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1792 Small Batch Bourbon Review

Posted on 18-February-202027-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Review

Original review written February 15, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

It’s a simple bourbon, and it is passable; however, it too herb forward for me, and I’m unsure of the overall balance of some of the flavors and I find it a little plain. Wouldn’t turn it down, but I wouldn’t seek it out. Read my 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Review here! 79/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Barton 1792 Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: undisclosed; believed to be their “high rye” mash bill, indicating possibly 15-25% rye*
– Casks: Char #3.5
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 46.65% (93.7 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho

*Find more information at http://1792bourbon.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

As this is simple and straightforward bourbon, I imagine 1792 Small Batch being easily enjoyed in a crisp, white, modern restaurant where everything is bright and freshly cleaned. This will give you just enough texture to bring some color to the space without detracting from the simple beauty of the pristine interior.

Photo by Blake Parkinson on Unsplash

NOSE:

Caramel corn comes out of the glass first, mixing with a fresh cedar wood, dusty corn and white pepper. I also find an artificial sweetness too, almost like marshmallows? I get a tiny twinge of bitter hazelnut, but for the most part, this is pretty sweet – not just with the caramel popcorn first noted, but also with brown sugar, graham cracker pie crust, allspice, and an almost milk-like creamy quality like half-n-half, perhaps. I’ve never pulled that from a dram before, and while I’m very interested to see what the sip brings, I’m a little on the fence about this nosing.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: This is fresh with a little bite, but this is mostly oily.
– Balance: Although it isn’t bad, I think some of the flavors are confused about their place here, so I suppose that this average?
– Visual: Tawny in color, there are thick legs that coat the glass, which eventually fade to a couple of droplets.

– Taste: There is a tang that is immediately apparent, and it is very herbal and fresh. It starts with a quick burn of alcohol becoming sharp lemongrass and lavender herbal essence.

Subsequent sips settle the herbs down, which allows for a little bit of cherry to peek out at the end of the sip. I’m not totally sure about the transition between the flavors, but it’s okay. There’s a bit of simple syrup, but it seems a little confused as to where it fits in the equation.

White pepper and rye are there for spice, along with a light oak and vanilla. Somewhere here too, (maybe at the beginning of the sip with the herbs), there’s a feisty, yeasty component, but it isn’t contributing to a bread, so it’s slightly odd.

A Kentucky chew makes the herb/cherry sensation intensify, but the alcohol still remains very calm and inoffensive.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Short to medium. The warmth and flavors (mostly flavors) will stick around, but it seems to require a Kentucky chew if that’s what you’re looking for.
– Between Sips: A clean and fresh feeling is primarily what I’m left with between sips. It seems more herbal, but I can drag out the yeast and a little cherry if I really try.

– No More: This does improve as I get deeper into the glass, as the herbal notes continue to calm down. They are still there, and I wish they weren’t, but I’ll take them as they are now, rather than how they were. In their place is cherry, but it’s too gentle to truly be the dominant flavor.

The empty Glencairn is a sugary, chewy water-logged oak. Still not mind-blowing, but this is decent enough.

WORTH THE PRICE?

A decent price, and I wouldn’t turn it down if it was offered to me, but I think there are just simply better bourbons priced similarly (Eagle Rare and Elijah Craig) that I would sooner buy.

RATING: 79/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

To access other whiskies with this rating, click 79/100.
Click 1792 Barton to see other whiskies from this distillery.

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Whiskey Reviews

1792 Small Batch Review

Posted on 17-February-202026-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s 1792 Small Batch Review

15-February-2020

1792 SMALL BATCH REVIEW:

1792 Small Batch is simple, fresh and clean. There aren’t many aromas or flavors to test the seasoned whiskey drinker, but it is a decent pour. For me the dram finishes a bit short, but I believe this is due to lack of complexity in the juice. While readily available and decent, and people new to bourbon will probably enjoy it, there are plenty of others I would rather see on my shelf at or just slightly above this price point.

1792 SMALL BATCH VITAL STATS:

– Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Region: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
– Distillery: Barton 1792 Distillery
– Company: Sazerac Company Inc.
– Mash Bill: unpublished (said to be made from Barton’s signature “High rye,” recipe … likely 15-25% rye)
– Barrel Char: #3.5
– Barrel entry proof: 125
– Age: nas
– Bottle ABV: 46.65 (93.7 Proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho

Learn more at http://1792bourbon.com/

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, I shared the juice neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

1792 SMALL BATCH NOSE:

On the nose 1792 Small Batch is pleasant and citrusy fresh as I get a faint but perfumy potpourri of herbal fruit tree blossoms. It seems a bit dry and there is a slight acetone essence, but this is in no way unpleasant. With continued nosing, I sense fresh tropical sweets, possibly coconut, which somehow pairs well with sweet corn and a touch of vanilla. Additional sweets come in like candy – vanilla taffy, simple syrup and brown sugar. All the aromas are simple and gentle and hold just a hint of light oak.

