Booker's Bourbon: Batch 2020-03 "Pigskin Batch"

I’d like to thank the folks at Jim Beam for providing the following review sample with no strings attached.

View fullsize

I’m having a hard time believing that it has been since September of 2018 since I last had a bottle of Booker’s in the house. Truth be told, I don’t have a bottle of Booker’s in the house now either. The small sample I got of their most recent batch was finished this past weekend when I did the tasting notes below.

I’ve been meaning to pick up a bottle. But I’m always so distracted by the next “shiney” new thing to remember the old favorites. Because even with the price increases the brand has experienced, it is still one of the few $50+ bottles that I never regret buying. Sure since the price went up, it no longer sits on the “every day” bourbon shelf and is instead on the “special occasion” shelf. But honestly, that’s just a trick I play on myself to make it last longer. Which, at a recommended price of $89.99, is a good thing.

So, knowing all of that, it was an easy decision to inquire about a sample when the most recent batch of 2020 was introduced. This one is named for the fact that Booker Noe, like many of us, was a big fan of football. And since I was doing the tasting notes while I watched my Green Bay Packers lose on Sunday, it seemed fitting to grab this one for this week.

Booker's Bourbon: Batch 2020-03 "Pigskin Batch"

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously provided by the distillery for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00

Details: 6 years, 7 months, 7 days old. 63.65% ABV.

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Mouth: Thick mouthfeel. Caramel, cinnamon.

Finish: Warm and long. Sweet and spicy.

Thoughts: This reminds me that I need to buy Booker's more often. It's been way too long since I dropped the coin on it and it is always worth the cost to me. As expected, I'm really liking this one.

---

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Thomas S. Moore Extended Cask Finish Bourbons, 2020

I’d like to thank the folks at Sazerac for providing these review samples with no strings attached.

View fullsize

Last month Sazerac released the first of an ongoing series of “extended cask finished” bourbons from the Barton 1792 distillery. I was fortunate enough to get a sample of all three sent to me, so since there will be three sets of tasting notes, let’s jump straight into the background info without dilly-dallying around.

According to the press release, the Thomas S. Moore line is the first “ultra-premium brand” from the Barton 1792 Distillery. They start with the “signature high rye bourbon” aged for “many years in new charred oak barrels” (According to Master Distiller Denny Kahn speaking to the Bourbon Review, many in this case means 5-7 years old). The bourbon is then aged in finishing casks for between one and three years in order to draw out not only the character of the product previously in the barrel but also that of the finishing barrel itself (again according to the article in the Bourbon Review).

Sounds interesting to me, let’s see how they taste.

Thomas S. Moore Extended Cask Finish Bourbons, 2020

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously provided by the distillery for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $69.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67

Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finish

Details: 47.65% ABV

Nose: Cotton candy, mint, red fruits, toffee, and hints of oak.

Mouth: Baking spice, mint, and a hint of red fruit.

Finish: Long and flavorful on the finish. Spicy red wine notes, dark chocolate, salted caramel, mint, and oak.

Thoughts: The finish makes this one, it's just so flavorful. I'd say most of the wine cask influence makes its presence known at this point. I just kept having new and different notes pop up as I analyzed it. Without that amazingly flavorful finish, I would have given this a meh or low like. As it is, I have no problem saying I like it. Recommended for folks that already like cask finishes though.

Chardonnay Cask Finish

Details: 48.95% ABU

Nose: Sweet. Lots of fruit, wine influence. Welch's grape juice, spearmint gum, and clean oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon, ginger, citrus zest, mint.

Finish: Medium length. Notes of oak, ginger, mint.

Thoughts: I like this one, but probably not enough to personally run out and try to get a bottle. Unlike the Cabernet Sauvignon version, the wine influence takes over a bit too much for me. I'm not getting as many bourbon notes as I'd have liked.

Port Cask Finish

Details: 49.45% ABV

Nose: Almond, cooked cereal, hints of red fruits.

Mouth: Thick mouthfeel. Cinnamon, almond, caramel, red fruits, milk chocolate.

Finish: Fairly short. Notes of oak, baking spices, caramel, a touch of mint-and some dried fruits.

