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Mash Bill: unpublished
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished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