bourbon review

David Nicholson Reserve Bourbon Review

A new expression under the David Nicholson banner, David Nicholson Reserve carries a traditional corn-rye-barley mash bill compared to the standard wheated David Nicholson 1843.  Luxco has owned the brand since 2000.  This new variant hit shelves this past summer for a suggest price of $34.99 – $39.99.  I’m not too familiar with the David Nicholson brand.  Writer Chuck Cowdery has a great article giving a bit of brand history.

There’s a sweet and spicy nose here, dominated by brown sugar, cinnamon, and buttered corn with undertones of toasted rye bread and black cherry.  Taste-wise, sweet brown sugar, sharp rye grain and sugared orange peel are followed by spicy cinnamon bark.  Then, maraschino cherries emerge mid-palate.  Some oak tannins and barrel char finish things off, alongside a medium-length semi-sweet finish.

Why one David Nicholson expression carries a wheated mashbill and the other a rye-based mashbill is beyond me.  It would be like if WL Weller Special Reserve being a wheater and their 12-year being a rye-based bourbon (that’s not the case).  It makes no sense.  And before you ask – yes, Luxco has sourced this whiskey.  It’s a pretty open secret, and at this point doesn’t really matter.  Regardless, I like what’s going on here, especially for the price. It’s a great sipping bourbon with some complexity and just enough flavor and depth to keep you coming back. In other words, I could drink this all day.

8/10

Thanks to Luxco for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Booker’s Batch 2016-04 “Bluegill Creek” Bourbon Review

Booker’s Batch 2016-04 is named after Booker Noe’s love for fishing.  He’d take his son, current Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe, fishing for bluegill.  Other than making bourbon, fishing was one of Booker’s passions.

This batch of Booker’s comes in at 128 proof and aged 6 years, 5 months and 28 days.  Limited editions aside, Booker’s will always come in between 6 and 8 years.  The label mentions that THE Jim Beam liked his bourbon aged in that range.  “Bluegill Creek” barrels were pulled from four different rack houses, always from the center racks.

One thing Booker’s is known for is its big vanilla note.  This is true of all batches of Booker’s, and this one is no exception.  That vanilla note is present in the sweet nose alongside light brown sugar, sweet corn and a touch of baking spices.  Taste-wise, I get vanilla, sweet & spicy popcorn, caramel, and a touch of ground cinnamon and peanut oil.  There isn’t that young corn/grain note I picked up in some of the earlier batches.  The nuttiness I normally get from Booker’s is minimal.  What makes this batch unique is the presence of more prevalent baking spices.  The finish is long, warm and semi-sweet.

All in all, another solid batch of Booker’s, and an extremely drinkable one.  This one earns an easy recommendation.  8.5/10

Thanks to Beam Suntory for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Barrell Bourbon Batch 008 Review


What we have here is the oldest bourbon released by Barrell Bourbon.  Batch 008 is aged for nine and a half years.  It’s also the highest proofed whiskey released by the company, clocking in at 132.8 proof.  That’s high enough to put a little hair on your chest, as they say.  Like the last few batches, Batch 008 was also distilled and aged in Tennessee.  It also shares the same mash bill of 70% corn, 25% rye and 5% malted barley.

I’m a relative newcomer to Barrell Bourbon, starting my journey with Batch 005 last year.  Batch 005 and 006 are among my favorite bourbons of the last couple of years.  Both of those were aged only eight years.  Batch 007 was a five year old release that showed great complexity for such a young whiskey.  Three exceptional bourbon releases.  Does Barrell Bourbon owner Joe Beatrice continue this winning streak with Batch 008?

The nose on this whiskey is intense.  Slightly burnt caramel, dark chocolate, spice cake and red cherries flow out of the glass.  Taste-wise, we’re talking about a spicy whiskey here:  cinnamon bark, dark brown sugar, sharp toasted grain, nutmeg, cherry liqueur, and creamy homemade vanilla ice cream. The spice hits hard at first, then slightly mellows and allows for a creamy mouthfeel to come forth.  The finish is hot, which is no surprise given the high proof, and leaves behind notes of cinnamon tinged pastry and slightly astringent oak.  A splash of water sweetens things up a tad.

One note about this whiskey – it’s not as sweet as the nose suggests.  It instead falls rather high on the spicy and dry scale. I find it interesting that Batch 008 starts off spicy, but then morphs into an elegant mix of spiced fruit and cream, and ends up dry.  Not dry in a bad way. Quite the opposite.  It makes you want to take another sip, and before you know it your glass is empty.  That, to me, is the sign of a magnificent whiskey.  This is the most complex Barrell Bourbon release to date.  Recommended!  8.5/10

Thanks to Joe Beatrice for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.