Thoughts: This is the most "bourbony" of the three. Oddly it is also the least interesting of the three. Of course, interesting isn't always what you want in a glass of bourbon. So do with that information what you will. Like the Chardonnay version, I'd happily take a glass if offered but probably wouldn't run out to buy it on my own.

Overall, I liked the Cabernet Sauvignon the best and will probably grab a bottle if I see it. The other two I am happy to have tried but won't be buying now that I have. I like them, but I’d need to be in the mood for them and they would sit on my shelf for quite a while. That Cabernet, on the other hand, would have to be rationed so I didn’t drink it too fast.

---

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Knob Creek 12-Year-Old Cask Strength Bourbon

At just a hair over six feet tall, I am not the tallest person in the world, but I am the tallest in my family. I could literally look over a sea of in-laws, back when we could have holiday gatherings. I wasn’t just taller, but taller by a foot or more in some cases.

That’s right, I married into a family of short people.

And I’m here to tell you that this is a great thing. Sure, my wife asks me to get things off of the top shelf all the time but in return, I get a little something too. I have someone who can easily look on the bottom shelf at stores. Which is how we found this particular bottle.

We were at Total Wine to grab a handle of Wild Turkey 101. At $31 per 1.75-liter bottle, it’s the cheapest way to stock up on Wild Turkey within easy driving distance. And, as you do, as long as I was there I needed to browse the shelves. I noticed a couple of facings of Knob Creek 12-year-old down on the bottom shelf but didn’t think much of them as I’d already had it.

My wife, however, being much closer to the ground, noticed that each of the facings had a different price. One is almost twice the price of the other. After she pointed this out to me, I needed to take a closer look. It turns out that what I thought was two facings of Knob Creek 12 year old was in fact one facing of Knob Creek 12-year-old and one of Knob Creek 12-year-old Cask Strength. Obviously, this bottle came home with me.

I don’t feel too bad though as I’ve heard from friends that they also noticed the price difference without noticing the proof difference. To be fair to all of us, the labels look a lot alike. But enough of what the labels look like, let’s see how this one tastes.

Knob Creek 12-Year-Old Cask Strength Bourbon, Limited Edition

Purchase Info: $92.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50mL): $6.20

Details: 60.25% ABV. 12 years old.

Nose: Caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla

Mouth: Spicy heat. Vanilla, caramel, oak, cinnamon red hots.

Finish: Medium to long with a big hit of oak initially which fades to reveal lingering cinnamon and mint.

Thoughts: I love this one. It's thick and chewy with the stereotypical bourbon notes that I just love. Damn. I really wish that I'd have bought two of these. But I'm guessing that my wife would have shot down the idea of spending about $250 when we had anticipated $35. Still though...

Later that day: OK, I couldn’t help myself. Right after I typed that, I went and looked at my local liquor store (Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN). And huzzah! They had it too. So I grabbed another one. This one had a higher proof (124.3) and a lower price ($84.99). I tasted them side-by-side and they are very similar with the higher proof one being a touch hotter and brighter. Still love it though. Really glad I got my hands on a second one.

---

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

The Whiskeys of Luca Mariano

I’d like to thank the folks at Luca Mariano Distillery for providing these review samples with no strings attached.

View fullsize

Last month, the folks at the Luca Mariano Distillery reached out to me to see if I would be interested in taking a look at their products. Of course, I said yes. And once it arrived, I was surprised to find five different whiskeys in the box. So since we have a lot to get through tonight, let’s cut straight to the chase.

First, though, I was looking at their website and couldn’t find the answer so I reached out to them and asked for clarification as to whether they were distilling their own juice yet. Here is what they had to say:

Our distillery is currently under construction, so Wilderness Trail Distillery is currently distilling our mashbills for us.

I absolutely love the transparency. And heck Wilderness Trail is a good choice for a production partner as well. So without further adieu, let’s see what we are looking at tonight.

Old Americana Small Batch Bourbon

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously provided by the distillery for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $44.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.00

Details: 41.5% ABV. 4.5 years old. Currently available in Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina and online through Woods Wholesale Wine

Nose: Vanilla, mint, cinnamon, and toffee.

Mouth: Thin on the month with notes of cinnamon, toffee, and a hint of bitter oak.

