Rebel 100 Rye

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Hello everybody and Happy 4:20 to those who celebrate where it is legal (and to those who allegedly do so where it is not). Tonight we have something to talk about that I really love: a new and inexpensive rye whiskey. You know that I love exploring new whiskeys. Especially those that come in with a price point where I don’t reflexively feel the need to apologize when I cover them.

Rebel 100 Rye is the latest offering from Lux Row Distillers. It complements the 100 proof offering of the Rebel 100 bourbon, one of my favorites in the Rebel Whiskey line-up. As an aside, I find it a little odd that the Rebel line is made up of a wheated bourbon and a rye whiskey, but no bourbon with rye in it. That said, I guess if the whiskey is good I guess I don’t really care how the combine the constituents of the brand. This is distilled and aged in Indiana at Lux Row’s sister distillery, MGP/Ross & Squibb using their 51% Rye Mash Bill of 51% rye grain, 45% corn, and 4% malted barely. It is two years old and will sell for a suggested retail price of $19.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

“Based on the continued success of both Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, we’ve elevated the proof of its rye counterpart,” said Eric Winter, brand manager for Rebel. “Rebel 100 Rye drinkers still will enjoy the award-winning smooth, spicy rye flavor of Rebel Rye at a proof level that amplifies its taste profile and stands out even better in classic cocktails.”

Let’s see how it tastes.

Rebel 100 Rye

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $19.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.33

Details: Two years old. 50% ABV. Mash bill: 51% Rye, 45% Corn, 4% malted barley.

Nose: Toffee, mint, and a touch of black tea and citrus.

Mouth: Cinnamon, dried grains, dill, mint and honey.

Finish: Warm and of medium length. Notes of cinnamon, mint, bubblegum, dill and honey.

Thoughts: If you are a fan of the Kentucky-style "barely legal" rye. This is a tasty, and inexpensive, example of that. I probably won't buy it too often because usually when I'm looking for rye, I go with one that has a higher percentage of rye in the mashbill. If I'm looking for something with less "rye" flavor, I go with a high-rye bourbon. This flavor profile sits in that no-man's-land for me. That said its still very good, even at only two years old, and I will happily finish the bottle. I also quite enjoy it in an old fashioned using orange or cherry bitters.

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Larceny Barrel Proof, B523

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

My extended family has had a lot of bad news over the past few weeks. We’ve had multiple funerals, one for my brother-in-law and one for my wife’s cousin, which made the news. The second was a little harder because the death happened during the first funeral. On top of that, we’ve also had rebellious teenagers doing very stupid things. And due to the emotional fallout from all of that, we’ve had elderly relatives that are having a hard time of things. It’s been a rough couple of weeks.

Now, I’m not directly involved in any of these bad things. But so many people that I love have been affected that, emotionally, it’s making it hard to be creative. So if I cut this one a little short tonight, cut me a little slack. Luckily for us, this is a product that we have covered quite a bit in the past.

As you may have guessed from its clever name, Larceny Barrel Proof is a barrel-proof version of Larceny bourbon. It is always delicious and usually quite hot. This one clocks in at 124.4° proof. The bourbons used in this batch are between six and eight years old. The suggested retail price is $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Let’s see how it tastes.

Larceny Barrel Proof, B523

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

Price per Drink (50 ml): $4.00

Details: 62.2% ABV

Nose: Cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, and brown sugar.

Mouth: Cinnamon, honey, mint, nutmeg, and oak.

Finish: Long and warm with notes of cinnamon, mint, oak, and honey.

Thoughts: As usual, this is delicious. It's strange, though. It's very drinkable at full proof, yet also very hot if you do more than “sip and swallow.” Still, I'd use a splash of water or a piece of ice with this one. It takes it well, and the water tames some of the heat, accentuating the sweetness.

Comparison to A123: B523 is much sweeter on the nose. A123 is sweeter and not as hot in the mouth. A123 still has some heat, don't get me wrong. But the heat is more a "capsaicin-style" heat than a "cinnamon red hot style" heat. Both are delicious, but if forced to choose, I think I'd go with B523.

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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.

Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, 2023 Release, BEP

This sample was provided by Maker’s Mark for review purposes with no strings attached.

As you probably know, my wife and I are a team when it comes to tasting notes. The notes are a combination of what we are each tasting. We discuss the differences, and if need be, they are pruned down or just combined if we don’t come to a consensus on what we are tasting. For example, you will often see the “almond” tasting note in our notes. Due to food allergies, I have no idea what an almond tastes like. But she has explained that the slightly “off” cherry/bubblegum note I often get tastes a lot like almond.

One of the reasons that we do this together (other than it being a fun hobby that we share) is for quality control purposes. Anyone who does tastings understands that sometimes things just aren’t hitting right. Either one of us has allergies flaring up or a cold, there is a smell in the house that is throwing things off (dogs or cooking usually), or we had something to eat earlier that is just hanging around longer than we thought it would. But by doubling up, we can decide if one of us is having an off day and postpone if needed.

But last night, as we were doing the tasting for tonight’s article, we both realized that what we were tasting was really bad. Out-of-character bad for a brand as big as Maker’s Mark. We each wondered if we were having an off night, but we were both getting the same bitter notes as the other. So we took our notes and prepared to write a poor review of the most recent release in the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series. Here is a snippet of what I was writing for my thoughts:

Ok. So the first tasting of this is so bad, that I'm thinking the problem might be me. I really do not like this. It is bitter, tannic, and astringent. I'm going to have to give this another taste before we can write this. Something is really wrong.

Luckily Maker’s Mark sent two decanted samples instead of the one that I often get from other producers. I have no problem getting samples of whatever size that people feel like sending me. I don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. But in this case, if they would have only sent the one small bottle, they would have gotten a very poor review. After opening the second, we determined that there was something wrong with the first bottle. It was bitter and astringent in a way no Maker’s I’ve ever tasted had been. This is also why we try to do more than one tasting whenever we have the ability to do so.

So enough of the “trials” of a whiskey taster. Let’s get on to the actual tasting. What is the Barrel Finishing Series, and what is BEP?

The Barrel Finishing Series is a line of Limited Release Maker’s Mark Bourbons that use finishing staves to accentuate the flavors that are present in standard Maker’s Mark. In this case, BEP references Barrel Entry Proof. The lower entry proof that Maker’s Mark employs (110° proof) is one of the elements that Maker’s thinks make them special. And maybe it does. I have yet to taste a Maker’s product using the industry standard 125° entry proof, so I don’t know. Here is what they have to say about BEP:

As the fifth and final limited-edition in this chapter of the Wood Finishing Series, the 2023 Limited Release: BEP was crafted to amplify the balanced wood sugars, softer tannins and lasting finish that can be attributed to the signature Maker’s Mark 110 barrel entry proof. Ten Virgin Toasted American Oak finish staves were used to amplify notes of vanilla and sweet spice that naturally occur from this lower barrel entry proof.

Maker’s Mark always found that using a lower entry proof for its classic bourbon delivered more flavor, smoothness, and better quality. While higher entry proofs can yield more bourbon, the brand has always prioritized staying true to its original taste vision. Though distillers have been permitted to raise barrel entry proofs from 110 to 125 since 1962, Maker’s Mark remains the only major distillery from that time to have kept its BEP at 110. This exciting release makes it clear as to why using an innovative finishing approach that enhances the flavor profile and natural characteristics that come directly from the barrel.

So now that we know what they were trying to accomplish and I have tasting notes that aren’t based on a flawed sample, let’s dig in and see how it really tastes.

Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, 2023 Release, BEP

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 ml): $4.67

Details: Cask Strength, ranging from 108° to 114° proof. (I’m guessing that the sample in the photo above cribbed text from a standard sample label, and the person who typed it up forgot to update that part.)

Nose: Dusty oak, red fruit, vanilla, and caramel.

Mouth: Red fruit, cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, and black tea.

Finish: Warm and medium length. Notes of cinnamon, black tea, toffee, and almond.

