Spirits awards are a funny prospect. On the one hand, they’re a great indicator of what’s hot right now. On the other hand, they can be a bit stuffy and elitist. The latter point is rapidly changing from the old days of closed-off rooms with industry experts (usually old white men) sitting around a table and sniffing whiskey, rum, tequila, and more to a more inclusive and open experience. People of color have a seat at the table these days, as diverse tastemakers, and the people actually making the booze come from all genders and walks of life. Sure, there are still stuffy old white dudes but they’re no longer the absolute standard.
Case in point, the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) has made great strides in diversifying its judging base with leaders from every facet of the spirits industry. Educators taste side by side with distillers, influencers, blenders, distributors, bartenders, authors, and critics to find the best of the best every year with a very international focus.
All of this is leading to a list for your bourbon-drinking pleasure. I compiled a list below of all the”Gold” and “Gold Outstanding” bourbon whiskeys of 2023. Basically, the IWSC judges rate their picks with numerical values that inform the medal that a pour gets — Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Gold Outstanding (it’s a bit more complicated than that, but that’s the gist). Bronze is below 89 points. Silver is 90-94 points. Gold is 95 to 97 points. And Gold Outstanding is 98, 99, and the nary achieved 100 points.
For the list of new and tasty bourbons below, I’ve listed them by points from 95 to 98 (there were only two “Gold Outstanding” bourbons this year and they’re at the bottom). I’ve also added the tasting notes from the IWSC along with my own notes if I’ve also tasted the bottle this year. In the end, if any of these sound like something you’d be into, then click those price buttons and see if you can find these wherever you are (though some haven’t even been released to the public yet).
Let’s dive in!
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Batch 028 Single Barrel Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 60.8%
Average Price: $150
The Whiskey:
While Uncle Nearest is distilling their own juice these days, this is still the work of Master Blender Victoria Eady Butler with carefully sourced Tennessee whiskey barrels. In this case, Eady Bulter hand-selected the best-of-the-best from their inventory to create the perfect whiskey to exemplify the brand and Tennessee whiskey traditions.
“A dark and sweet character with dense notes of ginger cake, candied apple, black pepper, and aniseed. The palate has good concentration with a soft, silky texture. The finish is long and dry, balancing the overall sweetness.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose leans into sticky toffee pudding with a sense of black licorice that’s almost absinth adjacent as soft caramel and winter spice round things out.
Palate: Gingerbread cookies and stewed pears mingle with sharp chili spice, red peppercorns, and a hint more of that dark licorice on the palate with this mild sense of creamy vanilla oils and maybe some maple syrup fresh from the tap.
Finish: The pepperiness really drives the finish toward a creamy vanilla cake end with a nice balance of woody winter spices and a hint of soft leather.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty delicious place to start. Uncle Nearest’s team really hits it out of the park with these single-barrel releases. While this one is stellar, anyone that you find out there is going to be a treat. So don’t sweat if you can’t find this exact one.
Bradshaw Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 51.9%
Average Price: $52
The Whiskey:
Bradshaw Bourbon is made by Green River Distilling Company in Owensboro, Kentucky. The bourbon is a collab between former Super Bowl champ Terry Bradshaw and Silver Screen Bottling Company, which acts as a sort of bottling fixer between a celebrity and a distiller or barrel house. The whiskey is a two-year-old bourbon made with 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley, proofed to a hefty 103.8.
“A creamy butterscotch profile with bright orchard fruit and floral notes which cut through the sweetness and provide lift. The palate is dark and chewy with a defined spicy ginger finish.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with Werther’s Originals and old library books, with a whiff of aftershave on the nose that’s oddly comforting.
Palate: A soft spice drives the palate as dry reeds lead towards cherry toffee and apple candies.
Finish: The spice warms slightly on the finish as the tobacco dries out and those reeds make a return.
Bottom Line:
Yes, Terry Bradshaw’s bourbon is really good. While I prefer his rye expression, this is classic bourbon through and through. Grab a bottle if you’re looking for an old-school feeling bourbon-y bourbon.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
This is the whiskey that heralded a new era of bourbon in 1999. Famed Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee came out of retirement to create this bourbon to celebrate the renaming of the George T. Stagg distillery to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac bought the joint. The rest, as they say, is history — especially since this has become a touchstone bourbon for the brand.
