Its based on a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley. 2020 ModernThirst. Let me share a funny story. Wheaters are my favorites, but I like ryes too. I do not covet, nor feel compelled to obtain something that is nearly unobtainable for the challenge. Review #3/4 - Side by side review of Old Forester 1910 and 1920 : r/bourbon Old Forester Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, is the oldest bourbon brand in the US and the first bourbon to be sold in bottle. On the palate, you have caramel, brown sugar, candied nuts, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cooked corn sweetness, some mint and a lingering pepperiness. 2) Sazerac 18 Year Straight Rye This is going to be a controversial choice, but let's talk this through. It's our best overall bourbon not by way of life-altering tasting notes which include marmalade, honey and maple but by stuffing the stat sheet in a way no other bourbon can. The result is that both the W L Weller Special Reserve and the Old Weller Antique Original 107 brand straight wheated bourbon whiskey often sell at three times or more of their list price. This is all about the sweetness.. It's full of flavor and has a bit of an oaky kick to it that pairs well with the sweetness. So its whiskey, at a great proof point of 86 and an age that Minnick says is roughly five-and-a-half years old, goes for less than $20. Larceny - Definition, Examples, Cases, and Processes Its mellow balance helped by the prominent caramel notes of its wheated mash bill doesnt overpower meaty flavors. The history of Old Forester bourbon is as rich and colourful as the company and family that have been producing it for almost 150 years. This whiskey is also BIB and is bottled at 50% ABV. Production started on Ezra Brooks around the 1950s by the Medley Distillery. Vanilla and toffee are present with a sense of the wheat. Hope I can find some of them here in the Pac-NW. This juice is. The mash bill used contains: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley. Wheat as the secondary grain provides a bit of a subtle, yet noticeable contrast to the traditional rye component of standard bourbons. It is a wheated whiskey, that shares a common DNA with Old Fitzgerald and the Pappy wheated bourbons. George T Stagg (Some days I prefer it to just about anything) 5. ABV: 50% Because its not a hype whiskey, doesnt have a famous name and isnt a limited release, it doesnt get talked about but I challenge you to find a bourbon with this much firepower at the price point. Distiller Score: 84. Old Forester 2021 Birthday Bourbon Review - Whiskey Consensus It is based on a mash bill of 77% corn, 10% rye and 13% malted barley. As it turns out, it came in my top 10. Average Price: $90. It can claim to be extremely full flavored thanks to its 115 proof, and its taste profile is like a synthesis of. // < ! There is some alcohol burn, especially on the 114-proof version, along with sweet honey notes, candied citrus zest, brown sugar and that cooked tropical fruits. This is similar to the various Pappy expressions. Going into my tasting, I thought this had a great chance of winning. Note: the portfolio for Rebel Yell all received a makeover with updated labels in April 2019. Larceny is a brand extension of Heaven Hills Old Fitzgerald line. There is no shortage of good bourbon available today, although prices keep rising and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Old Forester Signature 100 Proof Purchase Info: $24.99 for a 750 mL bottle, Total Wine, Burnsville, MN Details: 50% ABV. Distiller Score: 84. This is an easy drinking whiskey with a classic bourbon nose and taste and a smooth mouthfeel. Medley Brothers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 51% ABV. This is another nutmeg-forward bourbon I thought could standout in blind competition. It bears no age statement and is bottled at 92 proof. Larceny Bourbon vs Makers Mark: Choose Wisely. Start Here! And in Division Two we have Old Forester Signature 100 proof up against Wild Turkey 101. Jeffersons has released a few wheaters in their Presidential Select lineupthat were great, as did Parkers Heritage. Below are 8 brands of bourbon that retail for less than $50, many are under $30, that represent excellent values and that you have probably never heard of. Flavor Profile: Rich & Spicy Its also worth noting that Wild Turkey had twoWild Turkey 101 and Russells Reservein the running to win it all. In terms of proof and age, I would say they're very close (certainly not over 5 years old). Yes. Old Forester packs a banana note that I thought could dominate the competition if I happened to be in a banana mood. The finish is long, caramel-sweet, with a lingering cinnamon and a cooked cereal note. This is a BETA experience. This bourbon may benefit from some airtime. Larceny and Maker's Mark can be viewed as offshoot descendants of that distillery due to the connections the