Thoughts: This is pretty tasty. It is spicier than standard Maker's, with more emphasis on baking spices and fruit. Standard Maker's shows more notes of almond and sweetness. I really like this. "Maker's with more spice" is one of my favorite flavor profiles. It's why I buy Maker's Cask Strength and have a stash of 6 bottles of Maker’s 101 up in the whiskey closet. If you see this and can swing it, I'd give this one a taste, especially if you are a Maker's Mark fan.

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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 by 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.

Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Limestone Branch for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

If you and I have never talked about Malt Whiskey, it’s probably because, as a general rule, I do not like Malt Whiskey. Sure, I enjoy a few Irish whiskeys that also contain a significant percentage of malt. But in general, no. Malted grains are just not in my flavor wheelhouse. Even if that whiskey isn’t a “malt whiskey,” per see. I love Rye whiskey. But if a Rye has malted rye in it, I just don’t care for it.

So it was with mixed emotions that I noticed that the sample of Yellowstone’s latest release was an American Single Malt. I knew that I probably wasn’t going to like it, but I also knew that MGP makes some of the best whiskeys in the US (if not the best) and that Steve Beam is a fine curator and blender of said whiskeys. So if there was a chance that I was going to like an American Single Malt whiskey, this is the group that was going to give it to me.

So before we find out if they were able to craft something to pass the “Eric Test,” let’s see what Mr. Beam himself has to say about the liquid.

“I’m proud of the success Yellowstone Select Bourbon has enjoyed since 2015 when I introduced my take on my family’s historic brand,” said Beam. “And I’m proud to once again continue my family’s tradition of innovation with the launch of Yellowstone American Single Malt. This is a brand-new category of American whiskey, and our offering is sure to become a favorite among Yellowstone Bourbon fans and fans of American Single Malt Whiskeys alike.”

Alright. Let’s dig in.

Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $54.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 ml): $3.67

Details: 54% ABV. Aged & Distilled in Indiana

Nose: Clean, dried grains.

Mouth: Clean, dried grains, toffee, and cinnamon.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes of dried grains, toffee, cinnamon, and mint.

Thoughts: I'm impressed. There are next to no Malt whiskeys that I've liked. But I like this one. I wasn't sure at first, but it really grew on me over the course of the ounce in my tasting glass. Very impressed. I’ll be coming back to this bottle more often than I had anticipated.

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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 by 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.

Bluebird Days Whiskey

I’d like to thank Bluebird Distilling, Jordan Davis and their PR teams for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Most of the samples I get come from one of two sources. The vast majority of the samples come from a large producer. But there are also a sizable number of samples from a small producer who has done a deal with a musician. Tonight’s whiskey is from the latter. And since I have never heard of either the musician or the distillery associated with tonight’s whiskey, let’s let them introduce themselves via the press release.

ABOUT BLUEBIRD DISTILLING: Bluebird Distilling is a craft distillery that produces small batch whiskies (that includes a limited release Wheat Whiskey, Four Grain Bourbon, Rye Whiskey, and White Rye Whiskey) and other amazing craft spirits such as Juniperus Gin, Vodka, Sugarcane Rum, and Dark Rum, using a state-of-the-art hybrid copper still. The distillery and tasting room are located in Phoenixville, PA. For more information, please visit http://bluebirddistilling.com/.  

ABOUT JORDAN DAVIS: A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Jordan Davis is set to release his highly anticipated second full-length album, Bluebird Days, on February 17. Produced by Paul DiGiovanni, the album features 17 songs including his fifth career No. 1 hit, “What My World Spins Around,” and his double-platinum multi-week No. 1, “Buy Dirt” (feat. Luke Bryan), which won numerous accolades including CMA and NSAI Song of the Year and earned ACM, AMA, Billboard and iHeart Award nominations. Davis previously notched three consecutive No. 1 hits: Platinum-certified “Slow Dance In AParking Lot,” Double Platinum-certified “Singles You Up” and Platinum-certified “Take It From Me,” each featured on his Gold-certified debut album, Home State. Awarded Best New Country Artist at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, he is a two-time nominee for ACM New Male Artist of the Year and was named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2018. Davis has over 4 billion streams worldwide and appeared on Ellen, Good Morning America, TODAY, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and more. He has previously toured with artists including Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts, Old Dominion, and more.