Finish: Gentle and on the shorter end of medium. Lingering notes of cinnamon and bitter oak.

Thoughts: This is a bit meh for me. Especially for the price. As I grade on a curve, if this were a $20 whiskey it might grade higher. That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it just doesn't align with my preferences. It's thinner on the mouthfeel than I'd like and the bitter note of the oak makes it taste a bit over-diluted. Especially for a $45 bottle. What flavors are there make me interested to try the higher proof offering though based on what is shown in this one.

Luca Mariano Single Barrel Bourbon

Thoughts: Let me start out by saying that I am not giving this one tasting notes or a rating. When this arrived the cover was loosened (though the seal was unbroken) and leaking and after tasting it, I'm guessing it was contaminated by contact with the wet packing materials. I tried to take notes around the off, almost "meaty, moldy" taste but can't guarantee I did right by the product. The suggested pricing is $59.99. Let's move on to the next one.

Luca Mariano Signature Single Barrel Bourbon

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously provided by the distillery for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $64.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 53.5% ABV. 5.5 years old. Currently available in Michigan, Kentucky, and online through Woods Wholesale Wine

Nose: Brown Sugar, mint, almond.

Mouth: The hard Bazooka Joe Bubblegum from my childhood, mint, and cinnamon.

Finish: Warm and medium length. Sweet with almond and cinnamon.

Thoughts: This one is very good. Took me right back to my childhood and stuffing my little month with two or three pieces of Bazooka Joe bubble gum. Only now it's alcoholic! Seriously though, I really like this. Drinkable at 107 proof when served neat. Water brings out more caramel on the nose and more spice in the month. I’d buy this one if I saw it on the shelf.

Old Americana Small Batch Rye (Luca Mariano Small Batch Rye prior to an April 2021 Rebrand)

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously provided by the distillery for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $44.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.00

Details: 95% Rye Mashbill. 41.5% ABV. 4.5 years old. Currently available in Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina and online through Woods Wholesale Wine

Nose: Cedar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mint.

Mouth: Thin mouthfeel. Cool mint transitions to cinnamon red hots.

Finish: Gentle and short. Follows the nose with mint, cedar, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: Once again, the thin mouthfeel on this one is kind of a turn off for me, but I could see this acting well as a "card playing" rye where you don't really want to contemplate what is in your glass, instead just wanting a little social lubricant. But that would only be the case if it were priced lower. Once again. Nothing wrong with it, just not to my palate.

Luca Mariano Single Barrel Rye

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously provided by the distillery for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $59.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: 51.5% ABV. 5.5 years old. Currently available in Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina and online through Woods Wholesale Wine

Nose: Cedar, mint, honey, and nutmeg.

Mouth: Follows the nose with cedar, mint, cinnamon, and a nice spicy heat.

Finish: Warm and medium length. Notes of cinnamon, cedar, and mint.

Thoughts: Classic rye notes predominate. I like this one a lot. This tastes like the perfect proof level for this whiskey. Nice mouthfeel, heat, and flavor. I’d be happy with this purchase if I found it on the shelf.

---

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Wilderness Trail "Silver Label" 6-Year-Old Bourbon

Right now I am in the process of smoking my third ever brisket. I’m usually more of a pork butt guy, but I saw this at my local supermarket and felt like it needed to come home with me. Mostly because they never have cuts of meat that I’d want to smoke and, well, it’s cold out and I just plain miss smoking meat. (Though it is probably about right to smoke some cheese…guess I need to buy some more cheese.)

I don’t usually do brisket for a couple of reasons, one is that pork butt is cheaper than brisket and since I like them about the same, it is a better value for me. But the other is that I’ve never gotten brisket quite right. Now don’t get me wrong, it always tastes good. Just not as good as the stuff other people make. I know that comes with practice, but at eight to nine bucks per pound? Nah, I’ll practice on something else. I just don’t have the time or money to invest in that sort of thing.

Which sounds like a lot of people who used to get into the craft distillery business. Many of them didn’t have the time or money to put out a good product so they ended up putting out inferior ones and just hoped for the best. Some of those places weathered that, but most didn’t.

