The bourbon is bottled-in-bond (BIB), which means it is the product of a single distillation by a single distiller at a single distillery, and has been aged for at least four years under US government supervision. Bottled in Bond: Under the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, a bottled-in-bond spirit must be produced by one distillery in the same distilling season, then aged under federal supervision and cut and bottled at 100 proof. The name Old Forester was allegedly chosen in honor of a doctor named Forrester, who regularly prescribed the bourbon to his patients at a time when it was still sold in pharmacies for medicinal purposes. However, the signature for which this bourbon gets its name and which is displayed on each bottle, is the founder of the brand, George Garvin Brown. Its essentially a barrel finished bourbon, and that extra spice is a nice kick to an otherwise soft, wheated profile. The original Stitzel-Weller mash bill was 75% corn, 20% wheat and 5% malted barley. ABV: 45.2% In addition, Minnick is the editor-in-chief of Bourbon+ Magazine and host on the Spirits Network. In the past decade, good brands went from available to allocated and from $15 to $40. Average Price: $90. And this year the brand got its 9-year age guarantee back, too. This juice is. Boy, was I wrong! The barrels that go into each batch are aged anywhere from 6 to 10 years. Unfortunately, the surging popularity of bourbon has made most any wheater over 6 years old nearly impossible to find. Sour Mash: A fermentation technique used by almost all bourbon distillers that employs pre-fermented mash from a previous distilling in a new mash. The sour mash prevents wild yeast from entering the mash and causing infections. The 1920 is a crowd favorite on r/bourbon and for a good reason. Larceny Barrel Proof (A121, B521, C921) - T3. The finish is long, caramel-sweet, with a lingering cinnamon and a cooked cereal note. Old Grand-Dad Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, was the nickname of a distiller named Basil Hayden. Nice to see it make your list. On the nose, the whiskey offers sweet caramel and candied cherries, along with a persistent oak note in the background. This bourbon was the first Single Barrel expression sold in the modern era. With tasting notes that include butterscotch, toffee, caramel and honey, this is one for the sweet tooths. Flavor Profile: Rich & Full Bodied He is a native of Louisville, KY in the heart of Bourbon Country. But that is why I taste blind: I dont want to be influenced by brand name. Best Bourbon Reviews (2023): 20 Top Shelf Bourbon Whiskeys - TheCoolist Old Forester 86 vs Old Forester 100: Which Wins? - Whisky & Whiskey And THAT I can provide some help on. But those whiskeys are cut from the exact same distillation. Production started on Ezra Brooks around the 1950s by the Medley Distillery. That hasnt stopped the collectors, however. Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY (Sazerac Company) Old Forester Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, is the oldest bourbon brand in the US and the first bourbon to be sold in bottle. ABV: 40% Yes. The Main Differences Between Larceny Bourbon vs Maker's Mark The main differences between Larceny Bourbon vs Maker's Mark are: Larceny's distiller is Heaven Hill, whereas Maker's Mark is Beam Suntory. Both mash bills are utilized for this bottling. Nice article Bill. New Riff Distilling was founded in 2014. But by and large, I find traditional bourbons aged past 12 years to be more often worse than their younger siblings (Elijah Craig is a good example). It is 115 proof and reminiscent of the style of bourbon distilled by the brand during the prohibition era. His bourbon incorporated a large percentage of rye, giving the whiskey a spicy and powerful flavor. But if they arent regularly released with a wheated mash bill as a rule, theyre one-offs, and not on the list. This one is more of a sipper. So no Jim Beam Soft Red Wheat, none of the individual Willett bottlings, none of the Michters 10 year bottlings that were(or were reported to be) wheaters, and none of the Buffalo Trace Single Oak or experimental releases that were wheated. Theres no way around it, Wild Turkey 101 is great for the money. He attended the University of Kentucky in the mid to late 1990s. Milk & Honey Distillery: Single Malt Made in Tel Aviv, Discussing the advantages and challenges of producing whisky in Israel. . Now, bourbon fans grow angry over their inability to find precious gold they once regularly consumed. Maker's Mark Cask Strength vs Weller Full Proof . Distiller.com uses cookies that are essential for us to operate the website and that are helpful for us to improve the services. This is Buffalo Traces higher-rye bourbon mash bill even though its not that high comparatively. Its