So now that we know who we are dealing with, let’s find out what the whiskey is (and yes, this sample has been hanging around for a while now, as evidenced by that album's release date). BlueBird Days Whiskey is probably best classified as a blend of straight whiskies as it is made from a blend of 90% 6-year-old Bluebird Bourbon (mashbill: 75% corn, 15% Heirloom Rye, and 10% Barley) and 10% 7-year-old Bluebird Red Winter Wheat Whiskey (mashbill: 100% Whole Grain Pennsylvania Red Winter Wheat).

Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Bluebird Days Whiskey

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $50 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Nose: Mint, a toasted nuttiness, and dried grains.

Mouth: Cinnamon, caramel, chocolate, nougat.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of malted grains, chocolate, mint, and some oak.

Thoughts: This one is not for me. It's not bad or anything. In fact, there will probably be people who think I'm crazy for giving this a neutral rating. But I'm not finding that the bourbon and wheat whiskies in the blend complement one another. They are both there, but to me, they fight instead of combining into a well-integrated whole. Plus, it just sort of feels overly grain-forward for my palate. It doesn't hurt that I get a note reminiscent of malted grain on the finish. And I really don't care for that flavor note. If you are a fan of celebrity craft whiskies, give this a try. Otherwise, it is probably safe to give this one a pass.

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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 by 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.

Smooth Ambler Founders’ Cask Strength Series Bourbon, 2022, Batch 4

I’d like to thank Smooth Ambler and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Oh my goodness, it is great to be back. As much as I enjoy the brackets each year, they all get written ahead of time. So I usually get a few weeks away from writing to relax and get other things done. And, boy, did I get things done this year. Namely, I started a business. Kinda. I’ve been dog-sitting as a side hustle for six years but decided to formalize that business into an LLC. I had to research, buy, and implement booking software, get insurance, and move my clients from the platform I’d been using to the new one. Hell, even small things like business cards and a website needed to be created.

It was an excellent time to have posts pre-written ahead, let me tell you.

What that meant though was that I had a ton of samples stacked up that I wasn’t tasting. And so, let’s just jump into the first one and work our way through the backlog. Tonight’s bourbon is from Smooth Ambler. Smooth Ambler is a small distillery in West Virginia owned by Pernod Ricard. They are best known for their Old Scout line of sourced whiskeys, but they also distill their own as well. Founders’ Cask Strength is made from one of those bourbons that they distilled in-house. Specifically their “Bourbon Mashbill #2” which consists of 71% corn, 21% rye, and 8% malted barley. Founders’ will be released in select markets (California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas) for $54.99 per 750 mL bottle and 900 cases are going to be produced per year across six batches. The press release was kind enough to share a quote from the Smooth Ambler founder (fitting) so let’s hear what he has to say about the product:

As John Little states, “What’s great about the Founders’ Cask Strength Series is we finally get to let y’all taste delicious whiskey we’ve been excitedly working on for years in our part of the whiskey world – West Virginia. With this Bourbon recipe, we add a modest amount of Rye to play well with high corn content and let it age in Char #4 casks in the Appalachian climate.  It’s a surprising meddling of flavors and geographical superpowers that just work effortlessly.  So please enjoy this newly minted convergence of flavors, from our home to yours.” 

Ok. That’s enough with the background. Let’s move on to the important stuff, how does it taste?

Smooth Ambler Founder's Cask Strength Series, Batch 4, 2022

Purchase Info: This was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $54.99 for a 750 mL bottle and is available in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.67

Details: 61.4% ABV. Six years old. Mash bill: 71% corn, 21% rye, and 8% malted barley.

Nose: Honey, cinnamon, oak, and mint.

Mouth: Chocolate, oak, leather, berries, and cinnamon.

Finish: Sweet and medium length. Leather, chocolate, mint, anise, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: This is quite tasty—lots of oak-derived notes, such as leather and chocolate. The finish is the best and most complex part, precisely how I'd plan it if I were in charge. Delicious.

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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 by your generosity.

