bourbon review

Knob Creek Single Barrel – Maisano’s Fine Wine & Spirits

One of my favorite things about single barrel whiskies is that several brands offer store picks.  This can be a good thing or a not-so-good thing.  It all depends on the palate of the person picking the whiskies, and the quality of the barrels being offered.  A few months back, I helped a local store pick out some barrels of bourbon.  It was a fun experience, and once they get delivered to the store, I’ll post some notes here.  In the meantime…


Maisano’s Fine Wine & Spirits in Ocean Springs, Mississippi offers a variety of single barrel whiskies hand-picked by owner Jonathan Maisano.  I was down there a couple of weeks back.  After a great talk with Jonathan (the man knows his whiskey and wine), he kindly offered me a sample of his Knob Creek pick that had just been delivered.  So, I thought I’d post the results of my tasting here.  This is my first review of a store pick whiskey, and it definitely won’t be my last.  

This bourbon is 9 years and 4 months old.  That’s right in line with the standard bottling of Knob Creek Single Barrel, which I find to be the best value in the Knob Creek lineup.  Bottled at 120 proof, this one carries some weight.  And that’s to be expected.  The nose is full of slightly burnt caramel, grilled corn, almonds, and dark chocolate.  Vanilla becomes a bit more full in character with some airtime.  Taste-wise, an initial hit of fresh orange refreshes the palate, followed by concentrated caramel, light herbs, cigar box, and a touch of barrel char.  The finish lingers for a good long time.  Warming. Leaves behind peanut butter and molasses notes.

Nice pick!  It seems a touch more complex than the standard KC single barrel.  Maisano’s has it priced at right under $48.  If you’re in the Ocean Springs area, definitely make at stop at Maisano’s.  Jonathan has a wide selection of barrel picks.  If this Knob Creek is any indication of his palate and ability to pick barrels, you’re in for a great time.  8.5/10

Thanks to Jonathan Maisano for the sample!  

Booker’s Batch 2016-03 “Toogie’s Invitation” Bourbon Review


One of my favorite things is getting a sample of a new batch of Booker’s.  I’m what’s referred to online as a “Booker’s Fanboy.”  It means I love Booker’s bourbon.  I’ve repeatedly stated it’s my favorite regular release from Jim Beam.  Booker’s is released in batches several times a year.  Though all batches pretty much smell and taste like Booker’s should, there are subtle variations from batch to batch.

The third batch of Booker’s bourbon of 2016 is called “Toogie’s Invitation”.  Marilyn “Toogie” Dick was a lifelong friend of Booker Noe, helping him select one of the first batches of Booker’s at the Noe kitchen table.  This close friendship found Toogie, Booker and his wife, Annis, traveling the world together.  She was welcome at the Noe house anytime.  This batch is also the first Booker’s Roundtable selection of 2016, one that even found Toogie as part of that selection group.

Even though it’s all marketing, I do like that the story here is true.  I also like that Toogie took part in the selection of this batch.  There’s a bit of authenticity found here that’s missing in other brands’ marketing.

This batch is aged 6 years, 4 months and 4 days at bottled at 129 proof.  Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe says barrels that make up this batch came from six different rack houses.  As always, Booker’s is presented uncut and unfiltered.  If you’ve never had a barrel strength bourbon, Booker’s is a good place to start.

Present is an expected robust nose, featuring vanilla bean, caramel corn, dried basil and toasted oak.  Flavors pretty much reflect what’s found in the nose.  Sweet corn, barrel char, cinnamon and burnt sugar over a bed of vanilla.  A touch of herb appears mid-palate.  The finish is long and warm, with notes of cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean, along with a strange bitterness that wears away quickly.

This batch is pretty standard for Booker’s, which is good enough in and of itself.  However, I feel the need to compare to previous batches, and what stands out here is the light herbal note and that slight bitterness on the finish.  It’s not off putting in the least. Quite the opposite is true.  It’s what makes this batch just a touch different and all the more interesting.  Nicely done.  

8/10

Thanks to Jim Beam and Booker’s for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Russell’s Reserve Bourbon Review

As big of a Wild Turkey fan as I am, I can’t explain why I’ve never tried Russell’s Reserve until now.  I know, I know.  There’s no excuse.

Russell’s Reserve the premium brand from the Wild Turkey Distillery.  There’s a 10-year-old bourbon (which I’m writing about in this article), a single barrel bourbon, a six-year-old rye whiskey, and a single barrel rye whiskey.

The Russell in Russell’s Reserve refers to the two master distillers, Jimmy and his son Eddie Russell.  Jimmy’s been in the business for more than 60 years.  Eddie recently celebrated 35 years in the whiskey business.  I had the pleasure of meeting both bourbon legends at Tales of the Cocktail aboard the Wild Turkey bus.  It was an amazing experience and you want, you can read about it here.

Onto the whiskey.

Russell’s Reserve 10-year-old bourbon is one of the few whiskies coming out of the Wild Turkey distillery with an age statement.  It’s a small batch bourbon, which just means there are less barrels blended in a batch of Russell’s Reserve compared to a batch of Wild Turkey.  Remember, the term “small batch” has no official meaning.

One thing I love about Wild Turkey 101 is the high proof.  It elevates the spicy profile of that bourbon beautifully.  I try my best not to judge a whiskey before I try it.  I really do.  But when I saw the lower-than-expected 90 proof on this label I inadvertently formed a slightly negative opinion.  “Where’s the 101 proof?” I asked.  See, Wild Turkey 81 tastes like a watered down, neutered version of Wild Turkey 101.  It has no bite.  My mind sort of went to that line of thinking when I read the label for Russell’s Reserve 10-year.  Boy was I wrong.

Ten years in a barrel is pure magic for this bourbon.  The nose is rich and spicy, providing waves of cooked vanilla bean and light brown sugar.  Hints of anise, toasted rye bread and oak round out the aromatic nose.  The palate is equally inviting, with a fuller-than-expected mouthfeel.  Big bourbon caramel and vanilla notes are present.  However, it’s not as sweet as a standard bourbon, and that’s due to the high rye content in the mash bill.  Cardamom and dried herbs give way to nutmeg, cinnamon sticks and oak.  The medium finish leaves a refreshing mint note.

Russell’s Reserve 10-year is a very enjoyable bourbon.  It has loads of flavor and a beautiful nose, but something is missing here.  The “bite” I associate with Wild Turkey bourbon isn’t really found here.  Instead it’s one of the smoother bourbons coming from the Wild Turkey distillery.  I assume lots of people like that word when describing a whiskey, as it’s found in just about every bourbon advertisement I come across.   Personally, I want the bourbon coming from the Wild Turkey Distillery to have “bite” and it’s slightly lacking here.  Don’t conflate “bite” with character.  This bourbon has plenty of that.  Russell’s Reserve is a well-rounded, thoroughly flavorful bourbon that should please just about anybody who drinks it.

8.5/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by the company behind this whisky free of charge.  The opinions written are my own.)