When Calumet announced a 16 year old Kentucky bourbon (or more realistically when @comingwhiskey posted it on Instagram) I was intrigued. We don’t see very many KY sourced releases break that 15 year mark so I decided I needed a bottle.

 

Calumet Farm 16 Year Citation

Age: 16 years

Proof: 106

Neat

Notes: Delicious old bourbon notes of rich oak, leather and brown sugar with a touch of bitterness and some warm spice on the very long finish. Excellent mouthfeel and proof integration.

Stars: 3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

Conclusion

This was really good and definitely surprised me. I have tasted Calumet’s 14 and 15 year old releases which were also enjoyable but didn’t stand out at the time. The proofing on this is just right, it’s strong enough to let you know it’s there but had no burn for me. I was also impressed that the mouthfeel and finish weren’t dry at all given the age. I would easily put this in the top tier of old sourced Kentucky bourbon that you can actually find!

Also apparently this whiskey is named after a champion race horse.

TL;DR: Excellent bottle that hits all the right old bourbon notes. Worth the price.

I picked this bottle of Lux Row Double Barrel up at the distillery over 2 years ago and am finally getting around to reviewing it. I’ve gone back to it from time to time and included it in blind tasting flights but it’s never impressed me and I don’t find myself reaching for the bottle. That said I’ve never found it to be bad just underwhelming in a flight so I’m going to try it again by itself and see if I can appreciate it a little more.

 

Lux Row Double Barrel 2019

Age: 12 years

Proof: 118.4

Price: 150

Barrels: 5154523 and 5154524

Neat

Nose: Sweet caramel, rich oak, subtler fruit and nuts with just a hint of ethanol.

Taste: A big rush of caramel and baking spice with oak and red fruit toward the end. Decent but unremarkable mouthfeel. Hot for the proof.

Finish: Long, warm, slightly dry finish with cinnamon, baking spice, oak and vanilla notes.

Conclusion

There were some great flavors in here but I feel like this drinks hotter than I would have expected for the 118.4 proof and didn’t wow me. While there are tasting notes I typically really like (ie caramel, red fruit, nuts) they just didn’t come together the way I wanted. The most telling thing is that it’s taken ~2.5 years to drink through the bottle and I have no desire to track down a second one. I’d gladly take one of my preferred batches of ECBP over this and in the same price range Bardstown Discovery Series is a better buy. I know a lot of folks loved this one and I think I can see why but it wasn’t my favorite.

As an aside I really liked this one the rocks but again I’d just as easily enjoy an ECBP that way for ~half the price. The ice tamed the heat and seeme dot make the flavors come together better for me.

1 Star - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies

 

TL;DR: Enjoyable but not worth the high price and scarcity

 

Willett “Will It”

Age: 6 years

Proof: 117.8

Barrel Number: 3264

Neat

Notes: Caramel spread on high end honey wheat bread balanced by a long spicy finish. Great mouthfeel for the proof. A touch more ethanol burn than I would expect at this proof.

Stars: 3 - I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

Willett “Cask Pick”

Age: 6 years

Proof: 127.8

Barrel Number: 2869

Neat

Notes: Classic Willett bourbon notes with sticky caramel, mint, warm spice, vanilla and a bit of oak. Brilliantly balanced with a long warm finish, excellent proof integration and a viscous mouthfeel.

Stars: 3 - I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

Willett “PAC Edge Spring 2022 #1”

Age: 8 years

Proof: 129.4

Barrel Number: 6546

Neat

Notes: Almost like a single malt scotch with honey, pear and dried fruit notes. Some caramel and spice in there as well. Great proof integration and mouthfeel.

Stars: 2 - I would want to have a bottle

 

TL;DR: Cask pick and Will It were awesome. The PAC Edge pick was weird but good.

This was one of the early picks I partnered with Debs on and I am finally killing my second bottle so it’s time for a quick review.

 

Elijah Craig Debs Liquor Single Barrel

Age: 10 Years

Proof: 94

Barrel No: 6030740

Rickhouse: G - 4

Neat

Notes: Vanilla extract, slightly dry oak, less nuts than I usually get from Heaven Hill and a nice spice kick at the end. The mouthfeel is a touch thin but what I would expect for the proof. The finish is long and leaves oak and vanilla notes.

