Nice blurb from Gear Patrol about some pretty nice Bourbons. A couple of these were on the previous Bourbon article I posted.
"Asking us to choose between whiskey (were talking bourbon here, made primarily with corn and aged in charred oak barrels) and whisky (single malt scotch) is like posing the question, Would you prefer to drive a C2 Corvette Split Window or a Jaguar E-Type? The answer is always both and yes. But if youre a single malt devotee, youd do right to expand your taste horizons, and the best way to experiment with bourbon is to go small batch the complexities are pleasing, and youll find yourself a worshiper in many different temples. Small batch bourbons are, essentially, the cream of the crop, having emerged from a relatively low number of oak aging barrels. Though theres no hard and fast rule about what that number is, small batch bourbons typically consist of no more than about 10-20 barrels and are aged for as few as 5 years and as many as 23.
Of course, age doesnt always equate to great our individual palates respond differently. But cue the ceremonial horns when a good small batch with rich amber hues and fragrant notes makes it to your glass. Youre getting something exclusive, something doted over by loving makers. The variety available now is impressive, and the flavors and drinking experiences (mixed, as well as straight) run the gamut. Theres a lot to love. Here are tasting notes on five small batch bourbons we recommend to warm your palate (and maybe a share with a few lucky friends)."
Best Bourbon for the Traditionalist: Considered the first real single barrel bourbon ever made, Blantons is a wonderful experience visually, as well as by way of mouth. The bottle is unlike anything weve ever seen; its an angular orb with Blantons signature horse and jockey stopper (collect all eight types to spell BLANTONS, even more motivation to consume). Youll be distracted by both the bottle and the rich amber coloring, but that delay is only temporary. Once you crack it open, youll get vanilla, orange, chocolate and a faint nutty scent on the nose. Its a pleasurable whiff. Not as impactful as others on this list at 93 proof, Blantons is nevertheless a cornucopia of various flavors sugar, orange peel, caramel, vanilla and even some cloves. The initial palate is medium- to full-bodied and the finish tapers off in enjoyable mildness. We even conducted our own mini horse race after several samples.
Buy Now: $48
Best Bourbon for the Outdoorsman: Four Roses array of bourbons seems to know no limits, and their Single Barrel iteration sits at the top of the heap for full-bodied flavor and potency. Even more than the complex nose filled with spice, fruit, chocolate and a slight floral air, the initial hit to the palate is huge, warm, and rich, welcoming you to the spirit with big open arms full of spice and fruit. You can surely cut it, but wed recommend taking it neat first: the long, mellow finish belies its bold start. Four Roses Single Barrel is 100 proof but imparts power like its a few rungs up. Imagine a bitter cold day doing all manner of manly stuff in the frozen outdoors, capped off with this soothing elixir in a heavy lowball glass. The thought is almost reward enough.
Buy Now: $39
Best Bourbon for the Elder Statesman: The gorgeous bottle looks like it was pulled from a soldiers war chest, with its wide and flat shape topped off by a nice wooden stopper. Pop the stopper and youll smell brown sugar, some cinnamon and apples. It parks on the tongue with many of the same notes brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup and even a bit of vanilla and mild black pepper. Just picking out the individual flavors slows lifes pace a bit and, of course, the alcohol helps in the unwinding process, too.
The finish directly reflects the hint of traditional charred wood pulled from the casks, along with some dry spiciness. At 90 proof, its not full-bodied and quite drinkable as a result. How do we know? Well, lets just say a good portion of it was consumed on one fine summer evening with a few ice cubes as happy casualties to our arduous taste test.
Buy Now: $30
Best Bourbon for the Daily Imbiber: This one surprised us. Its bottled in, of all places, San Francisco using Kentucky bourbon. But unlike traditional bourbons, its not aged in charred oak casks, instead using white oak to lend to a milder and sweeter bourbon. Its bottle isnt unique, but we were blown away by the gentle yet complex flavors of caramel, vanilla, apples and spice, with some of the smoothest mouthfeel of the bunch coming at 90 proof. This is a bourbon thats pleasurable from start to finish and extremely consistent. We could sip our way through bottle after bottle (over a long period of time, mind you) without growing tired of it. It made for a particularly delicious Manhattan, going toe-to-toe with our favorite ryes in that department. Even though its quite affordable, youll find yourself going back for more substantial reasons.
Buy Now: $30
Best Bourbon for the Connoisseur: If youre just getting started with whiskey, this might be one you save for later when your manhood quotient climbs a few notches. Noahs Mill is a cask strength bourbon, likely aged at 15 years, though the label doesnt indicate it. Though not for the faint of heart, it is truly rewarding.
For nearly $50, the bottle isnt especially fancy, with a rustic label that looks rudimentary but still attractive, as if this should be consumed in a chunky wood cabin next to a roaring fire. Break the wax seal and youll be exposed to bourbon richness of the highest order. The initial nose is full of very noticeable brown sugar, with hints of leather and caramel, but its easily overwhelmed when it wallops your tongue with potency. At first the 114.3 proof was almost hard to take, frankly. But then it quickly warmed and the flavors started to appear. The brown sugar is right there, followed by leather and wood dryness, which take over pleasantly. It could have been the cigar we enjoyed while drinking it, but we swear we got a bit of tobacco flavor in the mix, too. The finish is long, like a high proof liquor should have. Let it linger and think about the finer things in life.