“A fabulously bold, classic Bourbon; brimming with aromas of caramel, antique polish, char, and syrup. The palate reveals further complexity and intermingled flavors of butterscotch, black tea, and hedgerow fruit alongside tones of savory pepper and toasty oak. Sublime!”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: Classic notes of vanilla come through next to a dark maple syrup sweetness, a flourish of fresh mint, and a leatheriness that’s just punctuated by dark burnt orange.
Palate: The palate cuts through the sweeter notes with plenty of spices — like clove, star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon — next to a hint of tart berries, a whisper of dark chocolate, and a dash of sweetly spiced oak.
Finish: The end is long and lush and slowly fades back through the dark citrus and berries with a lively spiced finish.
Bottom Line:
This is another classic. It’s also a bottle from Buffalo Trace that you can generally actually get for a good price (depending on your region). That all said, I primarily use this for mixing up old fashioneds, Manhattans, and boulevardiers.
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $149
The Whiskey:
Buffalo Trace’s Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch is an entry point to the other 12 expressions released under the E.H. Taylor, Jr. label. The whiskey is made from Buffalo Trace’s iconic Mash Bill No. 1 (which is a low rye recipe). The final whiskey in the bottle is a blend of barrels that meet the exact right flavor profiles Buffalo Trace’s blenders are looking for in a classic bottled-in-bond bourbon for Taylor.
“Subtle aromas of spice, pineapple, and grain on the nose combining with tropical fruits, caramel, nuttiness, and herbaceousness on the palate giving great mouthfeel with a deep chili heat, nice progression, some complexity, and a long solid spicy finish.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of soft corn mush with a hint of fresh green chili, Saigon cinnamon (a little sweet), orchard tree bark, and the black mildew that grows on all the whiskey warehouses in Kentucky.
Palate: The palate leans into buttery toffee with a twinge of black licorice next to cinnamon-spiced dark chocolate tobacco and a hint of huckleberry pie with vanilla ice cream.
Finish: The end has a salted caramel sweetness that leads back to a hint of sweet cinnamon and dark tobacco with a light sense of the fermentation room with a hint of sweet gruel.
Bottom Line:
This is another favorite of mine. I love this one over a few rocks at the end of the day. It’s super easy to drink while offering some serious depth. Though, it will be a little harder to source.
Daddy Rack Single Barrel Cask Strength 4-Year-Old Tennessee Straight Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 61.4%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
Master Maker & Blender J. Arthur Rackham selected 10 single barrels of bourbon — ranging from 121 to 126 proof — for this set of limited edition whiskeys. Each barrel of whiskey was double sugar maple charcoal filtered (which means that the yeast notes in the spirit are allowed to shine more brightly than the oily grain notes). In this case, a four-year-old whiskey went into the bottle without any proofing.
“A moreish sweet pastry character with pepper and treacle. A distinct toffee flavor builds on the palate, with touches of nut and licorice culminating on the finish. Very good concentration and length.”
Bottom Line:
This is a brand that’s based in the U.K. and dialed a bit more toward the palate profile over there. I’ve yet to try it but it certainly sounds interesting thanks to the double charcoal filtering.
Heaven Hill Distillery Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $25
The Whiskey:
This is Elijah Craig’s entry-point bottle. The mash is corn-focused, with more malted barley than rye. The whiskey is then rendered from “small batches” of barrels to create this proofed-down version of the iconic brand.
“Furniture polish, mahogany, caramel, and charred wood come together marvelously on the nose; before flavors of cinnamon spice, burnt honeycomb, and maple on the palate. Amazingly complex and harmonious, with an impressive interplay between bitter oaky tones and sweetness. Divine!”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a light sense of rickhouse wood beams next to that mild taco seasoning on the nose with caramel apples, vanilla ice cream scoops, and a hint of fresh mint with a sweet/spicy edge.
Palate: The palate opens with a seriously smooth vanilla base with some winter spice (especially cinnamon and allspice) next to a hint of grain and apple pie filling.
Finish: The end leans towards the woodiness with a hint of broom bristle and minty tobacco lead undercut by that smooth vanilla.
Bottom Line:
Classic Elijah Craig is hard to beat. It’s a great cocktail base that you can actually find for a great price. It should be on your bar cart right now.