Conclusion

TL;DR: A solid, on profile pick from back when these weren’t barrel proof.

After the straight🔥 releases with Series 3 and 4 Bardstown included a substantial amount of 17 year old TN bourbon in their blends. Given the controversial nature of TN bourbon some folks including myself were hesitant about these releases. That said Bardstown releases had always worked for me until now so I grabbed them both when they dropped.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series 5

Age: Blend of 6-17 years

Proof: 104.7

Neat

Notes: Strong TN bourbon notes of old oak, mineral water and chocolate with some leather, caramel and nuts in the background. Very nice mouthfeel for the proof. Also a bit of spice on the long, slightly dry finish.

Stars: 1

Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series 6

Age: Blend of 7-17 years

Proof: 111.1

Neat

Notes: Sweet, funky and nutty notes dominate with caramel, vanilla frosting, and peanuts with subtler notes from the old TN bourbon of rich oak, a faint minerality and a bit of chocolate on the finish. The mouthfeel is nice and what I would expect from the proof. The proof integration is excellent.

Stars: 2

Conclusion

Overall these didn’t hold up to the previous 2 releases but 6 in particular was great in its own right. Compared to some other sourced high dollar releases that dropped around the same time such as Blue Note 17 or Sam Houston 14 I’d easily take either of these Bardstown bottles.

TL;DR: 5 was the low point in the series but 6 is a step back in the right direction

 

Russell’s Reserve Bourbon Enthusiast 0420

Age: 11 years

Warehouse: CN-D Floor 3

Proof: 110

Neat

Notes: Heavy on the oak for a Russell’s pick with tannic notes, Wild Turkey funk, vanilla extract, baking spice and a bit of nuts.

Stars: 2 Stars - Very good whiskey

Conclusion

TL;DR: Another great pick from BE but not in my top tier.

 

Blue Note 17

Age: 17 years

Proof: 92.3

Neat

Nose: Pancake batter, rich oak and a bit of the Dickel mineral/vitamin notes

Taste: More vanilla, more oak and subtle but present minerality. Really nice, creamy mouthfeel especially impressive for the proof.

Finish: Long slightly dry finish with linger vanilla cream frosting and tannic oak notes

Conclusion

First off I am enjoying this bottle and I tend to like Dickel more than most online reviewers. The nose inviting, flavors are simple but pleasant, the mouthfeel is great and it is very easy drinking. Blue Note 17 Year is definitely on the high end of the Dickel profile but still not good enough to stand out and command the $150 price tag. If you aren’t a Dickel fan this is an easy pass. If you are a Dickel fan I’d stick with the BiB or the 15 year from Dickel and skip these $100+ NDP bottlings.

1 Star - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies

TL;DR: Great whiskey at an unfortunately low proof and too high a price.

When another mystery 15 year old dropped and local shop ask if I wanted one my tater self couldn’t resist. So here we with the Old Bones 15 Year Reserve. This is from an unnamed distiller in Frankfurt, Kentucky(most likely Beam) unlike most of Old Bones line which if from MGP.

Old Bones Bourbon 15 Year Reserve Batch 1

Age: 15 years 7 months

Proof: 108.2

Price: $120

Neat

Nose: Honey roasted peanuts, rich oak, warm spice and sweet vanilla.

Taste: Rich oak, vanilla cream, caramel, nuts and then spice coming in toward the end. Great mouthfeel that’s not too viscous while being almost creamy.

Finish: Long and lingering with rich oak and caramel then warm spice at the back of your throat.

Conclusion

This was some fine 15 year old Kentucky bourbon. It doesn’t have any crazy notes but it has all the core notes I’d want from a bourbon with a great balance and intensity. It drinks below its proof in terms of heat/burn but above it in terms of flavor intensity. The creamy mouthfeel was a nice touch too. Despite the high price this is one I want to drink but don’t want to be out of so I’m definitely going to look for a backup.