1792 SMALL BATCH PALATE:

1792 Small Batch is a simple whiskey. I sense a nicely placed fruit tree blossoms, roasted corn and a bit of bitter orange rind which go surprisingly well with an essence of tropical freshness, similar to fresh-cut bananas floating in coconut milk. Spices of black pepper and rye offer just enough punch but do not overpower the sweetness of a chocolate and toffee sprinkled breakfast pastry covered in hazelnuts and a touch of simple syrup. With careful tasting, a little sweet, light oak dissolves in the mouth as well.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
1792 Small Batch is well blended, but quite simple as there aren’t many aromas or flavors to confuse the taste buds. It is warming, smooth and silken when sipped and not left long in the mouth, but gives a bit of a rough tickle on the bottom and sides of the tongue with a long Kentucky Chew. In the Glencairn, the drooping droplet crown gives up long fat legs, guiding the juice back to the tawny colored pool.

1792 SMALL BATCH FINISH:

1792 Small Batch finishes quite short and with only a few flavors to remember. There is a touch of roasted corn mixed with a little rye spice and a bit of hazelnuts but other than the nice lingering throat warmth there is little else of which to take note. In the end, the empty Glencairn offers a nice amount of oak to entertain the nose as the evening winds to a close.

MY 1792 SMALL BATCH RATING: 85/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
But it won’t be a must have in the bunker.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

To access other whiskeys with this score, click 85/100.
Click 1792 Barton to see other whiskies from this distillery.

1792 SMALL BATCH TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Brian’s Whiskey Reviews
Individual Reviews

Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham Review

Posted on 16-February-202027-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham Review

Original review written February 8, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A little on the baking flavors side for a Booker’s, Country Ham perfectly combines sugary sweetness with an explosive spiciness. As it stands, this is my favorite bourbon I’ve ever tasted. Read my full Booker’s 2019-03 Country Ham Review here! 97/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery; Master Distiller: Fred Noe
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 6 yrs. 4 mo. 2 days
– Mash Bill: Corn=77%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: New charred oak; Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 63.35% (124.7 proof)
– Price: $84.95 USD in Idaho

– *From Master Distiller notes: Country Ham is made from 364 barrels produced on a single day stored in two different rickhouses/warehouses (WH) and sourced as follows:
51%: 7th floor of 9-story WH H
44%: 4th floor of 7-story WH P
5%: 3rd floor of 7-story WH P

*Find more information at bookersbourbon.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This bourbon could be enjoyed anywhere you feel at peace, as long as you have some whole wheat toast and jam at the ready to complement the spicy and fruity warmth that you’ll find in the glass. Dig in!

Photo by Frame Harirak on Unsplash

NOSE:

Though there is a distinct Booker’s alcohol nose, this is still surprisingly mellow for something nearing 125 proof. There is almost a red wine/cabernet essence to it, with subtle tannins and dates mixing with the grape-y-ness.

As I continue to let it warm, there is a sweet aroma of milk chocolate that kicks in, blended with a touch of chili and rye for spiciness. The chili is only very apparent on deep inhales, which comes with a stinging alcohol bite, so be cautious.

More nosing coaxes out a fresh maple syrup and dark brown sugar, like gingerbread. For wood, I get an indistinguishable spicy barrel feel.

Overall, it’s a sugary, but deep and rich nose that has me eager to sip.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Textured. I’d like to pitch a tent in one of those rich flavor pits.
– Balance: Amazing. I love the seamless transition between sweet and spice.
– Visual: Burnt amber in color, there is a weak crown, with few to no legs.

– Taste: Upon the first sip, I am immediately reminded that this is a high proof bourbon. I get a spiced, dark fruit component overwhelming the tongue, but it’s difficult to identify exactly what it is, beyond that it is dried. If I had to pick, I’d likely stick to the dates from the nose, but there are figs here too as well as dark chocolate covered raisins. Perhaps it’s meant to be more of a dark, dried fruit medley as opposed to any one fruit in particular having a leading role.

Flavors continue to develop with bursts of cloves and cinnamon to pair with light caramel and chopped, unsalted peanuts that have been frozen (think of a drumstick ice cream cone). I’m struggling to get much for grains, but the oak is sweet and chewy, and it keeps me going back for sip after sip.

A Kentucky chew scalds the tongue with cinnamon and black cherries. Even though this hurts, I want to do it again just for those flavors.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Very long. That warmth settles into every nook and cranny, along with pleasant flavors that wrap themselves around my molars.
– Between Sips: Rye, cinnamon, caramel and a hint of juicy dates keep me company between sips, though the waiting time for that is a little short.

– No More: This stays warm and rich with the dark fruitiness all throughout the glass, and I could not be happier. This is just a really fantastic bourbon, easily among my favorites of all time.

The empty Glencairn is a dry oak with some fig hiding just as the back. YUM-YUM-YUM.

WORTH THE PRICE?

We are approaching the $100 mark here, so hesitation reaching for a bottle is understandable. However, if you are a Booker’s fan or like fruity, hot bourbons, you’d be remiss to not grab at least one bottle. Since it is my among my favorites, I will pay the $85 price for this bourbon.

RATING: 97/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 97/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Booker’s.

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