Whiskey is Good » Kentucky

George T. Stagg

Whiskey is Good — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:03:28 +0000

From the Buffalo Trace Distillery comes one of the finest crafted bourbons to grace my palate. This isn’t my first barrel proof whiskey, and I have known from experience that they can be a little rough on the tongue. Not George T. Stagg, my friends. This bourbon has a full body, and the thick coating that engulfs the mouth is smooth and rich. The aroma from uncorking the bottle is also another delightful surprise. It has a balance of sweet from the corn, and spice from what presumably is rye and barely. One new note of smell for me was that of brewed tea, with very little alcohol nose burn. Another sensory pleasure is its nearly opaque dark amber color. Even held directly to a light it has a similar color to maple syrup.

Old Weller Antique

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:00:51 +0000

After loving the W. L. Weller 7 Year bourbon, it was necesarry for me to try another product from this company. By sight, it is in the middle of the spectrum for amber color.The aroma has the stout smell of alcohol heavily overpowering the subtler notes of sweet maple and smokey notes. Experience has well enough tought me what would come next in the tasting. The burn overpowered my tongue as it had overpowered my nose. Though, not to my total dissapointment. I did pick up the honey flavor under the alcohol. Which, is added to the bourbon by “wheating it”. Other flavors to note are: vanilla, maple syrup, a very slight nuttiness, and of course the sweetness inherent in most bourbons. The finish was on the long side of medium, and was harshly spicy.

Buffalo Trace

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:40:27 +0000

Buffalo Trace has a unique quality, not in its smell and not in its taste, but in its burn. I would almost go as far as to call it a sting. That sting is what I think many people refer to as an alcoholic beverage being “dry”, and I am not into dry bourbons. It has a sweet corn flavor, added on top of vanilla, and a nice mild spiciness. The smell, and burn are a little unpleasent in that my first reaction was that my eyes watered from my nose being on fire. That being said, this is not completely an unenjoyable whiskey. It has the cask charred oak flavor, smokey hints, and sweetness that draws me to bourbon as my favorite whisk(e)y.

Sam Houston Small Very Small Batch

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:40:33 +0000

The $30 price range is often a bit shady. It can be a good bourbon at a respectable price, but is often a bad bourbon hoping the price will make you think it’s good. Because of this, I often avoid it. Sam Houston however is the former. It has a nice spice due to the high rye content. That doesn’t over power the other flavors though, fruit and oak. Overall, if you’re looking for something different, sometime with a little character that doesn’t cost a fortune, just look for the first president of the Republic of Texas on the shelf of your liquor store.

Baker’s 7 Year

Whiskey is Good — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:34:14 +0000

If you are looking to get away from the average bourbon for the weekend, then this is where you should go to vacation. Baker’s is crafted by the same fine distiller that brings us Jim Beam, and they hit the mark dead on with this one. It has a nice amber and brown color in the bottle on the shelf. The aroma is semi-sweet with vanilla, caramel, and maybe a little hint of fruitiness. The flavor impressed the hell right out of me. The bite is mild-moderate, and it steps away from the natural sweetness of bourbon towards a nice peppery flavor that has a smooth texture, and a medium-long finish.

Virginia Gentleman – Small Batch

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:42:34 +0000

As you know, we like to give states other than Kentucky a voice, too. This week’s offering is a hybrid: Virginia Gentlemen, distilled by A Smith Bowman Distillery is distilled three times, twice in Kentucky by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, then again in Virginia where it is aged in charred barrels, officially making it bourbon.

So, does this third distilling across a state border make it any better? In my opinion, not at all. It seems it just misses in almost every way. Straight, it’s too harsh. Mixed, it’s too sweet. The flavors you want don’t seem to stand out in the right ways, or at all, and the flavors you want to be subtle jump to the front. All this being said, it has won numerous awards and has a decent name for itself, but in my opinion, not a great showing. I would suggest sticking with Buffalo Trace’s own label instead of venturing into this line.

Four Roses

Whiskey is Good — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:07:48 +0000

Generally, this bourbon smells very sweet, very syrupy at first, which I enjoyed thoroughly. Being aged 6 years, I was a little surprised at the bite that it had. I noticed a blend of spiciness and a pleasant oaky taste mixed with just a hint of honey, which is the second time I have noticed honey in bourbon. I would recommend this to people just starting out on bourbon and looking to get away from the status quo.

Eagle Rare Single Barrel

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:43:05 +0000

Eagle Rare is packaged with the “bold american eagle” on the front of each bottle, and looks like a special occasion kind of bourbon. The dark amber color, in the thinner than normal whiskey bottle, drew me to it and piqued my curiosity. I was impressed immediately when I uncorked this spirit. The intensity of the burn in my nose was on the lower side of medium and didn’t overpower the smokey aroma. The sweetness and fullness of body of this bourbon is dangerous. It was hard for me to not make drink after drink to an overly intoxicating level (which we don’t support). The perfect balance of smoothness and bite is interestingly well blended, and is “reminiscent of a fine port wine” (so says the label). This is certainly a whiskey that deserves to have “rare” in its name.

Evan Williams Honey Reserve

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:38:52 +0000

I was a bit skeptical when I saw Evan Williams Honey Reserve on the shelf. Then I saw the $15 price tag and the $10 rebate. It could be terrible but be well worth $5. Surprisingly, it is worth much more than that. If you’re expecting a standard whiskey, it’s not here. It’s lower proof and clearly has a honey flavor, as it is made with real honey. You can still clearly tast the bourbon, though mostly in the aftertaste. For a refreshing drink on the rocks or an interesting medicinal concoction it will make a welcome addition to the cabinet, to be brought out on occasion. If you can find it while the $10 rebate is still on, grab a couple. It’s well worth it.

Rowan’s Creek

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:18:01 +0000

I’m a sucker for product labeling and any customer-facing design. So, naturally, when I see something like the label for Rowan’s Creek, I’m very interested. The label looks like it was made by hand, and that’s exactly how the whiskey is made. In small batches, by hand. And you can tell. A nice mix of spice, oak and vanilla compete a bit with the strong alcohol presence, but that is easily overcome with a couple ice cubes or a splash of water. Overall, a nice bourbon, worth the price if you’re drinking it straight. Might want to find something else if you’re mixing though.