Heaven Hill Distillery Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $89
The Whiskey:
This new expression from the brand uses classic Elijah Craig Small Batch and gives it a finishing maturation. Basically, the whiskey is transferred to toasted oak barrels for a spell so that the whiskey can really capture more of that oakiness.
“A sweetly perfumed nose, with fruity aromas of date and raisin, alongside notes of caramel, charred oak, and vanilla. The mouthfeel is velvety and luxurious, revealing butterscotch, black treacle, and dark honey. Rich, indulgent, and extremely long. Exquisite!”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: Naturally, you get a woodiness on the nose that teeters between soft cedar and sweet, almost fruity hardwoods, with a hint of caramel sweetness as a counterpoint.
Palate: That caramel has a somewhat orange-chocolate edge with hints of clove, cinnamon, and white pepper lurking in the background.
Finish: The spices dry out (think cinnamon sticks or spice barks), the sweetness subsides, and you’re left with a touch of that soft cedar and some well-warmed senses.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice step up from classic Elijah Craig. The woodiness is a bit dialed back on this expression but provides a deeper-than-usual edge compared to the much sweeter EC Small Batch.
If you’re looking to dip your toe into something a little more nuanced from Elijah Craig, this is it.
Heaven Hill Distillery Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $16
The Whiskey:
Look, Heaven Hill makes great whiskey, especially inexpensive bottled in bonds. This “b-i-b” is tailored for the Evan Williams flavor profile. Still, this is Heaven Hill, so we’re talking about the same mash bill, same warehouses, and same parent company as several entries on this list. This is simply built to match a higher-end Evan Williams vibe.
“A bold toffee apple character with concentrated aromas of burnt sugar and old barrel spice. The dense palate is well-rounded with lashings of brown sugar and nut notes. Nicely balanced.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a lovely nose at play with soft taco mix spice next to creamy vanilla, caramel-dipped cherries, a hint of pear skins, and plenty of nutmeg.
Palate: The palate has a minor note of cornbread muffins next to cherry-vanilla tobacco with a dash of leather and toffee.
Finish: The end leans into some fresh gingerbread with a vanilla frosting next to hints of pear candy cut with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Bottom Line:
This is classic, cheap bourbon. You’re not going to have your socks blown off by this one, but it will be very satisfying. Basically, this is a bourbon lover’s bourbon at an amazing price point.
15 STARS First West Platinum Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 49%
Average Price: Coming Soon
The Whiskey:
This new limited edition expression from Kentucky bottlers 15 STARS (they’re also distilling some amazing stuff that’ll drop in the next few years) is a blend of 10-year-old barrels. That whiskey then is just kissed with water before bottling.
“Rich and vibrant with layered notes of juicy raisins, toffee apple, and gingerbread. Moreish with a savory edge, there is a pleasant vein of sweetness that runs throughout, providing wonderful depth and complexity.”
Bottom Line:
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried this one yet. But the new 15 STARS that I have tried have been spectacular. This undoubtedly will be too.
15 Stars First West Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 52.5%
Average Price: Coming Soon
The Whiskey:
The father/son team at 15 STARS is hitting it out of the park with their amazing sourced blends. This new release is a mix of 15, nine, and six-year-old bourbons from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. The marriage of whiskeys is just touched with water before bottling.
“Pronounced aromas of lemon peel and honey leading to a dense palate packed with ginger cake, treacle, and orange oil flavors. The individual notes have good intensity and definition, whilst being part of a harmonious whole.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one meanders through soft winter spices before hitting a vanilla wafer with a hint of nougat before getting into a woody bramble of orchard trees and firewood bark.
Palate: The palate leads off with a woody edge before diving into holiday spices with a hint of raisin and date next to creamed vanilla butter and a touch of brown sugar.
Finish: There’s a hint of apple/cherry pie filling before the woodiness takes over on the backend with a spicy tobacco edge with a hint of sweet cedar.
Bottom Line:
I have tried this one and it’s great! These are very limited though, so you’re going to have to be in the know to find these very limited gems.
