Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Review

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:
Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Review

– 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– Mash Bill: unpublished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– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished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:
Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Review

– 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

Click 92/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.

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Whiskey Reviews

Templeton 4 Year Old Rye

Brian’s Templeton 4 Year Old Rye Review:

reviewed 11-January-2022

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE REVIEW:

Templeton 4 Year Old Rye (Templeton Rye) is the most gentle and quite possibly the simplest whiskey I’ve ever enjoyed, and yet enjoy I did. For someone with a beginners interest in whiskey, Templeton Rye would fit the bill as it is so mellow. This whiskey would lend itself to nearly any summer cocktail one might care to mix or invent. Templeton is not something I would reach for as frequent pour, but I look forward to a sip over ice while sitting on the porch this summer on a hot and sticky evening — maybe with a drizzle of honey and a dash of powdered ginger or some mashed blackberries and crushed mint.

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE VITAL STATS:
Templeton 4 Year Old Rye

Category: Rye Whiskey
Region: Templeton, Iowa
Distillery: MPG Inc.
Producer: Templeton Rye Spirits, LLC
Mash Bill: undisclosed, believed to be 95% rye and 5% barley
Barrel Char: undisclosed
Barrel entry proof: undisclosed
Age: 4 Year Old
ABV: 40% (80 Proof)
Price: $29.95 (Idaho, January 2022)
NABCA CSC #: 27102

Learn more at www.templetonrye.com.

TEMPLETON RYE BACKSTORY:

I must admit I am a sucker for a good story and Templeton Rye has both history and mystique. During prohibition, the area around Templeton, IA produced high quality rye whiskey. Speakeasies in and around Chicago, Kansas City and Omaha created the demand. Al Capone allegedly preferred Templeton Rye.

Years later, Templeton “re-introduced” Rye Whiskey with the claim its mash was “based on a prohibition-era recipe”. Now when one thinks rationally, it is unlikely there was a single distillate or process for making whiskey back in the 1920s. Other omissions got Templeton Rye Spirits in trouble as well. Labeling omitted the origin of the distillate. So in 2015, as a result of a class action settlement, the words “distilled in Indiana” replaced “Prohibition Era Recipe” and “small batch” on the label.

Templeton Rye is currently distilled and aged by MGP of Indiana. While the recipe may be shared with other brands, Templeton employs an “alcohol flavoring formulation” with the goal to make its whiskies taste like prohibition era rye. Later this year (2022) Templeton Rye Spirits, LLC hopes to begin bottling their own distillate.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

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

Check out her review for this rye here!

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE NOSE:

Templeton Rye seems dry and dusty as I bring it to my nose. There is no alcohol with which to contend, even with heavy draws. I sense the presence of rye, but sweetness is the most dominant trait. Brown sugared pastry, yellow cake, light vanilla, butterscotch candy, caramel and toffee are in nearly every sniff. At times I also sense some faint pecans and maybe a trace of light oak but in the end this is a sweet simple rye.

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE PALATE:

As on the nose, the first sip of Templeton Rye is dry. I sense (more than taste) nectarines with the warmth of ginger and white pepper. Most of the sweets noted earlier are gone but light vanilla and now honey come forward. There is still a little light oak but it seems a bit bitter. Like the nose, Templeton Rye is a simple tasting whiskey with little complexity.

Templeton 4 Year Old Rye

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Templeton Rye is mellow, smooth and easy to hold as I get no tickle on the tongue. After each sip the dregs fall quickly in thin broken legs back to the russet colored pool. Left behind is an irregularly spaced inverted crown.

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE FINISH:

Templeton 4 Year Old Rye has a short finish and offers only a little warmth of ginger in the throat. As each sip fades, I sense the nectarines, a bit of citrus and some soft honey which I feel coats any notes of oak which may remain. And when the last dram is downed, the sweetness of honey and a little oak are easy to draw from the empty Glencairn.

MY RATING: 80/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? NO
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 80/100 to access other whiskies with this score.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Templeton 4 Year Old Rye
Templeton 4 Year Old Rye

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Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon

Brian’s Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon Review:

reviewed 28-December-2021

ELIJAH CRAIG TOASTED BARREL BOURBON REVIEW:

In my opinion, the Elijah Craig line of bourbons from Heaven Hill Distillery is a stalwart representation of the craft. From small batch shelf stock, and bold barrel proofs to Private Barrel Picks and a yet unreviewed 18 Year, their bourbon is no stranger to our home bar. So it was with great anticipation, we popped the cork on our Christmas bottle of Toasted Barrel Bourbon (ECTB). As stated on the label, this is Elijah Craig Small Batch finished in toasted new oak barrels. I am not disappointed and am happy to have another in the bunker.

ELIJAH CRAIG TOASTED BARREL BOURBON VITAL STATS:

Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in toasted oak barrels
Type: Small Batch Toasted Barrel
Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Distillery: Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery
Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Barrel entry proof: 125
Age: nas
Non-chill filtered
ABV: 47% (94 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 17913
Price $54.95 (2021 in Idaho)

Twice barreled for added complexity, Toasted Barrel takes our award-winning Small Batch Bourbon to new heights. After it’s fully matured, we finish this Bourbon in a second, custom toasted new oak barrel, where it’s left to develop even more sweet oak flavor.

— ElijahCraig.com

Learn more at https://elijahcraig.com/toasted-barrel.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, alternating pours to equal four once review amounts went into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:

ECTB smells warm and inviting. While sweetness dominates the nose, I do get a trace of roasted corn and drying grain along with faint spices of powdered ginger, white pepper and rye. But sweet vanilla infused toasted graham stands out along with candy notes of Milky Way nougat and vanilla taffy. And there’s more — I also get butterscotch and sweet, buttery brown sugar syrup drizzled over toasted pecans. However the woody aromas are faint, simple and gentle even though ‘Toasted Barrel’ is emblazoned the label.

PALATE:

The first sip of ECTB is warm and easy to hold. I sense an herbalness of roasting corn and a few dark dried figs. Spices of dark cinnamon, cloves, and rye are faint as are sweet notes of bittersweet chocolate, some light vanilla, buttery brown sugar and a hint of honeycomb. But now comes the wood, first in the form of bitter hazelnuts, then with plenty of heavy, old oak and toasted barrel char. There’s also some earthy leather here too.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
As I hold ECTB on my palate while taking notes, my salivary glands go into overdrive making the liquid buttery and quite viscous. While the aromas are more sweet, the flavors are more woody … but the blended combination works. After each sip, a heavy sheet clings to the inside of the glass before breaking into fat legs transporting the whiskey back to the deep burnt amber colored pool. The only trace left behind by the sip is a ringed crown with just a few drops.

FINISH:

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel has a warm medium-long finish. There is a bit of lingering roasted corn and grain mixed with dark fig, cloves and rye but other than a hint of dark molasses, the sweetness sensed on the nose and palate is all but gone. The finish is heavy old oak and char forward, but in no way harsh as a bit of leather fades away. And when the last dram is gone, dried oak plywood sawdust and buttered popcorn drifts from the empty Glencairn.

MY RATING: 88/100

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

Click 88/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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