Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Bourbon Review Archives

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Mash Bill: unpublished
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished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.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Hannah’s Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Review

Original review written January 18, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This is a fun pour with a lot to dissect and find, both on the nose and on the palate. It’s warm and soft, and accessible to any level of bourbon sipper. 92/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Kentucky Owl, Bardstown Bourbon Co./other Kentucky distilleries
– Classification: Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys
– Age: nas (blend of a 4 yr., 5.5 yr., and 8.5 yr.)
– Mash Bill: unpublished
– Casks: unknown char
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 45.4% (90.8 proof)
– Price: $49.95 USD in Idaho 2021

Visit kentuckyowlbourbon.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

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

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

The savory quality of The Wiseman makes this bourbon want to be enjoyed in a steakhouse, right alongside your favorite cut, cooked your favorite way. It’s rich, and the mouth feel will pair nicely with the intensity of the steak. Everything is warm, rustic, and cozy, and wonderfully stunning.

Photo by Emerson Vieira on Unsplash

NOSE:

Dusty and savory grain meets dark fruits for a sweet component even on the first inhale. The savory-ness seems almost salty, much like the kind you’d find on some sweet maple wood bacon, complete with smokiness. The dark fruit is reminiscent of plums – not too strong in flavor, but there is just enough concentration to be noticed. There is also some toffee, with peanuts standing out amidst the sweet and salty bite. I cannot identify a strong alcohol essence in this at all – even large inhales do little to sting.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: This is most certainly soft, but there is a weight to it also. It sits heavy and initially dry, becoming more viscous the longer my salivary glands have at it.
– Balance: Solid. Salt blends with sweet and makes for a definitive bourbon palate, but with an interesting profile all the same.
– Visual: Carrot in color, this leaves an irregular crown and fast dropping, thick legs with occasional clinging droplets.

– Taste: This is very soft across the palate, carrying notes of pine, plum, honey and pie crust. I can detect some wheat, contributing to the softness, followed quick by golden delicious apples that do little to add any significant punch of flavor. There’s a hint of bitterness that seems nutty in origin – perhaps walnuts.

When I let the bourbon sit on my palate, a stronger fruit flavor appears, but it dissipates quickly after the sip is gone. It’s a bit like baked cherries (working well with the aforementioned pie crust, I must say), with some tartness that melts into sweetness quickly. Along with this fruit is a growing saltiness, much like the one found on the nose. All this does, is make the mouth water more and look for the next sip. I don’t think there is any distinct flavor with the salt, but it is an enjoyable aspect, nonetheless.

The alcohol continues to be virtually nonexistent. If anything, I would say that the alcohol acts more as a foundation for other flavors to build off of, contributing to the profile, instead of being a side effect of being bourbon. When I partake in a Kentucky chew, white pepper emerges to mix with some of the bitter walnuts. Very little sweetness found here.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. There is little to no flavor here in the finish, but the warmth does sit surprisingly heavy in the throat and in the chest. I’m impressed.
– Between Sips: Dry grains are about all I can detect between sips. It adds to the overall softness of this bourbon and leaves it without a single harsh edge.

– No More: There are more fruits to find the further into the glass I get. Suddenly there are fresh cherries to accompany the baked, and even a bit of caramel. It certainly takes this bourbon to another level of enjoyment for someone (me) who enjoys the taste of cherries in a whiskey.

The empty Glencairn is straight up sawdust shavings with some of the savory smokiness from the initial nose. It’s reminiscent of a steakhouse, and I’m absolutely now craving a baked potato.

WORTH THE PRICE?

I’d say that this does meet the standard I have for a $50 bottle of bourbon. It’s warm; it’s unique; and I think it’s accessible in a fun way to both novices and more knowledgeable sippers. There’s plenty to find in the palate, and nothing sticks out awkwardly. It’s a bottle I think is worthy of keeping around in the bunker when I find it, most certainly.

KENTUCKY OWL THE WISEMAN REVIEW RATING: 92/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

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