Heaven Hill Distillery Henry Mckenna 10-Year-Old Single Barrel Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This classic offering from Heaven Hill is actually getting easier to find again (after years of being nearly impossible to find thanks to hype). The juice utilizes a touch of rye in the mash bill and is then aged for ten long years in a bonded rickhouse. The best barrels are chosen by hand and the whiskey is bottled with just a touch of water to bring it down to bottled-in-bond proof.
“An exceptionally well-made example, delivering an intertwined aromatic display of rich caramel, dark honey, and luxurious chocolate. Flavors of mahogany, ripe dark fruit, and caramelized banana appear on the palate, framed beautifully by classy toasty oak and clove spice. Outstanding.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens slightly tannic with rich orange zest and vanilla cream next to woody winter spice, fresh mint, and wet cedar with a hint of gingerbread and burnt cherry.
Palate: The palate hits on soft vanilla white cake with a salted caramel drizzle and burnt orange zest vibe next to apple/pear tobacco leaves dipped in toffee and almond.
Finish: The end has a sour cherry sensation that leads to wintery woody spices, cedar bark, and old cellar beams with a lush vanilla pod and cherry stem finish.
Bottom Line:
This award-circuit-darling is a solid and very classic Kentucky bourbon. I tend to use this for simple bourbon-forward cocktails but it 100% works on the rocks as a sipper too.
Legends 100 Double Barrel Bourbon Whisky — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $65
The Whiskey:
This is a Georgia bourbon that’s three years old. Beyond that, there’s not a whole lot of information out there about this brand.
“Elegant aromas of grain, barrel spice, and cinnamon. The palate has a creamy butterscotch and crystallized ginger profile, with a good kick of spice and stewed fruit flavors. The finish is long and smooth – a memorable end to a tasty whiskey.”
Bottom Line:
I’m dubious when I read “grain” on a bourbon tasting note and see only three years of aging. That said, this does sound pretty tasty with the “crystallized ginger” and “stewed fruit flavors” so color me intrigued.
Legends Single Barrel Bourbon — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $72
The Whiskey:
These single barrel releases do vary from expression to expression (there are a few out there). This is another Georgia bourbon that’s four years old.
“A fragrant nose of incense and candied pear which follow through onto the palate. Beautifully textured with a gentle cask influence, the palate is fruity with pleasing gingerbread and spice notes, which linger on the finish.”
Bottom Line:
Again, I’m intrigued by the tasting notes.
Four Roses Distillery Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $27
The Whiskey:
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is a blend of four whiskeys. The blend is split evenly between the high and mid-ryes with a focus on “slight spice” and “rich fruit” yeasts. The whiskey is then blended, cut with soft Kentucky water, and bottled.
“Bright cereal aromas with a kick of baking and barrel spice. There is a nice fruit sweetness running through the palate, with supporting nut and grass notes. Silky smooth with a good density of chewy spice on the finish.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft and sweet apple and cherry woods greet with a good dose of sour red berries dusted with brown winter spices, especially clove, and nutmeg.
Palate: The palate leans into soft and salted caramel with a hint of those berries underneath while the spices get woodier and a thin line of green sweetgrass sneaks in.
Finish: The finish is silky and boils down to blackberry jam with a good dose of winter spice, old wood, and a hint of vanilla tobacco.
Bottom Line:
Another classic bourbon! This one is a quintessential cocktail base whiskey that’s easily findable and always well-priced.
Barton 1792 Distillery Thomas S. Moore Cabernet Sauvignon Finished Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 47.65%
Average Price: $81
The Whiskey:
This release from Sazerac’s other distillery, Barton 1792 Distillery, has become a yearly standard release. The whiskey in the bottle is generally kept under wraps. We do know that the bourbon is finished in Cabernet Sauvignon casks for a spell before blending, proofing, and bottling.
“Subtle aroma characteristics of cereal and earthy notes shining through on the light and balanced nose combining on the palate with spices, fruitiness, and chocolate flavors showing a full and elegant expression; good progression and, overall, well balanced with a nice finish.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: Stone fruit and vanilla lead on the nose with hints of sugar cookies, bright peach, and old-yet-soft oak.
Palate: The palate leans into cherry bark with plum, mulled wine, vanilla, and sharp sassafras.
Finish: The spice on the mid-palate leads to some old leather, more of that soft oak, and a hint of sweet potting soil with a plummy finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a great food-pairing whiskey thanks to that deep red-wine vibe. It also works as a nice cocktail base or slow sipper after dinner.