Buy Now: $48
http://gearpatrol.com/2013/08/02/best-small-batch-bourbons/?read_single=1
"Asking us to choose between whiskey (were talking bourbon here, made primarily with corn and aged in charred oak barrels) and whisky (single malt scotch) is like posing the question, Would you prefer to drive a C2 Corvette Split Window or a Jaguar E-Type? The answer is always both and yes. But if youre a single malt devotee, youd do right to expand your taste horizons, and the best way to experiment with bourbon is to go small batch the complexities are pleasing, and youll find yourself a worshiper in many different temples. Small batch bourbons are, essentially, the cream of the crop, having emerged from a relatively low number of oak aging barrels. Though theres no hard and fast rule about what that number is, small batch bourbons typically consist of no more than about 10-20 barrels and are aged for as few as 5 years and as many as 23.
Of course, age doesnt always equate to great our individual palates respond differently. But cue the ceremonial horns when a good small batch with rich amber hues and fragrant notes makes it to your glass. Youre getting something exclusive, something doted over by loving makers. The variety available now is impressive, and the flavors and drinking experiences (mixed, as well as straight) run the gamut. Theres a lot to love. Here are tasting notes on five small batch bourbons we recommend to warm your palate (and maybe a share with a few lucky friends)."
Blantons Single Barrel
Best Bourbon for the Traditionalist: Considered the first real single barrel bourbon ever made, Blantons is a wonderful experience visually, as well as by way of mouth. The bottle is unlike anything weve ever seen; its an angular orb with Blantons signature horse and jockey stopper (collect all eight types to spell BLANTONS, even more motivation to consume). Youll be distracted by both the bottle and the rich amber coloring, but that delay is only temporary. Once you crack it open, youll get vanilla, orange, chocolate and a faint nutty scent on the nose. Its a pleasurable whiff. Not as impactful as others on this list at 93 proof, Blantons is nevertheless a cornucopia of various flavors sugar, orange peel, caramel, vanilla and even some cloves. The initial palate is medium- to full-bodied and the finish tapers off in enjoyable mildness. We even conducted our own mini horse race after several samples.
Buy Now: $48
Four Roses Single Barrel
Best Bourbon for the Outdoorsman: Four Roses array of bourbons seems to know no limits, and their Single Barrel iteration sits at the top of the heap for full-bodied flavor and potency. Even more than the complex nose filled with spice, fruit, chocolate and a slight floral air, the initial hit to the palate is huge, warm, and rich, welcoming you to the spirit with big open arms full of spice and fruit. You can surely cut it, but wed recommend taking it neat first: the long, mellow finish belies its bold start. Four Roses Single Barrel is 100 proof but imparts power like its a few rungs up. Imagine a bitter cold day doing all manner of manly stuff in the frozen outdoors, capped off with this soothing elixir in a heavy lowball glass. The thought is almost reward enough.
Buy Now: $39
Bowman Brothers
Best Bourbon for the Elder Statesman: The gorgeous bottle looks like it was pulled from a soldiers war chest, with its wide and flat shape topped off by a nice wooden stopper. Pop the stopper and youll smell brown sugar, some cinnamon and apples. It parks on the tongue with many of the same notes brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup and even a bit of vanilla and mild black pepper. Just picking out the individual flavors slows lifes pace a bit and, of course, the alcohol helps in the unwinding process, too.
The finish directly reflects the hint of traditional charred wood pulled from the casks, along with some dry spiciness. At 90 proof, its not full-bodied and quite drinkable as a result. How do we know? Well, lets just say a good portion of it was consumed on one fine summer evening with a few ice cubes as happy casualties to our arduous taste test.
Buy Now: $30
Cyrus Noble
Best Bourbon for the Daily Imbiber: This one surprised us. Its bottled in, of all places, San Francisco using Kentucky bourbon. But unlike traditional bourbons, its not aged in charred oak casks, instead using white oak to lend to a milder and sweeter bourbon. Its bottle isnt unique, but we were blown away by the gentle yet complex flavors of caramel, vanilla, apples and spice, with some of the smoothest mouthfeel of the bunch coming at 90 proof. This is a bourbon thats pleasurable from start to finish and extremely consistent. We could sip our way through bottle after bottle (over a long period of time, mind you) without growing tired of it. It made for a particularly delicious Manhattan, going toe-to-toe with our favorite ryes in that department. Even though its quite affordable, youll find yourself going back for more substantial reasons.
Buy Now: $30
Noahs Mill
Best Bourbon for the Connoisseur: If youre just getting started with whiskey, this might be one you save for later when your manhood quotient climbs a few notches. Noahs Mill is a cask strength bourbon, likely aged at 15 years, though the label doesnt indicate it. Though not for the faint of heart, it is truly rewarding.
For nearly $50, the bottle isnt especially fancy, with a rustic label that looks rudimentary but still attractive, as if this should be consumed in a chunky wood cabin next to a roaring fire. Break the wax seal and youll be exposed to bourbon richness of the highest order. The initial nose is full of very noticeable brown sugar, with hints of leather and caramel, but its easily overwhelmed when it wallops your tongue with potency. At first the 114.3 proof was almost hard to take, frankly. But then it quickly warmed and the flavors started to appear. The brown sugar is right there, followed by leather and wood dryness, which take over pleasantly. It could have been the cigar we enjoyed while drinking it, but we swear we got a bit of tobacco flavor in the mix, too. The finish is long, like a high proof liquor should have. Let it linger and think about the finer things in life.
Buy Now: $48
http://gearpatrol.com/2013/08/02/best-small-batch-bourbons/?read_single=1
