1792 Twelve Year Old Review

Brian’s 1792 Twelve Year Old Review

written on 04-December-2019

1792 TWELVE YEAR OLD REVIEW:

Barton’s 1792 Twelve Year Old (1792-12YO) is a fine bourbon.  It is not overly complex, but offers up just enough treats for the senses to keep things interesting.  While not a sweet bourbon, all the flavors are well blended and on the finish the juice closes with nice citrus notes.

1792 TWELVE YEAR OLD VITAL STATS:
1792 Twelve Year Old Review

– Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Region: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Barton 1792 Distillery
– Mash Bill: Unknown
(The mash bill for 1792 12 Year Old is undisclosed however the website* indicates it is their signature “high rye” recipe (possibly a mix of 75% corn, 15% rye and 10% barley)
– Cask: New-Charred Oak
– Barrel Char Level: #3.5
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– Age: 12 years old
– ABV: 48.3% (96.6 Proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho

Find more information at 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!

NOSE:

When first brought to the nose 1792-12YO has a distinct freshness.  There is a quick alcohol burn, maybe even a tickle, but it’s nice and natural.  The freshness continues with wafts of roasted corn, apples and gourmet raisins.  The spices are few and subtle: powdered ginger and white pepper which compliment the subdued scents of fresh baked apple pie, light vanilla, simple syrup and honey.  The subtlety to the nose continue with faint hints of hazy and lightly toasted oak.

PALATE:

At first sip, 1792-12YO has a warm bite and with additional draws, can grow quite hot on the tongue when held in the mouth.  There are hints of candied citrus and figs and of currents and plums, which blend well with a faint background of herbal grassiness.  The juice’s spiciness comes as cinnamon, black pepper and rye.  While not exactly sweet, there is a component of nearly burnt sugar … and it fits nicely with this simple and earthy whiskey.  Prolonged sipping can coax out elements of leather and a faint peanutiness which fades into a soft sensation of seasoned old oak.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
This is a simple but pleasant amber-polished mahogany colored liquid.  It is solid and well blended and coats the mouth with a silken coppery tickle.  When swished in the Glencairn, long clinging legs give way to tight clinging droplets.

FINISH:

1792-12YO has a medium-to-long fresh finish.  There are two distinct components of wood: seasoned old oak and that of a caramel coated tongue depressor.  A bit of corn peeks in as well, and a hint of grassiness remains, but fresh orange rinds win the day.  In the end, pepper is there to coat the back of the tongue and give the throat a nice warm parting.

MY RATING: 87/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

To access other whiskeys with this score, click 87/100.
Click 1792 Barton to see other whiskies from this distillery.

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Baker’s Bourbon Batch B-90-001 Review

Brian’s Baker’s Bourbon Batch B-90-001 Review

review written on 08-May-2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

NOTE: The review below is for the old style bottling. Click Baker’s Single Barrel Bourbon to go to the more recent bottling.

In this Baker’s Bourbon Batch B-90-001 review, read on to discover how this premium Beam-Suntory offering stands up to similarly priced whiskeys, While Baker’s is a less expensive alternative to Booker’s, for me, I’ll opt for the big brother when it is available.  But make no mistake, Baker’s is good, it just doesn’t cover the bases for me the way other similarly priced bourbons do.

BAKER’S B-90-001 WHISKEY INFORMATION:
Baker’s Bourbon Batch B-90-001 Review

– Category: Small Batch – Batch B-90-001
– Region: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam, Master Distiller Booker Noe
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Mash bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
– Casks: New Charred Oak
– Barrel Char: #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– Like other Jim Beam Small Batch bourbons, Baker’s is sourced from rickhouse center racks, never from the top or bottom.
– Age: 7 Years (Age Stated)
– Non-Chill Filtered
– ABV: 53.5% (107 proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho

https://www.beamsuntory.com/

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I drank this spirit neat, from a Glencairn glass.

NOSE:

Baker’s Bourbon Batch B-90-001 offers a well balanced nose. There is a lot going on here as I sensed the dry wine-like qualities of a brandy or sherry.  Light floral fruit notes mix with roasted corn, then give way to red berries and yellow gourmet raisins.  Sweet baked goods like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and sponge cake easily punch through after extended nosing.  More careful nosing can coax out white chocolate, vanilla custard, toasted marshmallows and butterscotch candy, and there is some nice buttery caramel, Macadamia nuts, toasted wood, and fresh sawdust as well.

PALATE:

I delayed reviewing Baker’s for several days as the first dram went down the throat extremely hot.  After exposing air to the liquid in the bottle, the juice remained dry, with only a quick burn and bite; the initial fieriness of the first glass was greatly subdued. Still, the wine tannins sensed on the nose came through as did the ripe berries and gourmet raisins.  Baker’s rye spice and pepper build a solid foundation for its sweet vanilla, caramelized sugar and dark toffee, then give way to subtle earthiness, new leather, and toasted pecans.  Its woodiness comes in as sweet and wet fresh-cut oak.

Balance, Body, Look and Feel:
Baker’s nose and flavours are well blended, with a nice balance of fruit, spice, sweet and oak.  Its large clinging droplets give way long fat clinging legs which drop into the mahogany and henna tinted bowl if the Glencairn.  This bourbon is silky-smooth in the mouth and is full, pleasant and mellow.

FINISH:

Baker’s finish is short, peppery and clean and its seasoned earthy oak drifts to sweet sherry wine.

MY RATING: 86/100

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 whiskies with this score, click 86/100.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Baker’s.

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Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Review

Brian’s Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Review

written on 28-April-2019

KNOB CREEK SINGLE BARREL RESERVE REVIEW:

Knob Creek is an entry level offering in Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection.  This Single Barrel Reserve is hot, intoxicating and with not much of a detectable flavour profile.  Water does tame the beast, however it washes out any subtleties as well.  While not a “bad” bourbon, KC SiBR left me wondering … Does this nine year single barrel offering really have family ties to the likes of Bookers?

KNOB CREEK SINGLE BARREL RESERVE VITAL STATS:
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Review

– Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Region: Clermont, KY, USA
– Distillery: Jim Beam
– Mashbill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
– Cask: New charred oak
– Barrel Char: #4
– Barrel entry proof: 125
– Age: 9 years old
– ABV: 60 (120 Proof)
– Price: $39.95 USD in Idaho
Note: This bottle had no label markings distinguishing from which barrel it was drawn.

https://beamsuntory.com/

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I drank this spirit neat, from a Glencairn glass.  In later tastings several drops of distilled water were added hoping to coax out its flavors. Other than taming the heat, no change in the initial profile was noted.

NOSE:

On the nose, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve (KC SiBR) is dry and alcohol forward with plenty of intense ethanol heat.  A subtle simple syrup sweetness is there, but it is hard to coax from the dram with normal nosing.

PALATE:

The first and subsequent sips of KC SiBR are strong with plenty of throat burn.  It is harsh, fiery and hot.  After each swallow, dry flavors of dusty corn and figs can be sensed but only deep in the throat.  Its spices of clove, white pepper and rye overpower burnt sugar and toffee sweetness and barely give way to any barrel flavor.

Balance, Body, Look and Feel:
I look forward to nuances when enjoying fine bourbon KC SiBR is so well blended, few individual flavors can be identified. I find this disapointing. KC SiBR is thin and watery, displaying medium legs which drop back in the Glencairn’s mahogany and henna tinted pool.

FINISH:

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve’s medium long finish leaves one with a deep throat and chest warming sensation.  When the last dram is gone, only a faint light oak aftertaste remains.

MY RATING: 83/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? No
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

To access other whiskies from this brand, click Knob Creek.

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