Brian Dawson Archives – Page 29 of 32

Early Times Bottled-in-Bond

Posted on 30-January-202212-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Early Times Bottled-in-Bond Review:

reviewed 28-January-2022

EARLY TIMES BOTTLED-IN-BOND BOURBON REVIEW:

_{“I’m really tempted to add Early Times BiB to the [Advent Calendar] list, because I think everyone should try it.”
— Tom, BWE Member}

Early Times Bottled-in-Bond (ET BiB) is another from the Dec 2021 BWE Whiskey Advent Calendar and the Day 6 offering surprised many of us in the group. At $24.95 a liter it is a no-brainer to have in one’s bunker along side of Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond. Both are great pours to close out an evening when just a wee bit more is needed.

While Early Times Bottled-in-Bond is considered by many to be a bottom shelf bourbon, do not pass it by. The aromas are remarkable with light and sweet complexities. And while the taste doesn’t quite follow with what the nose hints, the dried fruits, bittersweet chocolate, dark sweets, barrel spice and char make this a nice pour. And like our BWE member suggested, ET BiB should be in everyone’s bar or bunker.

EARLY TIMES BOTTLED-IN-BOND VITAL STATS:

Category: Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Region: Louisville, KY
Distillery: Barton 1792 Distillery
Company: Sazerac Co., New Orleans, LA.
Mash Bill: 79% corn, 11% rye, 10% malted barley
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas, minimum of four years in new charred oak barrels
ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 16086
Size: 1000ML
Price: $24.95 (Dec 2021, Idaho)

Learn more at Early Times Bottled in Bond.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns. My daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

EARLY TIMES BOTTLED-IN-BOND NOSE:

Even before ET BiB is brought to my nose I sense fruit tree blossoms and sweet corn silk floating on a warm early summer breeze. As I nose I get berries and apricots blended with allspice and white pepper. The aroma is somewhat bready but lighter, like a buttery caramelized maple sugar glazed breakfast pastry, sparingly filled with a light compote of apples, finely chopped pecans and cinnamon. I also smell a hint of milk chocolate and rich vanilla making this a delightful treat. This gentle aroma rounded by dry tooled leather, air seasoned and then toasted oak.

EARLY TIMES BOTTLED-IN-BOND PALATE:

The first sip of ET BiB is warm with subtle flavors of sun-dried field corn and dusty grain. Dark dried apples, stale raisins, and figs dusted with toasted cinnamon, pepper and rye replace the light fruit aromas. The dark tones continue with flavors of bittersweet chocolate, dark vanilla, burnt caramel and dark molasses drizzled over toasted hazelnuts. The added depth is enhanced by notes of old leather, strong oak, barrel spice and char.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
While ET BiB is gentle, the aromas and flavors do not quite match one another. I get a light sweetness on the nose and dark depth on the palate. Still, the pour is soft, mellow and smooth in the mouth, and quite easy to hold. However, with an aggressive chew, ET BiB can give a bit of a bite. After each nosing and sip, long clinging legs return the liquid to a darkened terracotta pot colored pool, leaving behind a long lasting crown of clinging droplets.

EARLY TIMES BOTTLED-IN-BOND FINISH:

Early Times Bottled-in-Bond has a medium-long to long finish without many flavors. I sense dry grain and warming black pepper. There is a touch of sweet, which to me comes across as burnt caramel and dark molasses, but it is the wood spice and barrel char which seems most prevalent. And when the final drops are gone, the aroma of barnyard earth and sweet oak waft from the empty Glencairn. All-in-all, this is a good bourbon at a great price and one I am happy to have on my shelf.

MY RATING: 86/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 86/100 to access other whiskies with this score.