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10th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: The Championship Rounds

Welcome back, folks! Can you believe we’ve done this for 10 years now? Crazy. We are now at the end of the 2023 contest. Eight whiskeys entered the arena. Four have fallen by the wayside. There have been some delicious treats, and contrary to years past, no stinkers. Let’s see how it all ends and see if we’ve learned anything along the way. First, we have the Round Two matchups.

Division 2: Whiskey A (New Riff Bourbon) vs. Whiskey B (Old Forester 1897)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: "A" has a nicer nose. Sweet and fruity. "B" has a longer and warmer finish. They are both delicious, but in this case, "A" matches my preferred flavor profile a little better. I tend to like a sweet and lightly fruity bourbon, and "A" is exactly that.

Winner: New Riff Bourbon moves on to the Championship Round

Division 1: Whiskey A (George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond No. 4) vs. Whiskey B (Jack Daniel’s Bonded)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: "B" has a nicer nose. "A" has a nicer finish with dark chocolate notes. In the mouth, "A" is a little fruitier, whereas "B" is got more "candy bar" notes. This one is tough. So tough that my wife and I are split. I prefer "A.” She prefers "B." But at the end of the day, it's my vote that gets published.

Winner: George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond (No. 4) moves on to the Championship Round

Championship Round: Whiskey A (New Riff Bourbon) vs. Whiskey B (George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond No. 4)

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: The nose is very nice on both of these. In the mouth and on the finish, “A” is a little fruitier and gets my vote for the nicer experience. Both are delicious, but "A" is the winner. That fruitiness is intoxicating (and not just because of the alcohol).

Winner: New Riff Bourbon

Congrats to New Riff Bourbon, the 2023 BourbonGuy.com Bracket Champion!

Lessons Learned:

This was an interesting contest for me. When I was reminded that I only had a few days to find a theme, buy, seed, and taste the entire competition full of whiskeys. I had a moment of panic. I actually considered not doing it this year. But I’m not going to lie. This is my favorite post series each year. And once I decided to drop the price requirement as an overreaction to last year’s stinkers, it got even easier. Thankfully my local store had over eight bonded whiskeys, so I had my choice without running all over the metro the night before a big snowstorm.

So what did I learn about each of these?

With George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond (No. 4) competing for the Championship in what is, ostensibly, a bourbon contest, there may be cries of foul play since they don’t call themselves “bourbon.” But, as I told a reader in a comment on the first post in this year’s contest: if you show me a bonded whiskey (in the bourbon style) that is 13 years old for right around $50? I’m going buy that every time. It was no surprise to me that 13 years in a barrel allowed Dickel to stand up tall with the best of the best this year.

Moving on to the other Tennessee Whiskey in the competition, you get the only first-round upset. Jack Daniel’s Bonded knocked out a bourbon from Barton 1792 in the first round and almost made it to the Championship in a split decision in Round 2. That was a surprise to me. Though having had it before, I shouldn’t have been surprised. 100° proof is probably the sweet spot for Jack Daniel’s, as far as I’m concerned. It is delicious at higher proofs but gets really hot real quick. Below that, it is really mellow. Bonded just hits right for me. I was actually shocked that it went blow to blow with a 13-year-old and didn’t embarrass itself, honestly. That’s a lot of age to overcome.

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond handled itself admirably. It didn’t quite have the gusto to knock off a competitor with lots of age on it, but it should hold its head up high. It won last year and lost to the eventual number 2 this year. That’s nothing to sneeze at. It’s good whiskey and an even better value. It should be on everyone’s back bar, even if you just use it for cocktails.

Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond was interesting to me. But probably not for the reasons that Total Wine would have liked. It was the only contestant that I would describe as “meh.” It just goes to show that even a producer of great whiskey like Sazerac isn’t going to put their best stuff into somebody else’s bottle.

Moving to the other division. Our Champion New Riff was so delicious that my wife wrote, “I can’t wait to find out what this is” on the sheet she was using to keep track of the contest. It won a squeaker in the first round but easily handled two whiskeys that were either a limited edition or part of a “high-end” brand extension. I was shocked because as I was tasting it, I kept thinking, “we don’t have a Four Roses product in the line-up, but if I didn’t know better, I’d think this was one.” It had been a long time since I’d purchased the standard New Riff Bourbon. I need to change that.