And then there were those who came along and had the money to have the time to put out a fully matured product. Those like Wilderness Trail, the producer of tonight’s bourbon. They wanted to put out a Bottled-in-Bond bourbon and, luckily they had the time to invest in the product. And the result was the yellow-labeled Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Bourbon. A single-barrel wheated bourbon produced using a sweet mash process. A very good bourbon that I enjoy quite a bit.

And now that even more time has passed we are treated to an even older version of that same bourbon. Their recent Silver Label Bourbon release is still wheated using the same mash bill: 64% corn, 24% wheat, and 12% malted barley. It still uses the sweet mash process. It’s just now six years old. Let’s see if it was worth the wait.

Wilderness Trail "Silver Label" Bottled-in-Bond 6- year-old Bourbon

Purchase Info: $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Binny’s Beverage Depot, Bloomington, IL

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33

Details: 50% ABV. Mash bill: 64% Corn, 24% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley. 6 years old.

Nose: A delicate mix of cinnamon, vanilla, cherry, and mint

Mouth: Cherry, cinnamon, caramel, cooked cereal, and a little mint.

Finish: Warm and medium length. Notes of warm caramel and cinnamon and just a hint of mint.

Comparison to Yellow Label: Yellow label shows more dried corn on the nose. The mouth of the yellow label is sweeter and fruitier with more grain influence.

Thoughts: The 6-year-old Wilderness Trail bourbon is a really nice upgrade to the standard single barrel yellow-label release. As is to be expected, the barrel influence is more pronounced leading to a drier and more refined bourbon. I really like this one.

Now here’s hoping my brisket turns out just as well.

---

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

New Riff Maltster Bourbon with Malted Wheat

Well, here we are, the last post of 2020. It’s been a real shit show of a year, hasn’t it? But hopefully, you have made it through with only minimal hardships. I was one of the lucky ones. Although one of my businesses brought in only $75 one month, and about half of what I’d expected for the rest of the year, we made it through. Mostly because my other business deals with advertising for plumbing and HVAC (a type of business that wants to continually remind you via advertising that they are essential).

I want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I’ve decided to take next week off in order to spend more time with my wife while she is off work. I tip my hat to all of you and want you to know that I don’t take anyone who reads my ramblings for granted. I really appreciate that you spend some of your time with me.

Now let’s get on to the whiskey. This is the second “Maltster” bottle that New Riff released through their Fall 2020 Whiskey Club slate. Like the last one, this is Bottled in Bond, non-chill filtered, and uses a malted flavoring grain. In this case malted wheat. Unlike the Malted Rye version, this does not use malted barley in the mash. Speaking of, the mash bill is 65% corn, 18% Bohemian floor-malted wheat, 10% unmalted wheat, and 7% dark wheat.

After the rye, I have high hopes for this one.

New Riff Maltster Bourbon with Malted Wheat

Purchase Info: $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle through the New Riff Whiskey Club website.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 5 years old. 50% ABV. Mash bill: 65% corn, 18% Bohemian floor-malted wheat, 10% unmalted wheat, and 7% dark wheat.

Nose: Vanilla, dried grains, and spearmint.

Mouth: Dusty dried grains, cocoa, caramel, mint, and vanilla.

Finish: Warm and long. Caramel, baking spices, and a touch of mint.

Thoughts: Another home run. These Maltster bourbons are really tasty. This one is more chocolaty than the malted rye version. I'm really glad I got my hands on these bottles. If you want a chance at bottles like these sign up for the New Riff Whiskey Club. You aren’t guaranteed availability, one of the three was sold out between the time I added it to my cart and when I checked out. But it is a fun way to get a shot at some unusual whiskeys.

See you in 2021!

---

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

New Riff Maltster Bourbon with Malted Rye

Sometime in early 2019, I decided to join the New Riff Whiskey Club. I’m thinking it was right around the time I visited the distillery for the first time on a Spring trip to Kentucky. The New Riff Whiskey Club is a way for bourbon fans to get early access to the special bottles that the distillery puts out. These tend to be interesting “riffs” on traditional bourbon that are only made in limited quantities. They use unique grains or processes that let them play around a little bit and satisfy their curiosity.

Best of all, unlike the record clubs of old, there is no obligation to buy anything. Of course, you also don’t get 12 bottles of whiskey for a penny, either.