labels have with those original three or connections the distillers had with the principal players in that distillery. If you want craft bourbon, we love New Riff's dedication to Bottled-in-Bond whiskey-making and rich flavor profiles. Wheat adds a creaminess to the mouth feel of the bourbon, and has sort of a prickly sweet flavor that is slightly lighter than the sweetness typically derived from the majority corn recipe. Oh, and it's sold in liters. Made using a single recipe and barrel per bottle, its between seven and eight years old and has more complexity than the Small Batch. For the uninitiated, wheat used as a secondary grain was really pioneered at the old Stitzel-Weller distillery in Louisville, birthplace of the Weller lineup, the Van Winkle lineup, and the Old Fitzgerald Lineup. Its also the recipe Pappy Van Winkle bought during prohibition. On the nose, there is a distinctive sweetness, along with ripe apple, caramel and a little vanilla. While it has an MSRP of just $40 (and costing half that much just a couple of years ago), its become one of the industrys hottest bottles more recently, and these days market prices hover around $300. Flavor Profile: Sweet & Rich This is the exact same juice thats just aged a little less. The whiskey is produced by Brown-Forman. Entry proof is 125 proof/62.5 percent. Seagrams closed the business in the 1970s, and Heaven Hill purchased the brand name in 1994, but no longer uses the original recipe; as Minnick notes in his book, The original yeast, mashbill, and flavor profile are gone, lost with time. But one thing the new bottle does have is time: its 10 year age statement makes it one of the older bourbons at this price range. Don't drink and drive. So, we switched Eagle Rare to its sister brand, Buffalo Trace, which always warms up my palate in the winter. Distillery: Old Forester (Brown-Forman) City: Louisville, KY Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey ABV: 46.5% (93 proof) Availability: Limited, 375 ml bottles, $50 MSRP Jim Vorel is a. 4. The oak peeks in with more vanilla, notes of toffee, and a bit of berry tartness. Lets Talk Fermentation and Distillation! Best I ever had was a couple weeks ago in a Chicago speakeasy the Office. Flavor Profile: Spicy & Smoky Head to Head Comparison: Old Forester 100 vs Wild Turkey 101 I like to do head to head comparisons because I feel like it brings out the nuances of each bourbon. Ive had/have 5 of the 8 limited/hard to find editions and they are not worth the effort, schmoozing, and gouging required to obtain. In the case of Old Forester, it comes from the recipe used by distiller Brown-Forman during the prohibition era when the government ordered them to keep their doors open to make bourbon "for medicinal purposes." It's 115 proof with vanilla, nuts, and seasoned oak that has a bulky belly which shows its exceptional age. Lots of rye spices mingle with sweet vanilla on the palate here. With time, the spirit may seem more balanced. One of the best new whiskeys of recent memory, Stellum is a more affordable Barrell Bourbon. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond Bernheim wheated whiskey a bit harsh imo. Bourbon with an age statement and available at barrel strength for a good price? The McKenna distillery was established in 1855, founded by the noted Irish immigrant distiller. The Bourbon Brown Book - 2021 Edition - Bourbon Culture 68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, 12 percent malted barley. It has a suggested MSRP of $150, and Reserve Bar is your best bet for snagging a bottle. Ive had or have everything on the easy list. Crafted at the Brown-Forman Distillery in Shively, KY. Hey Bill, what are the best wheated bourbons I can buy?. Our tester found that the 12-year is a little rough around the edges neat it is meant to be an affordable bourbon, after all but dropping in an ice cube really opens up its sweet wheat side. ABV: 50% Id certainly make a few changes here and there. Old Forester with darker banana, apple, and cherry, while Buffalo Trace with brighter, vibrant, and tropical peach, cherry, and pineapple. The brand was resurrected by Diageo in 2015 as both a NAS and a 15 YO version. The whiskey is based on a mash bill of 62% corn, 28% rye and 10% malted barley. It is bottled without an age statement at 80 proof. The bourbon is made by Jim Beam, and retails for around $20 per bottle. The bourbon category has never been more popular than it is right now. All of the Weller expressions share the same mash bill. Instead, it was allowed to rest until it hit a point the distillers wanted to hit and then bottled as is. In 1870, George Garvin Brown, founder of Old Forester, created the first bottled bourbon. Simply put, Minnick knows bourbon better than almost anyone in America. Additionally, it was aged at least 4 years under government supervision, and it is bottled at 50% ABV. Sour Mash: A fermentation technique used