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Noble Oak Double Oak Rye

Posted on 28-January-202206-June-2024 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Noble Oak Double Oak Rye Review:

reviewed 25-January-2022

NOBLE OAK DOUBLE OAK RYE REVIEW:

Noble Oak Double Oak Rye (Noble Oak DO Rye) is an approachable and easy to enjoy whiskey. In fact, it could even be a gateway rye; something to introduce to the novice drinker. The added port barrel staves soften the pepper notes associated with most rye whiskeys and even add some subtle fruit notes. As I sip, I am reminded of High West’s recent A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 release. While the complexities are not here, Noble Oak DO Rye is one-third the price and a decent substitute.

BACKGROUND

I like to know a bit about what I am pouring. I’m not against trying bourbons and ryes made outside of Kentucky, but I want to know a little about them. Noble Oak Rye was introduced to me on 16-Dec-2021 when we opened our Whiskey Advent Calendar samples. The pour was good enough for me to purchase a bottle the next day.

In preparation of this review I began my internet research only to find very little information about Noble Oak as a producer. It turns out Noble Oak came about as a collaborative effort between partners at Brain Brew Ventures and Edrington. Edrington Brands include MacCallan, Highland Park, Glenroths, Brugal, The Famous Grouse, and Naked Malt Scotches. And now Noble Oak and Wyoming Whiskey are Edrington Brands and partners as well. Pedigree – Check!

NOBLE OAK DOUBLE OAK RYE VITAL STATS:

Category: Finished Rye Whiskey
Distilled in: Indiana
Distillery: unpublished, likely MGP Ingredients
Bottled by: Noble Oak
Bottled in: Newtown, Ohio, USA
Owned by: Brain Brew Ventures
Parent Company: Edrington
Mash Bill: unpublished
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas
ABV: 48% (96 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 86979
Price: $39.95 (December 2021, Idaho)

_{“A unique rye finished with port wine staves sourced by the Master of Wood at Edrington, producers of the world’s finest single malts.”}
_{—Noble Oak}

Learn more at Noble Oak Double Oak Rye.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns from a newly opened bottle. Hannah and I enjoyed the rye neat for this review.

Check out her review for this rye here!

NOBLE OAK DOUBLE OAK RYE NOSE:

When first brought to my nose, Noble Oak DO Rye seems dry and herbal, like a mixture of drying hay and potpourri. Yet I sense port tannins, and then mushy apples and a thick fruit nectar of plum juice, raisins and prunes. But the dryness comes through in the spices as well; brininess, allspice, cloves, rosemary and rye blend with a hint of light vanilla and light brown sugar. And for a whiskey labeled “Double Oak” there’s not much wood here, just some pineyness and light, fresh cut oak. In the end the aromas of this rye are quite simple.

NOBLE OAK DOUBLE OAK RYE PALATE:

The first sip of Noble Oak DO Rye is warm and full of dry port tannins. Like on the nose I get herbal drying hay, but now the fruitiness changes to dried currants, figs and clean citrus zest which blend with allspice, cloves, ginger and white pepper. I also taste rye toast, topped with a stewed cinnamon apple and light brown sugar compote drizzled with a touch of orange blossom honey. But now the wood becomes more pronounced, as new oak blends with piney sweet and smokey barrel char. And as each sip fades, there is some supple leather to round out the earthiness. The farther into the pour I sip, the better this rye becomes.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Noble Oak DO Rye is a well blended, but simple and earthy pour. It is buttery and creamy in my mouth and easy to hold, giving the tongue just an easy tickle. As each sip is taken, long clinging legs transport the liquid back to the carrot colored pool, leaving behind many clinging droplets.

NOBLE OAK DOUBLE OAK RYE FINISH:

Noble Oak Double Oak Rye has a long, dry and warm finish. Like the nose and palate I sense herbal cloves, rye and citrus zest along with piney char and leather. And when the last dram is downed, the empty Glencairn smells of simple oak and earth.

