bourbon review

Col. E.H. Taylor Seasoned Wood Bourbon Review
Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Buffalo Trace Distillery just announced the eighth addition to the Col. E.H. Taylor line – Seasoned Wood.  Just like its brethren, Seasoned Wood is bottled-in-bond, which means it’s bottled at 100 proof and is at least four years old (among other things).  According to press materials, this release is “aged well over a decade”.  This the first wheated bourbon in the Taylor lineup.  Seasoned Wood is a one-time, limited release.

What is seasoned wood exactly?  According to Buffalo Trace:

The barrels in this release underwent a variety of special seasoning processes,   including barrels made from staves that were immersed in an enzyme rich bath with water heated to 100 degrees.  After spending time in this proprietary solution, these staves were then placed into kilns and dried until they reached an ideal humidity level for crafting into barrels.  Other staves were seasoned outdoors for six months, and still others were left outdoors for a full 12 months before being made into barrels and sent to Buffalo Trace Distillery to be filled and aged.  All barrel staves were seasoned, dried, and crafted at Independent Stave Company, who consulted on this project with the premiere expert on oak maturation, Dr. James Swan.

Onto my tasting notes:

The aromatic nose leads with a strong honey note.  Dried cherries, fresh orange peel, and a floral note follow.  In an odd way, it sort of smells like an Old Fashioned cocktail.  There is little to no alcohol vapor to speak of, considering this is a 100 proof bourbon.  The entry is soft, with spiced honey starting things off.  That citrus note and dried fruit from the nose also finds its way to the palate, cutting right through the creamy mouthfeel.  Some oak is present providing a touch of astringency in the back-palate.  The finish is long and warm, leaving citrus, baking spice and honey behind to slowly fade away.  It leaves your mouth watering for more.

You can guess I’m a fan of this one.  Seasoned Wood is a very welcome addition to the good-to-excellent range of Col. E.H. Taylor whiskies.  It’s overall softer but richer profile stands out among others in the lineup.  This is a very well executed bourbon from Buffalo Trace that receives a high recommendation.  Seasoned Wood will be available starting late March for a suggested retail priced of $69.99.  The fact that it is limited won’t help your chances of finding a bottle.  In the rare instance you do see one, pick it up.

9/10
(Note: A small review sample was provided by Buffalo Trace.)

Woodford Reserve Distillery Series – Frosty Four Wood Bourbon Review

Photo courtesy of Woodford Reserve.

Photo courtesy of Woodford Reserve.

The third entry in Woodford Reserve’s Distillery Series is Frosty Four Wood, following Double Double Oaked and Sweet Mash Redux.  The trend seems to find the distillery revisiting previous editions of their Master’s Collection.  This is great for folks that didn’t get to taste a previous releases of earlier Master’s Collection expressions.  Case in point: I never had a chance to taste the original Woodford Reserve Four Wood.  At least with this release I get to taste a variation of it.

Frosty Four Wood gets its name from its flavor influences, namely barrel finishing.  Fully matured Woodford Reserve is put into three different cask types: maple, sherry and port.  This secondary maturation lasts a few months.  The barrels are then blended together and bottled.  The frosty part of the name comes from the Polar Vortex of 2013.  The original Master’s Collection Four Wood was exposed to the low temperatures, causing flocking, or mineral precipitation.  The distillers used a filtration technique that resulted in a fruit-forward flavor profile.

The nose is rich and fruity.  Dried fruit, sweet oak, and slightly burned toffee are the key players here.  I’ve never smelled so much fruit in a bourbon.  That fruit-forward profile also carries over onto the palate.  In addition to being the dominating flavors, dried berries and citrus provide richness here.  Cloves, corn, vanilla and toffee develop mid-palate.  A spicy yet slightly drying oak shows up for the medium finish.

I like this one.  It’s an interesting take on the Woodford Reserve profile.  The port, sherry and maple cask finish really give this bourbon a fruit-forward, rich profile, which is not how I would describe the standard Woodford Reserve expression.

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8/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by Woodford Reserve.)

Booker’s Batch 2016-01 “Booker’s Bluegrass” Bourbon Review

Photo courtesy of Booker's.

Photo courtesy of Booker’s.

Since 2015, every batch of Booker’s bourbon from Jim Beam has been given a name in addition to a batch number.  From a marketing standpoint, it seems to be working.  The brand experienced double digit growth in 2015, according to Nielsen data.  This particular batch, the first of 2016, is named “Booker’s Bluegrass” after Booker Noe’s love of bluegrass music.

As stated right on the label, Booker’s is aged between six and eight years.  This one sits right in the middle at 6 years and 11 months old.  This batch comes to us at 127.9 proof, uncut and unfiltered.

The nose carries an overall profile that’s typical of Booker’s.  There’s robust caramel and vanilla, with a touch of oak and nuts.  I can pick out some sweet corn grain, but it’s not as prevalent as in past batches.  The high proof delivers big flavors.  On the entry is a little heat, followed by sweet corn grain, roasted nuts, and vanilla.  Caramel provides a bit of sweetness alongside the corn note, but it seems a bit thin.  Booker’s usually ends with a long finish.  This batch, however, features a shorter finish than expected.

This is a good, solid batch of Booker’s, but not a particularly memorable one.  As I wrote before, all batches of Booker’s carry an overall similar flavor profile.  Since they are all “small” batches, some variation will take place. Though a delicious and extremely sippable whiskey, this batch doesn’t quite stand up to last year’s excellent “Dot’s Batch”, but it’s close.  That said, if you’re a fan of the brand, you won’t be disappointed with “Booker’s Bluegrass.”

8/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by Booker’s.)