On another note this reminds me a lot of the initial Doc Swinson’s 15 year release, #6. This is a lower proof but it was also excellent. I am unfortunately out of that release but I’ll definitely be blinding this against Doc Swinson’s Release #7.

I’d definitely stack this up against other releases in the same price range such as Michter’s 10, Lux Row Double Barrel or Bardstown Discovery series so it’s worth it in that sense. Compared to cheaper, higher proof offerings such as ECBP or the increasingly elusive 114-15 year old KC picks this is much more approachable and just a flavorful so I would say it is better than them in. Is it worth twice as much? To me yes but I could also easily see that answer being ‘no.’ Personally I went out and got a backup.

TL;DR: Great bottle, backup secured

3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle

Scale

A quick tasting of 3 samples. Trying to get back on the horse with getting through this mountain.

Kentucky Owl Batch 11

Age: NAS

Proof: 118.8

Neat

Nose: Cinnamon sugar, caramel, rich oak and a bit of proof sting.

Taste: Nice balance of sweet and heat with more cinnamon sugar, cherry, caramel, oak and a bit of leather. Nice but unremarkable mouthfeel for the proof.

Finish: Long warm, slightly dry finish with cinnamon, oak and baking spice.

Buy a bottle? No

Clyde Mays 12 Year Alabama Style Whiskey

Age: 12 years

Proof: 120

Neat

Nose: Spiced apple cider, caramel, artificial sweetener and vanilla extract

Taste: Unpleasant with a bit of an artificial almost plastic taste. Also hot.

Finish: Too long, more plastic and artificial sweetener.

Buy a bottle? No, definitely not

Booker’s 2015-01 “Big Man Small Batch”

Age: 7 years 2 months 16 days

Proof: 128.7

Neat

Nose: Classic bourbon nose with caramel, rich oak, vanilla cream and just a hint of nuts.

Taste: Big and bold with baking spice, brown sugar, oak, vanilla cream and a hint of nuts again. Very nice, viscous mouthfeel.

Finish: Long and warm with a Kentucky hug and notes of baking spice, caramel and oak.

Buy a bottle? Yes even at the new Booker’s retail

Conclusion

The Kentucky Owl was exactly what I expected great bourbon at too high a price. If it was ~150 like Bardstown Discovery I’d definitely buy a bottle but at 300 it’s just not worth it to me. The cinnamon was pleasant, the proof was well integrated and there was a nice depth of flavor.

The Clyde Mays reminded me of my least favorite whiskies that I’ve reviewed. I hope to never drink it again. It’s a shame because their 15 year old bourbon is great!

Batches like this one are what made Booker’s reputation. There’s not exotic tasting notes or anything fancy but it is just a great execution on the classic Beam profile that’s big enough to let you know it’s barrel proof but not overwhelming. The younger, more expensive batches we get today usually don’t hit the spot like this batch does.

TL;DR: KO was great but not worth the price, Clyde Mays was rough and the 2015 Booker’s was a hitter

 

Wee Beastie

Age: 5 years

Proof: 94.8

Neat

Nose: Smoked meat and more smoke just to be safe

Taste: More smoked meat but with some nice dark fruit and malt notes to balance it. Great mouthfeel for the proof even if it doesn’t hold up to a cask strength whiskey there. Excellent proof integration with the smoke and sweet completely covering any burn.

Finish: Short to medium finish with more smoke, a bit of wood and some vanila.

1 Star - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies

Corryvreckan

Age: NAS

Proof: 114.2

Neat

Nose: Smoky, peppery meat and rich oak.

Taste: Vanilla cream, smoked meat, slightly acrid smoke and rich oak. Great mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium length with a bit of bitterness and plenty of smoky meat.

0 Stars - Poor to Fine: I would not specifically choose to drink this

Conclusion

The Wee Beastie does a great job bringing a solid proof, NCF and age statement(albeit a young one) to the sub $50 price point. If you’re willing to spend a little more Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength is a step up for sure but in the sub $50 Islay price point Wee Beastie is my go to.

The Corryvreckan is a nice but that slight acrid note is a bummer as is the missing age statement. At this price point I’m expecting a little more to get a star.

TL;DR: Great whiskey at an unfortunately low proof and too high a price.