The Fall 2020 slate consisted of two bourbons—the Maltsters—created using malted flavoring grains, malted wheat, and, In tonight’s case, malted rye. They also re-released a rye whiskey, Balboa Rye, that uses local heirloom rye grains. I was able to get my hands on the two Maltsters. The Balboa was already sold out by the time my order was placed.

I was a little nervous about this one. I’ve had plenty of craft distilled rye whiskeys that use malted rye as part of their mash bill. And to be honest, the malted rye is usually my least favorite part of the flavor profile. Many of those ryes get used as cocktail ingredients to help disguise that malted rye flavor. I’ve also had one bourbon that used malted rye. I liked that one quite a bit, but the malted rye flavor really made its presence known and I needed to be in the mood for it.

But enough stalling, let’s see how New Riff handles Malted Rye in their bourbon.

New Riff Maltster Bourbon with Malted Rye

Purchase Info: $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle through the New Riff Whiskey Club website.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 5 years old. 50% ABV. Mash bill: 65% Corn. 30% Malted Rye, 5% Malted Barley

Nose: Cherry, leather, a touch of mint, and vanilla.

Mouth: Cherry, bubble gum, cinnamon, mint, and a touch of oak.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Lingering cinnamon, mint, cherry cough syrup.

Thoughts: This is a beautiful whiskey. As I said, I'm not usually a fan of whiskies that contain malted rye, but this is wonderful. The "malted rye flavor" that I've found in the other whiskeys I’ve had that use malted rye is either not present or is so well integrated that the flavor isn’t noticeable. Of course, maybe the folks at New Riff just handle it differently than the other distillers I've tried. Being brewers before they were distillers, they tend to take a different look at ingredients and processes.

I much prefer this neat rather than with water. I thought water brought out too much nuttiness. At 100 proof though, neat is just fine. I'm really glad I got my hands on a bottle.

---

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Jim Beam Single Barrel - 108 proof

September 9th, 2020 was the last day that I saw any of my family in person. In this case, it was my mother-in-law and brother-in-law who needed tech support getting a wi-fi signal into a steel garage sitting a couple of hundred feet from her house. The combination of a large house, a steel garage, and the distance between them made for a tricky issue. You couldn’t get even a weak signal inside the building.

I like problems like this. I know enough to do the research on how to solve the problem and it allows me to learn something new. Thankfully, I knew that if I could get a signal into the building, a wi-fi repeater would allow the computer that they used in there to get a connection. And with a little time and experimentation with the position of the router and repeater, I got everything to work.

It was a fun project. I’d originally set up the network quite a few years ago when there was no need to get a connection to the outbuildings (and when the tech would have necessitated a physical connection to get there anyway). But as time passed, needs (and tech) changed. And so I got to do something new and interesting with it.

On the way home, I stopped into one of the liquor stores I traveled past in order to see what I could get in the state of Wisconsin that I couldn’t get in my home state of Minnesota. And while I was picking up my bottle of Four Roses Small Batch Select, I also noticed a bottle of Jim Beam Single Barrel that was 108 proof.

Now as you are probably aware, I usually know a fair bit of what goes on in the bourbon world just because the companies reach out and tell me. But somehow I’d missed that in late 2019, Jim Beam Single Barrel was refreshed. The old white-labeled 95 proof version was retired in favor of a new 108 proof version. Much like with my mother-in-law’s home network, tastes changed since the original was created. The bourbon public wants higher proof, non-chill filtered options. And it seems that Beam was happy to cater to those changing tastes.

Jim Beam Single Barrel - 108 proof

Purchase Info: $38.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Marketplace Foods, Menomonie, WI

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.60

Details: 54% ABV. Barrel#: JB 000207013

Nose: Mint, ginger, caramel, light citrus, and peanut.

Mouth: Caramel, mint, cinnamon.

Finish: Medium length and warmth. Lingering notes of cinnamon, peanut, and oak.

Thoughts: This bottle is deceptively drinkable at 108° proof. I like it neat with no ice. Overall, I’d say that it is a very nice upgrade/refresh from the old 95° version. And I like that the price stayed about the same even more.

---

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.