I didn’t learn much from Old Grand-Dad Bonded that I didn’t already know. I knew it was a great bourbon that didn’t cost much. It is the second former champion in the mix. Nothing about that has changed.

Old Tub reminded me that Jim Beam makes good whiskey. It just needs some proof on it. Go down below 100° proof, and it gets way too nutty for a lot of folks, including me when the mood isn’t right.

Finally, Old Forester 1897 is much better than I remember it being. I love the 1920 expression. But when 1897 first came out, I thought it was a little muddy and flat. No more. This is a really good bourbon for a pretty good price. It’s going on the list of things I need to buy much more often.

This was such a fun contest this year. Not once did I have to brace myself before taking an initial sip. I knew there were no stinkers in the mix. And the champ was one that I would have never guessed. Honestly, if I was going to guess the outcome beforehand, I would have put my money on Old Forester 1897 to win it all. I also didn’t think that Dickel would make it all the way to the Championship match. I’ve liked all of the releases of Dickel Bottled-in-Bond that I’ve had. But I liked this one the least of the four. That said, it’s still good whiskey when not compared to its earlier brothers. Next week we take a look at the samples that have been stacking up while the contest was going on. As much fun as this was, it’s fun to try new bourbons too.

Once again, congrats to New Riff Bourbon on their 2023 Championship!

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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 by 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.

10th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1: George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond, No. 4 vs. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond

Those of you that have been following along know that this is the fourth and final competition of Round 1. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2023 BourbonGuy.com Brackets continues with Division 1’s Number 1 seed George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond (No 4) taking on Number 4 seed Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond. 

Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond is no stranger to the BourbonGuy Brackets, having been a contestant three times previously and even champion last year. It was distilled in Louisville at the Heaven Hill/Bernheim Distillery DSP-KY-1 and bottled in Bardstown, KY at Heaven Hill’s DSP-KY-31. It was purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel in Prior Lake, MN. It cost $21.99 for a 1 Liter bottle or $1.10 per pour.

Their opponent is the most recent release from a fabulous line of whiskeys out of Tennessee. George Dickel Bottled-in-Bon (No. 4) was distilled in Tullahoma, TN, at Diageo’s distillery DSP-TN-2. It was bottled up in Illinois at Diageo’s Plainfield, IL DSP-IL-58. This was purchased at Viking Liquor Barrel in Prior Lake, MN. It cost $52.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $3.53 per pour.

All of the competitions this year were tasted blind, and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all from before we knew what was what. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were being tasted at the same time and could have influenced the perceptions of one another.

Whiskey A (Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.10

Details: 50% ABV.

Nose: Vibrant, floral, cinnamon candies, and vanilla.

Mouth: Cinnamon, vanilla, and caramel.

Finish: Medium length and warmth. Notes of floral vanilla and cinnamon candies.

Whiskey B (George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond No. 4)

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.53

Details: 50% ABV.

Nose: Baking spices, fresh-tilled garden soil, and wet rock.

Mouth: Very rich, caramel, toffee, and cinnamon.

Finish: On the longer side of medium and sweet. Notes of caramel and wet rock.

Thoughts:

Pre-Reveal Thoughts: "A" is very vibrant and floral with cinnamon notes throughout. "B" is rich and sweet with mineral notes on the nose and finish. Both of these stand out when compared to the rest of the tastings. In this case, that rich sweetness wins out, though.

Post-Reveal Thoughts: It’s always fun when you put the most expensive contestant up against the least expensive one and the fight turns out to be a good one. I always root for the underdogs (maybe that’s why I’m a fan of Minnesota Gophers football). And if I had known which was which, there would have been the temptation to convince myself that the underdog was the winner. But that’s why we do blind tastings. As it is, I really liked both. As I said when I was doing the tasting, both of these stood out when compared to the others we had tasted. Maybe with another opponent, Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond would have come out on top, but not this time.

Winner: George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond (No. 4) is advancing to round 2.

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