15 Stars Triple Cask Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 95 Points, Gold
ABV: 52.5%
Average Price: $179
The Whiskey:
This new release from 15 STARS is a blend of two bourbons with a big finishing run. The whiskey is made from an eight and 16-year-old blend that was finished in Kentucky in port, cognac, and rum casks for eight additional months before batching and bottling.
“A richly fruited nose brimming with a hint of lit cigar aroma. The palate has an initial sweetness that journeys into spice and charred wood, a seamless and balanced transition. Flavors of orchard fruit, vanilla cream, and citrus oil.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: Woody huckleberry jam over raisin scones mingle with eggnog spices and brown sugar cookies, spiced cherry fruit leather, and a twinge of sweet yet old oakiness.
Palate: That dark fruit leather leans into brandy-soaked dates and prunes with a sense of old oak cellars next to rich vanilla, soft apples, and sticky toffee pudding.
Finish: There’s a dark cherry spiced vibe to the finish that leans into fresh chewy tobacco packed into an old oak box and then wrapped in leather with a burnt orange rind and winter spice bouquet on top.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious whiskey. It’s a great sipper that really benefits from a drop of water to let it bloom in the glass. You’ll get a creamy, nutty, almost fatty lusciousness that just vibes wonderfully with everything going on in the flavor profile already.
Kentucky Owl Confiscated Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 96 Points, Gold
ABV: 48.2%
Average Price: $129
The Whiskey:
Kentucky Owl is another resurrection brand by Master Blender Dixon Dedman, the great-great-grandson of the shingle’s original founder. This is contract-distilled and sourced whiskey from the famed Bardstown Bourbon Company, meaning the fidelity is very high here.
“Friendly nose showing great bourbon aroma characteristics with caramel, orange, and cinnamon notes combining on the palate with plenty of fruit, milk chocolate, sweet cardamom, and baking spices showing and overall soft mouthfeel; well balanced with some complexity and a hot finish.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: Light notes of rye crust and star anise mingle on the nose with old oak, vanilla, and cherry.
Palate: The palate warms with dark and woody winter spices next to more of that oak, raw leather, and some black licorice.
Finish: The end warms with the spices before touching cherry tobacco wrapped up in dry sweetgrass and old leather with a hint of vanilla pudding and cinnamon bark.
Bottom Line:
This is a really good whiskey that has a huge fan base. This is something I reach for when I want a rye-forward bourbon.
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Batch 017 Master Blend Edition Whiskey — 96 Points, Gold
ABV: 60.8%
Average Price: $150
The Whiskey:
While Uncle Nearest is distilling their own juice these days, this is still the work of Master Blender Victoria Eady Butler with carefully sourced Tennessee whiskey barrels. In this case, Eady Bulter hand-selected the best-of-the-best from their inventory to create the perfect whiskey to exemplify the brand and Tennessee whiskey traditions.
“Attractive nose with aromas of apple Danish, golden syrup, and young wood. Rich palate packed with butter toffee and sweet red fruit notes. A bright and enjoyable offering.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a lovely sense of sourdough old-fashioned doughnuts dusted in cinnamon on the nose with a hint of brown sugar, nutmeg, pecan, and cedar/tobacco with a warm edge.
Palate: The palate layers those pecans into a waffle with plenty of butter and maple syrup next to dried sour cherries with old leather, dried corn cobs, and spiced cherry tobacco next to dry black dirt with a hint of sweetness to it.
Finish: The end lessens the cherry and leads to peppery tobacco with a warm finish full of dry firewood, more of that woody maple syrup, and a dash of vanilla cream underneath it. Though, I’d pour this one over a single rock to add a little water. It’ll get super creamy and lush.
Bottom Line:
These have been stellar releases over the last year or so and this is another one. If you can track this down, you’ll be in for a classic-tasting American whiskey treat.
Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 96 Points, Gold
ABV: 65.5%
Average Price: $349
The Whiskey:
This entry point to the much older and much higher-priced, George T. Stagg, is killing the bourbon game right now. The whiskey is generally eight to nine-year-old bourbons, made at Buffalo Trace, and batched and bottled with no fussing, cutting, or filtering. The results are an award-winning bourbon that’s getting harder and harder to find for its MSRP.
