buffalo trace

W. L. Weller 12 Years Old Review

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W. L. Weller 12 Year old bourbon is one of my favorites.  It’s a wheated bourbon, like the impossible-to-find Pappy Van Winkle line.  This one, however, is pretty readily available…at least in the New Orleans market (I hear it’s hard to find in areas of the country).  Buffalo Trace distills both.  In fact, they use the same recipe, or mash bill.  Well, if they’re made by the same distillery using the same recipe, are they the same bourbon?  No, they’re not.  From what I gather, the Van Winkles have first dibs at barrels of wheated bourbons.  They take what they consider the best, and the rest goes to the Weller line.

Part of enjoying whiskey is smelling it.  If you’re not doing that, you’re really doing yourself a disservice.  This one has a STRONG sweet caramel smell.  I could smell this all day.  How’s it taste?  Definitely on the sweeter side.  Honey and caramel are pretty strong.  The finish doesn’t last too long.  It mainly stays on your tongue for a few seconds.  This doesn’t taste like a 90 proof bourbon.

W.L. Weller has a few products out.  Their Special Reserve, which is a little cheaper and another great bourbon, and their Old Antique 107 proof.  I’ve yet to run across a bottle of Old Antique Weller in New Orleans.  Of the two I’ve tasted, I easily prefer the 12 year.  It runs close to $25, but I’ve seen it more expensive – as high as $40.  People refer to it as the poor man’s Pappy.  They might be similar enough to say that, but these are still two different bourbons.  Pappy Van Winkle’s bourbons are at the top of the heap.  If W. L. Weller is the leftover stuff, that’s nothing to balk at.  This is one delicious bourbon.  Have you tried Weller 12 year?  Comment below and let me know what you think.

Highly recommended  9/10

Colonel E. H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon Review

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I’ve always noticed the tall, attractive cardboard tube on the top shelf of the whiskey aisle.  It had E. H. Taylor Jr’s fancy signature written across the front.  An image of Taylor on the side.  It looks like a throwback to the old days.  Okay, the really old days… after all, I’m only in my thirties.

The other thing that stands out is “Bottled In Bond” on the bottom of the label.  What the heck does that mean?  Back in the late 1800s, a lot of whiskey that sold wasn’t “pure.”  People were adding artificial coloring and sweeteners and passing it off as straight bourbon.  Here’s where Edmund Haynes Taylor steps in.  He fought to pass the Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897.  If a bourbon was labeled “bottled in bond,” it meant that bourbon followed compliances and regulations laid out in the Bottled-In-Bond Act.  I’ll get to the specifics of that in a future post.  You’re not here for a history lesson.  You came here for to find out how this bourbon tastes.

In the glass, Col. Taylor Small Batch has a really nice flavor.  I get lots of butterscotch and caramel, but it’s not too sweet.  It’s also a bit spicy.  When I taste this bourbon, I know it’s high proof spirit.  It’s a bit rough around the edges…mainly in the finish.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a “I’m drinking pure ethanol” burn.  It’s a slow, slightly unrefined burn in the back of the mouth and throat.  That’s not necessarily a turn-off.  My buddy Hank finds most of Buffalo Trace’s products rough.  I mostly disagree.

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What’s this whiskey gonna run you?  Most places have it for around $40…a little overpriced in my opinion.  Luckily, I found this bottle of Col. Taylor Small Batch at Costco for $32.  That’s more like it.

Pick it up if you can find it cheap, and sip while watching “Boardwalk Empire”.   8/10

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Years Old Bourbon Whiskey Review

IMG_1898I thought I’d kick off my first whiskey review with what’s up to now my favorite bourbon overall – Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15 Years Old.

You probably already know the background, hype, and near unobtainable status of this whiskey.  Making Pappy 15 year my first review tells you a little about my bourbon leanings – I prefer bourbon on the sweeter, slightly woodier side.  I enjoy a high rye mash bill, but I lean towards the softer wheated bourbons a little more.

I find this particular bourbon sweet, soft, and smooth, even at 107 proof.  I guess 15 years in a barrel will do that to whiskey.  It’s not too woody, which is an observation I often come across when reading about Van Winkle’s 23 year old expression.  I know it’s cliche, but there’s a lot of caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch here.  The folks at Buffalo Trace really know what they’re doing.

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It’s got just the right amount of burn.  It’s not too much and not too sharp.  It’s nearly perfect.

Okay, cost.  The suggested retail price is about $79.  By some stroke of luck, I paid only slightly more than that.  Is it worth $79? Yes, if you can find it. You can get great whiskies for under $25, but this one’s special.  For me, this is a bourbon that comes out for special occasions only.

This one lives up to the hype.  9.5/10