important to note that this was just one taste off, and I am one taster. The titular old grand-dad here is the one and only Basil Hayden. Thats because Barrell is, at this moment, the best blender of American whiskey there is (they have the trophy case to prove it). Review #3/4 - Side by side review of Old Forester 1910 and 1920 : r/bourbon Top 10 Most Overrated Whiskeys - Bourbon Sippers The mash bill here, made entirely of non-GMO grains, is 65 percent corn, 30 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley. The taste is sweet and spicy with a hint of herbaceousness. Got your Mash? If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. There is some alcohol burn, especially on the 114-proof version, along with sweet honey notes, candied citrus zest, brown sugar and that cooked tropical fruits. For the uninitiated, wheat used as a secondary grain was really pioneered at the old Stitzel-Weller distillery in Louisville, birthplace of the Weller lineup, the Van Winkle lineup, and the Old Fitzgerald Lineup. This was a single release of only 2,500 bottles. It's not lacking in sweetness, with tasting notes of nougat, figs, dates and caramel corn. The palate carries that spice into peppery territory with hints of oak, vanilla, tart apples, and honey. Whether it's the softer flavor imparted by the sweet mash (the vast majority of modern bourbon is sour mashed) or the distiller's proprietary "infusion mashing" process or something else entirely, the result is a wicked, wicked pour. I bought two. Hardins Creek Jacobs Well: In summer 2022, bourbon legend Jim Beam launched a new high-end label called Hardins Creek. The 23 Best Bourbons to Drink in 2023 - Gear Patrol Subscribe to his YouTube Channel to watch his Best American Whiskey taste off December 20. The notes kind of just linger. Distillery: Jim Beam, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory) Distiller Score: 88. Division 1: Old Grand-Dad Bonded (Whiskey 1) vs Larceny (Whiskey 2) Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Both noses are sweet, but Whiskey 2 is showing a bit more graininess. 2020 ModernThirst. Its what I want to sip at a ballgame.. My favorite by far of the standard production you mentioned is Larceny. A wheated bourbon brand contract distilled at Heaven Hill Distillery, Rebel Yell is owned by Luxco. The other is recipe E and is 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley. The original nomination was Weller Antique, which is widely available in some markets and sparse in others. Just bought a bottle of Larceny and the more I get into the bottle the more Iike it. Craft bourbon's rep is tarnished by a few bad apples makes subpar whiskey. I got that message twice this week from readers, and thats not a rarity. As Bourbon Heritage Month rolls on, were taking a look at some expensive bottles of bourbon to see if we can find some cheaper bourbon counterparts from the exact same mash bill, barrel char, and barrel proof. It is aged longer than Jim Beam Original, also known as Jim Beam White Label. If you want craft bourbon, we love New Riff's dedication to Bottled-in-Bond whiskey-making and rich flavor profiles. This is another nutmeg-forward bourbon I thought could standout in blind competition. Weller, and to a lesser extent Old Fitzgerald, has been caught up in the cult frenzy that now surrounds Pappy Van Winkle. To learn more about responsible consumption, please visit, Sign up for the Distiller Newsletter for new bottle & feature updates, Ezra Brooks Kentucky Straight Bourbon 90 Proof, Very Old Barton 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Evan Williams White Label Bottled in Bond Bourbon. The Old Forester is one of the bourbons that's helped make Kentucky the capital of bourbon. If you're looking for the best value in bourbon, just get this. The first is as a collectors item. Larceny Bourbon ABV: 46% Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery, Louisville, KY Average Price: $26 The Whiskey: This is the exact same juice that's just aged a little less. A beautiful marzipan note came to life in the blind tasting. Old Forester packs a banana note that I thought could dominate the competition if I happened to be in a banana mood. This is the Bottled-In-Bond version of Old Grand-Dad Bourbon, meaning it was all distilled in the same calendar year. That extra time is why the Single Barrel costs three times more than a regular old bottle of Wild Turkey. Distiller Score: 88. Get This Headphone Stand, Complete Guide to Buying Boots This Season, You've Never Heard of 2022's Most-Awarded Whiskey, Tasting WhistlePig's New 21-Year-Old Single Malt, The Best New Whiskey Releases of 2023 (So Far), Psst, Pappy Van Winkle Is Doubling Production, How to Build Your Own Bottle of Whiskey Online, Is Fireball Whiskey? Wild Turkey 12 Year Bourbon 2022 Review [In Depth] The