“Great mocha and corn aromas with spice and underlying fruitiness on the nose combining with licorice, earth, chocolate, fresh cake, and a touch of citrus on the palate showing a soft mouthfeel with nice progression, delicious taste, and great finish.”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: There is distinct and rich molasses next to hints of pecan, dark and bold holiday spices, and vanilla oils on the nose.
Palate: The palate holds onto those notes and adds a cherry sweetness with a hint of woody apple in the background and a touch of toffee.
Finish: The end is long and very hot, leaving you with a spicy tobacco buzz on your tongue and senses.
Bottom Line:
This is another crowd-pleasing favorite. Stagg stans go deep with their fandom. These get a little too hot for me, so I recommend a rock or two. That said, if you’re looking for an ABV/proof explosion, this is the bottle for you.
William Heavenhill 9th Edition 15-Year-Old Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 97 Points, Gold
ABV: 54.5%
Average Price: $1,295
The Whiskey:
The latest edition of Heaven Hill’s super exclusive William Heavenhill release was made from just 34 barrels. Those barrels were from a specific floor of a specific warehouse where they rested for 15 long years before batching and bottling as-is.
“Deep caramel, cigar box, leather, and rich red fruit combine to make for an enticing and expressive nose. Notes of furniture polish, toasted grains, and hedgerow berries too; layered and complex with a lingering savory, smoky finish. Fabulous!”
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: That oak comes through like a dank old cigar box with a sense of cinnamon bark, whole nutmeg bulbs, and stewed cherry syrup with a whisper of sassafras and marzipan.
Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of old rye bread crusts next to huckleberry cobbler, more marzipan, orange oils, vanilla oils, and a touch of singed cedar kindling.
Finish: Salted caramel peanut clusters and thick cherry tobacco chewiness mingle with old oak cellars with dirt floors and a fleeting sense of falling fall leaves.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious, hard to get, and very rare. That said, I walked into the Heaven Hill bottle shop and it was right there behind the cash registers for sale for around $240 per bottle. So it’s not impossible. But that was pure blind luck. Otherwise, expect very high, unicorn whiskey prices.
1792 Aged 12 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
ABV: 48.3%
Average Price: $169
The Whiskey:
This whiskey from Sazerac’s other Kentucky distillery, Barton 1792, is a low-key masterpiece. The whiskey is rendered from a high-rye bourbon mash bill that’s left to rest for 12 years. Finally, the barrels are batched and bottled as-is.
“Well-defined aromas of plum and bramble sit alongside cinnamon and clove. Flavors of dried fig and date, as well as toasty oak and pepper, present themselves on a beautifully creamy palate. Superbly elegant and an excellent example of its kind.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Black Forest cake with the moistest chocolate sponge, creamiest vanilla cream, and almost tart-sweet cherry compote drive the nose with a hint of pepperiness and dark chili.
Palate: The taste leans into the dark fruits — prune, fig, date, rum raisin, dried cranberry — hard as burnt orange, fatty nuts, and more vanilla cream dip in and out of the palate.
Finish: The end has a soft dark chocolate creaminess with a flake of salt, more dark fruits, and a lush vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is just delicious. It’s very allocated and, thereby, hard to get a hold of but worth the hunt.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 98 Points, Gold Outstanding
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $44
The Whiskey:
This new expression from Bardstown Bourbon Company is the team shining a light on their own barrels. The juice for this one is made from a mash bill of 36% rye, making this a classic “high-rye” bourbon. The blend is then built for perfect cocktail mixing.
“A dense, rich toffee popcorn character shines through, with complex black tea, red fruit, and mint notes acting in support. The palate has a wonderful depth of flavor and elegance, with a masterful balance between cask and spirit.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice sense of toffee, corn husks, and apricot jam on the nose with a hint of eggnog just kissed with spearmint.
Palate: The creamy eggnog — vanilla and nutmeg heavy — drives the palate toward a whisper of cedar and mint chocolate chip with a touch of cedar bark.
Finish: The end is short and dry with a hint of vanilla pod, old cherry syrup, and dank tobacco in a cedar box with a touch of red chili and dry black tea leaves.
Bottom Line:
This is built as a cocktail whiskey, use it accordingly.
