86 proof version was the winner in 2016. For Old Grand-Dad, it was the Bottled-in-Bond version that won in 2018. Old Grand-Dad 80 proof has never made it out of the first round. Let’s see if history repeats itself tonight.
Our first whiskey is our number one seed for Division Two. Coming in at 86 proof and looking to notch its second bracket championship, please welcome: Very Old Barton 86 proof!
And their opponent is the lowest-proof bourbon in Beam’s Old Grand-Dad line. The lower price (and lower quality?) version of Basil Hayden’s, please welcome Old Grand-Dad 80 proof!
Reminder, 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 from before we knew what was what. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were being tasted at the same time and could have influenced the perceptions of one another.
Whiskey 1 (Very Old Barton)
Purchase Info: $15.99 for a 1-liter bottle, Total Wine, Burnsville, MN
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $0.80
Details: 43% ABV.
Nose: Delicate. Mint, cinnamon, and floral notes.
Mouth: Follows the nose with mint, cinnamon, caramel, and floral notes.
Finish: Medium length and warm. Cinnamon and dried grains with a little caramel thrown in.
Thoughts: The nose is so delicate as to be almost non-existent. The mouth and finish provide more punch than the nose would suggest. Not a bad value bourbon.
Whiskey 2 (Old Grand-Dad)
Purchase Info: $17.99 for a 1-liter bottle, Blue Max, Burnsville, MN
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $0.90
Details: 40% ABV.
Nose: Caramel, red fruit, and a hint of mint.
Mouth: Caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, red fruit.
Finish: Gentle and medium length. Caramel, cinnamon, and a mineral note.
Thoughts: This is ok. That mineral note on the finish is throwing me a little. There is definitely a lot of flavor, I'm just not sure that it's a good flavor.
Winner: This was a fairly easy decision. #1 has a classic "value bourbon" flavor. Good, uncomplicated, tasty, and showing a touch of grain. #2 is a caramel bomb with an odd funk to it. It isn't bad, but I'm not sure I'm likely to reach for it once I know what it is. #1 wins easily.
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