MY RATING: 85/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
But I won’t rush to replace the bottle when it empties.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 85/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies by this parent company, click Edrington.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Kentucky Owl The Wiseman

Posted on 24-January-202205-May-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Review:

reviewed 18-January-2022

KENTUCKY OWL THE WISEMAN BOURBON REVIEW:

Kentucky Owl The Wiseman (The Wiseman) is a nod to an advertising phrase resurrected from the original pre-prohibition era Kentucky Owl Distillery, in operation from 1879 until 1916: “The Wise Man’s Whiskey.” This Kentucky Owl expression is said to be a blend of wheated and high-rye bourbon produced by Kentucky Owl and added to 5 ½ and 8 ½ year old bourbons sourced from Bardstown Bourbon Co. and other Kentucky distillers.

From the first waft to the last drops, The Wiseman is a pleasing pour. The nose is full of fruity sweetness with some nice warming spices and well toasted, nearly charred wood. In the mouth the liquid becomes savory, dark and warm with even more oak. If there is a fault, Kentucky Owl The Wiseman finishes a bit short on flavor, but long on dry warmth. I could enjoy Wiseman all night.

KENTUCKY OWL THE WISEMAN VITAL STATS:

Category: Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys
Region: Bardstown, KY
Distillery: Kentucky Owl, Bardstown Bourbon Co./other Kentucky Distilleries
Company: Stoli® Group – Kentucky Owl
Mash Bill: unpublished
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas (Blend of 4 year, 5.5 year, and 8.5 year bourbons)
ABV: 45.4% (90.8 Proof)
Release Date: September 2021
Price: $49.95 (Fall 2021 Idaho)
NABCA CSC #: 19250

_{“THE WISEMAN™ Bourbon from Kentucky Owl® is the perfect blend of 4 Kentucky straight bourbons.”}
^{— Kentucky Owl}

Learn more at Kentucky Owl.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

KENTUCKY OWL THE WISEMAN NOSE:

The bourbony aromas of The Wiseman are inviting right out of the bottle. As I take long draws from the glass, the pour is dry and warm with little to no alcohol on the nose. I do get a hint of sweet corn and maybe wheaty and faint rye notes but what stands out most is fruit sweetness. I sense ripe blue and other berries blended with pear peels and allspice to make a soft nectar poured over cinnamon and sugar on crisp buttered pastry. There are other sweets here too … Rich vanilla, buttery, woody caramel and peanut filled toffee, however the fruity aromas are front and center. The longer the pour sits in the glass the more wood I detect, but it comes to me more as a haze of dry toasted oak and a little light char surrounded by rich leather.

KENTUCKY OWL THE WISEMAN PALATE:

Upon taking my first sip, The Wiseman is a savory workout. While I wouldn’t say the pour is salty, it makes me think warm peanuts or peanut butter and jelly would pair just as easily as a flame grilled ribeye. The alcohol here is more of an interesting foundation on which the other flavors build than something with which to contend. Each sip is warm and dry, like dusty grain, yet it is wheaty soft. Instead of the berry aromas, I now taste dark dried fruits like currants and figs. While not at all spicy, ginger and white pepper add warmth to salted caramel over slightly bitter walnuts. Each sip is dark and more wood forward than sensed on the nose, with plenty of heavy dry oak and barrel char to balance notes of musty dried leather.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
The Wiseman is a well balanced bourbon which seems to get better with each sip. It is easy to hold but does give the mouth and tongue a little tickle as the liquid makes me salivate. As I tip the glass, a thick curtain and fat clinging legs transport the whiskey back to the carrot colored pool leaving behind a thick inverted crown ring with fat droplets.

KENTUCKY OWL THE WISEMAN FINISH:

Kentucky Owl The Wiseman finishes a bit short on flavor, but long on dry warmth. As each sip is swallowed, I get wheaty softness and traces of dark dried fruit dashed with warming ginger, white pepper and salted woody caramel. And like I sensed on both the nose and palate some dry, hazy char and a faint suggestion of leather. And when gone, the empty Glencairn smells like an old western steakhouse … dusty, savory, and sweet with plenty of fresh toasted wood shavings and sawdust on the floor.

MY RATING: 91/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
The Wiseman surprised me. This is some fine sipp’n whiskey.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 91/100 to access other whiskies with this score.

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