Last week, I mentioned that upon entering a Louisville total Wine, I had been surprised by an expanded line of Calumet Farm bourbons. And that after much deliberation I had gotten the Private Selection over the batched versions. It was a good choice because, as it turned out, I wasn’t able to get the Private Selection at home, but ended up having the rest of the line available for purchase.
I also teased that the only reason I picked up the 10 year old Single Rack Black was because I had this one in the closet and wanted to see how they compared. This is the second part of the Calumet Farm “series” and the review that I teased last week.
Calumet Farm 10 Year Old, Single Barrel Selection by Total Wine Kentucky
Purchase Info: $68.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine-Paddock Shops, Louisville, KY.
Details: 10 year age statement. 46% ABV. Barrel 225. Barreled on date: March 2006.
Nose: Wintergreen, artificial cherry flavor, and tobacco.
Mouth: Warm and tingly with mint, baking spice, fruit and a touch of tobacco.
Finish: Gentle at first with a blossom of heat after. Lingering baking spice and tobacco.
Thoughts: This is obviously from the same source as the batched version as it has a very similar flavor profile. Fruit, spice, mint, and oak flavors dominate. In this version oak shows as tobacco instead of wood. In the Single Rack Black the fruits were less generic in flavor and the oak on the finish is more tannic.
I like them both. And I’d probably pick this up over the Single Rack Black if they were evenly priced. But since this is priced more than $15 higher at the same store, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to pick it up again. The difference isn’t that big (unless you are super sensitive to tannins). And, in my experience of Total Wine private selections, that is pretty much par for the course. They are seldom much, if any better, then the original.
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