It has been a super weird week. On Saturday I was on the deck having drinks in a t-shirt. Sunday and Monday it snowed almost half a foot. And now today, everything has melted and you could be back out there in a light jacket since it is about 45°F or so. But it wasn’t only the weather that has led this to be a bit weird. Monday morning we had a freezer scare since it was so overloaded that the door popped back open after we left the room (luckily we didn’t lose much). Tuesday our washing machine broke, filled with water and overflowed even though it was not on. And yesterday I fixed said washing machine after the new part arrived. As I said, it’s been a weird week.
I also ventured out of the house for basically the first time since our lockdown (I’ve gone on walks with our pups). Man. Folks at my local ACE Hardware do not give a shit about social distancing. No masks or gloves for the employees. To pay you need to stand on either side of a counter that’s only a foot and a half wide. And the employees sidle right up next to you to ask if you need help. It took all I had to not answer with “Yeah, you can get your ass 6 feet back outta my face!” If I get this damn thing, I’m blaming my local ACE Hardware.
Anyway, that’s not why you’re here. You want to know what happens in Round Two of the “Stuck/Stay at Home” Brackets.
Four Roses Small Batch Select vs Knob Creek Bourbon
Whiskey 1 (Knob Creek)
Nose: Mint, caramel, wintergreen, brown sugar cinnamon candies
Mouth: Mint, cinnamon candies, caramel, hints of vanilla
Finish: Medium length, notes of cinnamon and dried grains
Whiskey 2 (Four Roses Small Batch Select)
Nose: Anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, vanilla
Mouth: Follows the nose with anise, cinnamon, mint, caramel, and vanilla
Finish: Medium length. Notes of anise, cinnamon, mint, and vanilla.
Pre-Reveal Thoughts:
Whiskey # 2 is the clear winner here. #1 is good and I could see it winning against other competition but the rich and layered spiciness of #2 is too much.
Reveal: Based on price alone, this should have come as no surprise. Whiskey 2 cost me twice as much as Whiskey 1. But as price and quality are only kinda connected in the whiskey world, we still needed to do the tasting. But in this case, the more expensive whiskey won. No upset: Number 1 Seed Four Roses Small Batch Select advances to the Finals over Number 5 seed Knob Creek.
Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond vs 1792 Bottled in Bond (store selection)
Whiskey 1 (1792 Bottled in Bond, South Lyndale Liquors selection)
Nose: Vanilla, caramel, cherry, nutmeg
Mouth: Nutmeg, caramel, vanilla
Finish: Medium length and warm. Dusty oak and caramel.
Whiskey 2 (Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond)
Nose: Vanilla sugar, cinnamon, mint, tropical fruit
Mouth: Vanilla, cinnamon, mint
Finish: Medium length and warm. There is a "pop" of fruit, tannic oak, and baking spice.
Pre-Reveal Thoughts:
Kind of a boring matchup compared to the others. These are both right along the lines of your stereotypical "bourbon" notes with very little variance from that baseline. That said, I'm enjoying #2 just a little more so #2 wins.
Reveal: Though I would happily take a glass of either of these, it looks like we have our first upset of the second round. It is only an upset because of where I bought this particular bottle, though. Most of the stores that I frequent sell Henry McKenna for over $40, but Total Wine offers it for just over $30, though they don’t have it very often. And since I bought it at that $30-ish price point, Henry McKenna got the #3 seed while the bourbon that it beat cost over $40, sat at #2 and got a first-round bye. Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond wins and advances to the Finals over a local store selection of 1792 Bottled in Bond.
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.