by almost all bourbon distillers that employs pre-fermented mash from a previous distilling in a new mash. Old Forester has been on the market continuously since 1870, which is longer than any other bourbon. This one is more of a sipper. This was so complex, with a 20-second finish and layered in vanilla that it was easily the winner. There is also a Russel Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon that is bottled at 55% ABV, and is matured in barrels that have been toasted to a #4 alligator char. The 10 YO sells for around $35 per bottle, while the single barrel expression sells for around $55. Larceny is a wheated bourbon made from a blend of selected barrels made in honor of this legend. Ive always found a bright nutmeg note, which can really stand out in blind tastings. The whiskey is produced by. This is the Bottled-In-Bond version of Old Grand-Dad Bourbon, meaning it was all distilled in the same calendar year. A wheated bourbon brand contract distilled at Heaven Hill Distillery, Rebel Yell is owned by Luxco. Distillery: Jim Beam, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory) Weller, and to a lesser extent Old Fitzgerald, has been caught up in the cult frenzy that now surrounds Pappy Van Winkle. Still, theyre a lot closer to being the same thing than any amount of advertising would lead you to believe. Really enjoyed reading it and appreciated your message. A leather note emerges and lingers at the end. Theres a light, floral fruitiness upfront with a wisp of tobacco, flourishes of mint, and plenty of vanilla. You can have five different notes hitting at once. Its so fucking amazing., Have Apple's AirPods Max? They all use a similar mash bill, andsome reportedly even use yeast strains derived from the original Stitzel-Weller batch. His bourbon incorporated a large percentage of rye, giving the whiskey a spicy and powerful flavor. The toffee and oak mingle in the end as it slowly dissipates. This whiskey is much better known then the expressions cited above. The Main Differences Between Larceny Bourbon vs Maker's Mark The main differences between Larceny Bourbon vs Maker's Mark are: Larceny's distiller is Heaven Hill, whereas Maker's Mark is Beam Suntory. High Rye: A bourbon with a higher than normal percentage of mash bill made up of rye (as opposed to using more corn, wheat, or barley, the other main grains used in bourbon mash). Egg nog spices kick this sip off. It has none of the harshness youd expect from a 133.2 proof bourbon, and doesnt undergo chill filtering instead just using light filtration to remove barrel char flakes. So lets divide them into two categories: Standard Production and Limited Release. But thats not to say that all of those bourbons taste exactly the same. Larceny Bourbon Review - The Whiskey Jug I Was Wrong: Old Forester 1920 Review - Blog - Bourbonr Home Distillery: Jim Beam, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory) At a minimum, bourbon must be 80 proof (or 40 percent alcohol), with its mash never allowed to exceed 160 proof (or 80 percent alcohol). The mash bill consists of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. But that is why I taste blind: I dont want to be influenced by brand name. And its the best cocktail bourbon out there. Four Roses is a highly regarded distillery, with a high-rye mash bill that produces an extra spiciness to go along with its fruity and floral notes, and a concentration on yeast that has been eye-opening for the bourbon world. The biggest surprise of the blind tasting since I had previously disliked it. Sometimes even exactly the same. In bourbon's growth, consumers have paid the price for its popularity. Wild Turkey is known to barrel its whiskey at a lower entry-proof, meaning the product is a lower proof as it comes off the still prior to maturing. My favorite by far of the standard production you mentioned is Larceny. The finish is short-lived, with caramel and oak to it with very little to no warmth. Fortunately, we can still fall back on some tried and true value bourbons. The Controversy Explained, Love Buffalo Trace Bourbon? The bourbon is bottled-in-bond (BIB), which means it is the product of a single distillation by a single distiller at a single distillery, and has been aged for at least four years under US government supervision. Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery, Louisville, KY The 30 Best Bourbons (2023) | VinePair Honey and fruit mix with a clear peppery rye note next to a slight hint of oak, apple, and more vanilla. Once again, this wonderful bourbon was in the running to win it all. The 1910 was release in 2018, and though it shares the . The holy grail of bourbon brands announced its annual slate of whiskeys in October 2022, and the release includes a total of five bourbons along with a rye. The finish is long, honey sweet, with cinnamon and maple syrup notes. As Bourbon Heritage Month rolls on, were taking a look at some expensive bottles of bourbon to see if we can find some cheaper bourbon counterparts from the exact same mash bill, barrel char, and barrel proof. Bourbon novice, here; have only sampled a dozen, or so, bourbons. The juice starts its time in a new charred oak barrel (as it should) before its dumped into a second charred oak barrel that's been more deeply toasted. Fourth - Larceny With wheated bourbons riding a tidal wave named Pappy, Larceny flies under the radar. Maybe I should have bought two cases. (Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post via Getty Images), Celebrate Bottled In Bond Bourbon, The Spirit That Saved American Whiskey, March Is B Corp Month, Here Are 8 Alcohol Brands You Might Not Realize Are Certified, Top Burgundy Wine Producer Talks About Amazing Value Wines That Often Get Overlooked, Whiskey Of The Week: Michters Celebration Sour Mash Is The Ultimate Event Pour, Whisky Review: 50 Year Old Glenfarclas, Bowmore, Cardrona, And More, Hendricks Gin Debuts Flora Adora As New Limited Release, Thinking About Black Wine Business Beyond Black History Month, Whisky Review: Compass Box, Benriach, Tobermory, And More. Its got so much flavor to it, so much complexity its just brilliant whiskey., Are we including bottles that are impossible to find? Minnick asks. Slightly peppery wheat next to a light fruit, vanilla, and fresh maple syrup greet you. Wild Turkey 12 Year Bourbon 2022 Review [In Depth] The Whiskey Shelf While Eagle Rare made it through the nomination stage, when it come to buy at the retailer, Westport Whiskey & Wine did not have it. It can be a blend of multiple straight bourbon whiskeys as long as they're all produced in the same state. At the end of the day, it's a blue-collar spirit, made by thirsty farmers, for thirsty farmers. image via via modernthirst.com Don't take Woodford Reserve's Double Oaked's ubiquity for mediocrity. Have tried, and enjoyed, the Makers Cask Strength. The bourbon business is dominated at retail by a handful of national brands. Type above and press Enter to search. ABV: 45% Both mash bills are utilized for this bottling. That includes retailer specific brands. This is an excellent mixing bourbon to have on hand. Thats not to say some of those werent fantastic. For something around $30, you get an expertly blended whiskey aged a minimum of 8 years with notes of cherry, orange, almond toffee and oak and bottled at a casual 90 proof. Im not ranking single barrel releases, or one-time releases. Give the whiskey a few minutes to open up and for the alcohol burn to dissipate. This is a side by side comparison review of the Old Forester 1920 and 1910, both are part of their Whiskey Row series. Sure. The bourbon is distilled under contract by various Kentucky distillers. #4 barrel char. Four Roses has two separate mash bills it uses for its bourbons. For this reason, I started selecting a Best Everyday Bourbon. Old Forester is richer, so it's less prevalent in this comparison, but it's definitely still there on its own without Jack Daniel's to cover it up. Gear Patrol participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. With intense flavors of dark fruit, cocoa, and vanilla, this Cabernet Sauvignon offers a smooth and balanced taste with a long, lingeri. On the palate, there is caramel, sweet cooked corn, almond pralines, along with vanilla, oak, spice and pepper notes. The spice gets a little peppery as a final cut if citrus arrives to help the end slowly fade out. These bargain bourbon brands can all be had for $25 or less, so make sure keep your home bar stocked! I W Harper Kentucky Trail Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 41% ABV, is based on a mash bill of 73% corn, 18% rye and 9% malted barley. Small Batch: A subjective term signaling a bourbon made using a select number of barrels or recipes in a blended bottling. This is a simple bourbon thats cut from the same mash and pulled from the same rickhouses as everyones beloved Blantons one of the more sought after and awarded bourbons in modern times. While I think the standard version is fine, Ive had two private barrel selections that were great. Theres no way around it, Wild Turkey 101 is great for the money. Evan Williams White Label Bottled in Bond Bourbon is produced with a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malt. Distiller Score: 82. Head on over to Distiller, or download the app for iOS and Android today! Plum, pear, cocoa and vanilla are among the tasting notes here. One of the comparisons I did was a side-by-side review of two Bottled-in-Bond bottlings: Old Forester's 1897 BiB versus Old Grand Dad BiB. Old Forester was launched in 1870 by George Garvin Brown and named for Dr. William Forrester, who prescribed bourbon to his patients. Once everyday, easy-to-find [+] brands are now allocated and outside of the consumer's reach. The mash bill consists of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley. And its a bartenders dream for its mixability. On the palate, there are pralines (candied pecans), orange zest, along with caramel, maple syrup, some mint and spice notes of cinnamon and clove. They can range from okay to excellent.. Whether thats worth the money is up to you and your palate. Here are my rankings the Best Wheated Bourbons in each category. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond won the taste for Best Everyday Bourbon. Now, she's struck out on her own, and in the tail-end of 2022 she debuted her first independent effort a tribute to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama put out by the city's upstart distillery, Dread River. Makes it easy to see why some newbies often cant tell the difference between some of these bourbons, right? Single Barrel: A bourbon made using single barrels, providing a higher range of variation in flavor and the chance at specific, unique characteristics. Been there, done that, feel silly never again. All 14 Bottles Of Old Forester Whisky, Ranked - UPROXX Bourbon is a type of whiskey that needs to meet a few criteria to officially be called "bourbon." This Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey bears no age statement and is bottled at 90 proof. Production is limited to 8,600 bottles nationwide, and it sells for $250.Pappy Van Winkle 2022 Lineup: No list of the best bourbons is complete without a mention of Pappy Van Winkle. It made my Top 5. It was thick, and the coating of the glass left a thin crown that dropped tiny, slow-moving tears. A beautiful marzipan note came to life in the blind tasting. After about 7 years, they start becoming nice sips. Theyll tell you everything there is to know about their whiskey they dont hide the mash bill, the distillation proof. Elijah Craig Small Batch is layered in vanilla and often so soft on the palate. But if they arent regularly released with a wheated mash bill as a rule, theyre one-offs, and not on the list. Old Grand-Dad was a contender for Best Everyday Bourbon. The barrels that go into each batch are aged anywhere from 6 to 10 years. But by and large, I find traditional bourbons aged past 12 years to be more often worse than their younger siblings (Elijah Craig is a good example). Yes, aging and blending can have a big impact on taste. But it goes into the barrel a 114 proof instead of 125 proof. A touch of water brings out more sweetness. Knob Creek 12 Year Price: ~$75 Proof: 100 Tasting Notes: Oak, vanilla, marshmallow Distillery: Jim Beam 1870 Original Batch is also blended by Marianne Barnes, the protg of Brown-Forman's master Distiller Score: 88. Name: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Whisky Age: NAS Proof: 115 Proof (57.5% abv) Type: Straight bourbon whiskey Mashbill: 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley Producer: Brown-Forman Corporation Website: https://www.oldforester.com/products/old-forester-1910-old-fine-whisky/ Glassware: Glencairn Review ABV: 50% This Kentucky Straight Bourbon from Beam was formerly known as Jim Beam Double Aged. In a whiskey market that's become increasingly fragmented and allocated, Knob Creek's classic small batch bourbon distinguishes itself. The look of it was like that of a reddened maple syrup. Additionally, BIB whiskey must be bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof). In 2018, Luxco opened Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, KY so expect the bourbon to be made there in the future. Entry proof unknown. Flavor Profile: Sweet & Vanilla Its also the same juice that doesnt spend quite as long in the rickhouse and gets blended with minorly different barrels for an end product thats very similar to Basil Haydens. Indeed, some bourbon historians believe that Pappy began as barrel selections of Old Fitzgerald, and was later chosen from hand-picked barrels of W L Weller. If you love cinnamon notes, youll love this, Minnick says. If you're making drinks, we prefer the light and spicy Four Roses bourbon. On the flip side, expensive bourbon isnt always as refined as it seems. To learn more about responsible consumption, please visit, Sign up for the Distiller Newsletter for new bottle & feature updates, Ezra Brooks Kentucky Straight Bourbon 90 Proof, Very Old Barton 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Evan Williams White Label Bottled in Bond Bourbon. Thanks in advance. I realize you wrote this article a few years back, however it is still relevant. [CDATA[ If I tasted this flight again, theres a very good chance Id have different results. With Distiller, youll always know whats in the bottle before you spend a cent. Although it is more expensive at $88 per bottle, it is a far better value than the $30 NAS version. With tasting notes that include butterscotch, toffee, caramel and honey, this is one for the sweet tooths. Elmer T Lee (Wish it was still as easy to find as it was a few years ago) 2.