Whiskey Shelf The 16 Best Bourbons Under $100 in 2023 - Bourbon Inspector But that doesnt mean the core ingredients dont start off the same. I realize you wrote this article a few years back, however it is still relevant. Ive had or have everything on the easy list. Flavor Profile: Sweet & Rich Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery & Brown Forman Distillery in Shively, KY (Brown-Forman) [CDATA[ Sure. The latter is a blend of a 16-year-old bourbon and a 15-year-old high-rye bourbon that pays tribute to the familys first distiller, Jacob Beam, and its said to be some of the best bourbon being produced at the busy distillery. The mash bill is undisclosed, but is believed to be the same, or very close, to that of Old Fitzgerald and the Pappy expressions. Maker'sMark, Old Forester: Experts offer top picks for budget bourbons Looking for something on the cheap? The exact mash bill is kept a secret but word on the street is that its a fairly low-rye mash bill with 12 to 15 percent rye. After a reasonable period, however, that flips for me. In fact, ones named after a bourbon legend while the other has that legends visage on its label. This whiskey is much better known then the expressions cited above. #4 barrel char. If you love cinnamon notes, youll love this, Minnick says. Its mellow balance helped by the prominent caramel notes of its wheated mash bill doesnt overpower meaty flavors. Of course, its pretty good, too. Bourbon is a type of whiskey that needs to meet a few criteria to officially be called "bourbon." I didnt find this note, however, and it failed to impress in the field. This is not a new phenomenon and it plays a large role in blended bourbons. At a minimum, bourbon must be 80 proof (or 40 percent alcohol), with its mash never allowed to exceed 160 proof (or 80 percent alcohol). I presume you could ask em how much their CEO makes and theyd tell you, Minnick says. But underneath its fundamentals swims a deep sea of factors additional rules and regulations, hype machines and deceptive marketing, false myths and a boom that began in 2008 and is still going strong today that make bourbon more complex than it seems. Wheated Bourbon Throw-Down: Larceny vs. W.L. Weller Rating the Wheaters - the Best Wheated Bourbons - ModernThirst This is the exact same juice thats just aged a little less. This is a side by side comparison review of the Old Forester 1920 and 1910, both are part of their Whiskey Row series. The juice starts its time in a new charred oak barrel (as it should) before its dumped into a second charred oak barrel that's been more deeply toasted. Additionally, Four Roses uses up to five different yeast strains for its bourbons, and all are used here. The history of Old Forester bourbon is as rich and colourful as the company and family that have been producing it for almost 150 years. This mash bill leans more heavily into the rye, creating a solid base for two very closely related bourbons. Old Forester is one of the oldest whisky houses in America (yes, they spell whisky without the "e"). At $20 per bottle, this is a fantastic bourbon and an excellent introduction to wheated bourbons. Entry proof unknown. Below are 8 brands of bourbon that retail for less than $50, many are under $30, that represent excellent values and that you have probably never heard of. Been there, done that, feel silly never again. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond This is a smooth, almost delicate whiskey, and makes an excellent sipper. ABV: 46% Flavor Profile: Sweet & Rich Distiller Score: 88 Very Old Barton 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Very Old Barton, owned by the Sazerac Company, is produced in Bardstown, Kentucky. Ive been drinking bourbon for 50 years and liked your article on wheated bourbons. Cheap bourbon isnt always as bottom-shelf as it seems. If Evan Williams were to sell this whiskey to someone else, that brand would mark it up to $40, and people would be happy buying it, Minnick says. The juice is really crafted as an entry point to Woodfords wider line that showcases their aging and blending prowess. I W Harper was widely popular in the 1950s and 60s, and was exported to more than 100 countries around the world. I bought this bottle for $23 at a local big box store. We asked whiskey personality and author Fred Minnick to uncover which bottles of bourbon lining the shelves are actually worthy of your bar cart. Larceny and Old Forester bourbon review - YouTube (Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post via Getty Images). Finish: Medium length and warm. Theres a bit more of a pine woodiness on the palate of this one next to the toffee, spice, orange, and vanilla thats more pushed into the background. This is great stuff to sip on after a big holiday meal. Bottled and sealed, his signature guaranteed quality. Its also the same juice that doesnt spend quite as long in the rickhouse and gets blended with minorly different barrels for an end product thats very similar to Basil Haydens. Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml | Nestor Liquor After about 7 years, they start becoming nice sips. It bears no age statement and is bottled at 92 proof. Best I ever had was a couple weeks ago in a Chicago speakeasy the Office. At the very least, this experiment is a good way to see how much luck and refinement go into making expensive bourbons worth the price when you can quite literally compare them to the cheaper expressions of the exact same juice. The sip leans into the toffee with a subtle dose of cinnamon spice lingering in the background with more of that honeyed corn. The finish is medium length, sweet, with caramel, vanilla and spice notes and a persistent pepperiness. I am looking forward to trying Old Fitzgerald. 2) Sazerac 18 Year Straight Rye This is going to be a controversial choice, but let's talk this through. Sometimes even exactly the same. Crafted at the Brown-Forman Distillery in Shively, KY. Press Esc to cancel. Both are somewhat fruity, but express it differently. But I worried its subtleties could get lost in a deep field, which this was. Wilderness Trail does not make subpar whiskey. Egg nog spices kick this sip off. Bourbon always has to be aged in new charred oak barrels at no more than 125 proof (or 62.5 percent alcohol), and it's not allowed to include any additives or colorings. It has a suggested MSRP of $150, and Reserve Bar is your best bet for snagging a bottle. The 10 Best Wheated Bourbons to Drink in 2023 - Liquor.com That lower entry proof lends to more flavor from the mash bill (corn, rye and malted barley). This is a BETA experience. I like it. But, I seem to head back to the Makers 46 as my go-to bourbon. If you come across its charged, barrel-proof older sibling, be sure to pick up a bottle, too.. Pick up *several* bottles of 46 Cask Strength! The bourbon is distilled under contract by various Kentucky distillers. ABV: 46% This Kentucky Straight Bourbon from Beam was formerly known as Jim Beam Double Aged. It is a top selling bourbon in Japan. Evan Williams vs Old Forester 86: (Which Bourbon Wins?) - Whisky & Whiskey BourbonGuy.com Bottom-Shelf Brackets 2019: The Championship Rounds Note: the portfolio for Rebel Yell all received a makeover with updated labels in April 2019. This bespoke (and admittedly cool-looking) bottle became extremely famous and then extremely expensive in retail. High Rye: A bourbon with a higher than normal percentage of mash bill made up of rye (as opposed to using more corn, wheat, or barley, the other main grains used in bourbon mash). The price stops most people from ever getting to drink it and thats a shame. But if I get back to Loretto, Im not leaving without the Makers 101. Next time you have a blind tasting throw Larceny in to the mix and see the results. The holy grail of bourbon brands announced its annual slate of whiskeys in October 2022, and the release includes a total of five bourbons along with a rye. We don't believe there is one "best" bourbon, but there are bottles that are best for certain moments. Old Forester Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, is the oldest bourbon brand in the US and the first bourbon to be sold in bottle. There are a variety of Very Old Barton bourbons on the market including an 80 proof, an 86 proof and a 90 proof. But nowhere is the impact of the Pappy Van Winkle lineup more prevalent than in the trickle down effect it has had on other bourbons made with wheat as the secondary or flavoring grain. He has also been published on Liquor.com. I walk in and find 15 year old Pappy in a red velvet sack sitting on the shelf for about sixty dollars a bottle. So lets divide them into two categories: Standard Production and Limited Release. Still, its not the cheapest expression you can get from Brown-Forman. 1870 Original Batch is also blended by Marianne Barnes, the protg of Brown-Forman's master Lets end this one with Jims other mash bill. But this blind tasting was not its day. The finish is medium length, smooth, showing caramel sweetness and pralines, along with spice and some oak notes. Lets Talk Fermentation and Distillation! Knob Creek 12 Year Price: ~$75 Proof: 100 Tasting Notes: Oak, vanilla, marshmallow Distillery: Jim Beam Lingering caramel, apple, cinnamon and oak. Today the brand is owned by Luxco. Admittedly, the barrel seasoning makes all the difference between . Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond Bourbon Classification: Straight Bourbon Company: Brown-Forman Distillery: Brown-Forman Shively Distillery Released: September 2015 Proof: 100 Age: NAS Mashbill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley Color: Medium-dark Amber MSRP: $50 (2015) Official Website Buy Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond Bourbon at Frootbat His son, Eddie Russell, took over as Wild Turkeys Master Distiller in 2015, after 35 years with the company. As it turns out, it came in my top 10. The McKenna distillery was established in 1855, founded by the noted Irish immigrant distiller. Last I heard it was going for about three thousand a bottle if you could find it. But the truth is, in a pinch, this is a great sipper. This makes a wonderful sipper or gift to a friend, and since Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, you best believe this makes an excellent base to a mint julep with its myriad notes of fruit and spice. So funky, so rich with cornbread and a honey butter, the only reason it did not win this tasting was it lacked the finish of the winner. Russells Reserve has been hitting my sweet spot of late, and many, including myself, thought this would definitely be in the running. The oak peeks in with more vanilla, notes of toffee, and a bit of berry tartness. This was so complex, with a 20-second finish and layered in vanilla that it was easily the winner. With all the easily available wheaters around, it really makes little sense to go through the Herculean effort and expense to obtain the limited editions. On the nose, there are faint notes of vanilla, and cooked corn, along with some caramel and oak notes. In my past blind tastings, Old Grand-Dad did not fare well. Hi Dave! A slice of citrus arrives to lighten everything up on the short end. Have tried, and enjoyed, the Makers Cask Strength. In 2018, Luxco opened Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, KY so expect the bourbon to be made there in the future. The result is that both the W L Weller Special Reserve and the Old Weller Antique Original 107 brand straight wheated bourbon whiskey often sell at three times or more of their list price. Larceny and Makers Mark can be viewed as offshoot descendants of that distillery due to the connections the labels have with those original three or connections the distillers had with the principal players in that distillery. Every product is carefully selected by our editors. ABV: 50% Futile efforts to obtain any of the 2nd list has been a waste of time. Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery, Louisville, KY Other states have much lower thresholds, however, some considering anything over $400 to be grand larceny. At times our old standbys can be tough to findand when we do, they are triple the standard price. The 2021 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is bold, spicy, and fruit forward. A rich leather note, along with some pepper, emerges at the end and lingers. Over time, the Yellow Label bottle has changed with the label losing the yellow color. You might notice there isnt a price, proof, tasting notes or distillery information listed on this pick. He is married with two daughters, and lives in east Louisville. Unfortunately, both also have that unpleasant metallic vodka-y alcohol taste, which I don't find in other bourbons. Larceny is a wheated bourbon made from a blend of selected barrels made in honor of this legend. It has a highly complex taste, with everything from cotton candy and cayenne pepper to macadamia nuts and underripe blackberries showing up across the nose and palate. This is a nice mixing bourbon that works just as well on the rocks. They all use a similar mash bill, andsome reportedly even use yeast strains derived from the original Stitzel-Weller batch. Although it is more expensive at $88 per bottle, it is a far better value than the $30 NAS version. Ninety-nine percent of Dickel products are officially Tennessee Whisky, not bourbon. It was thick, and the coating of the glass left a thin crown that dropped tiny, slow-moving tears. The NAS version would be better with a little more age and at a higher proof. This tends to produce a softer, less spicy whiskey. Its so fucking amazing., Have Apple's AirPods Max? The current distiller is rumored to be Heaven Hill. The whiskey carries no age statement but is believed to be a blend of whiskeys between four and 20 years old. I drink bourbon. The brand has been on the shelves for over 150 consecutive years. They find themselves waiting in line and participating in lotteries for the likes of Weller Antique, which once collected dust on the shelf. The mash bill consists of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley. They can range from okay to excellent.. Glad to find your listing. Four Roses Small Batch, a household favorite, did not perform well in this blind tasting for Best [+] Everyday Bourbon. The 6 year age statement is now gone and replaced with just the number 6 on the handle, but they bourbon is indeed at least 4 years old.