Capitol Bourbon Committee Blind Tasting Bourbon #1: Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve Small Batch Single Barrel Bourbon

The Capitol Bourbon Committee recently began its first blind tasting.  I purchased eight different American whiskies, divided them up, had my wife label them, and then distributed them to the group.  All any of us knew about them is that they are American whiskey.  The Committee then provided tasting notes. We think this will be a lot of fun.

The blind samples ready for distribution.

Our first selection was the latest release of Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve. Recently, WTRR went from a 10 year old, 90 proof to a no age statement barrel proof bourbon. In this case, the bourbon is 110 proof, which seems about right given that Wild Turkey allegedly has some of the lowest barrel entry proofs in the business. It has been a popular release among bourbon enthusiasts, as we generally like barrel proof offerings (we hate paying for water) and the price is pretty fair--I picked this bottle up for about $46--for a barrel proof bottle. On to the notes.

Average Score: 81.8

Gulliver:
Nose is slightly astringent. (Literally: hint of cleaning solution, maybe some spearmint.) Mouthfeel somewhat thin, nice heat despite not being very high proof (I'd guess). Taste is a little ordinary, though that nice heat is noticeable in the finish. Underwhelmed. 75/100.

Kyle:
Very smokey almost "scotch-ish".  Nice initial pepper taste with a fairly smooth lingering finish.  I really like the flavor and would score this 75/100.

Brett:

nose: leathery with a slightly pungent alcohol burn; behind that it's sweeter with hints of vanilla and an almost floral quality

taste: peppery and spicy on the tongue with a little bit of citrus zest

finish: spice quickly gives way to a warm, big sweetness and a little bit of fig; with a little bit of water or ice the finish rounds out to a smooth butterscotch

overall score = 87

As an aside: I was a little put off by the strength of this at first, but as my palate adjusted I noticed more complexity and really enjoyed it in the end.

Jon:

Nose: Alcohol, even after adding some water.

Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve

Taste: Hints of honey and vanilla.

Finish: Long, with the vanilla lingering.

Score: I think my score for this first one would only be an 85. Too much alcohol really obscures the other flavors for me, but the ones I got weren't all that interesting.

Jason:

Missing in Action, probably due to a newborn baby.

Keith:

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, barrel char, cinnamon and spice

Taste: Bubblegum, some plum I think, fairly hot (needs water), caramel and vanilla, with a full mouthfeel

Finish: Very sweet, hot, and medium length

Overall: 87. A nice whiskey, balanced with sweet and spicy notes. It is hot, so adding water is recommended.

Capitol Bourbon Committee Meeting, Preview

This Saturday the Capitol Bourbon Committee will meet to drink, eat, and drink.  The line-up includes 5 Willetts, 3 different private barrel Old Weller Antiques, a Four Roses OBSF and a Four Roses OESK. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with the guys and sharing some damn fine bourbon.

A partial view of what's on tap for Saturday.

Gulliver's Debut: George T. Stagg 2012 Tasting Notes

Today in his Capitol Bourbon Committee Blog debut, Gulliver reviews a 2012 bottling of George T. Stagg:



George T. Stagg--A lion of a bourbon.

This is the sort of whiskey that makes me wish I had a more expansive vocabulary. I can count on one hand the others (Jefferson 18, Pappy 15, William Larue Weller, Elijah Craig 18) with similarly complex taste and nose: bourbons that seem to change each time you take a sip.  The Stagg has what I can only describe as a "rounded" scent: the very opposite of acidic or astringent, no alcohol-burn (once you've let it rest a minute), but rather something like polished leather or even a nice, robust cookie dough.  Other times (especially with ice), I get hints of hard candy: not sweet, but raw sugar. 

The taste is more leather, with an alcohol punch that promises happier fourth and fifth sips ahead. Mouth feel is silky and full, which is all the more enjoyable for the fact that you'll want to hold it there for a moment before the finish knocks you on your ass. Oaky without being "woody," which is pejorative in my lexicon. The ice-melt of this whiskey should sell for more than the average bottle. (I know, purists, I know: one of these days I'll grow a pair and drink it straight. Or faster. You enjoy yours, I'll enjoy mine.) I could stay happy for the rest of the night just sniffing the glass this was poured in.

I'm not much for ratings unless I'm tasting things side-by-side, but I'll give this a 90. The bourbons I've named above are the only others that compare, so maybe it should be higher, but I'm gonna tell you a dirty little secret: whiskeys between 95 and 105 proof, stuff I don't have to cut on my own, are always going to come in higher than their barrel-proof alternatives. (I know, the purists are pissed again.)

This is a fantastic bourbon.  If you're going to cut it (which is something I recommend), you should go with water instead of ice to get a consistent flavor throughout the pour.  A slow-melting ice-cube means it'll kick your ass at the beginning and waste your money at the end.  But by all means, drink this whiskey if you can get your hands on it.

Here's some other reviews of GTS:

Bourbon Basement

Sour Mash Manifesto (2010 Bottle)

Wheater Wednesday, Parker's Heritage Collection, 2010

Note: Wheater Wednesday is a result of a massive blind wheated bourbon tasting I participated in late in 2012.  All the bourbons reviewed here are publicly available.

Parker's Heritage Collection is a highly sought after annual release from the Heaven Hill distillery.  This release is a 10 year old, 127.8 proof, wheated bourbon.  Unfortunately, I missed on out this one when it was in stores, as I was not turned on to the Heritage Collection until 2011.  This one is very popular among bourbon enthusiasts and if you see one on a shelf, you should buy it.  On to the notes:

Nose: Vanilla, caramel, maple. Some bubble gum and apple notes as well.

Taste: Very similar to the nose, but also quite hot.  A couple of drops of water cooled it down and brought out some corn notes.

Finish: Medium in length, with some spiciness on the back of the tongue.

Overall: 84

The group's average score for this bourbon was 90.2, which is one of the highest average scores the group has ever recorded.  I was certainly the outlier here.  I think the heat turned me off, and with a small sample it is difficult to get the proof just where you like it.  I've had this bourbon since, and I have found subsequent pours very, very good.  I highly recommend this bourbon and wish I had a bottle or two in my bunker.

The bourbon dork also reviewed PHC 2010.

Bourbon Tasting Friday

On Friday, Gulliver and I did a quick little bourbon trip that bourbon enthusiasts consider routine.  I'm on the weekly marketing email list for several of the better liquor stores around town, and one of them, Pearson's, had some things that caught my eye this week.

This week Pearson's received their shipment of single barrel Jefferson's Presidential Select 18.  I've very much enjoyed this bourbon over the past year or so--It markets itself as being "aged in Stitzel-Weller barrels" which has lead everyone to believe that this is S-W juice (the same as older Pappy).  I think it drinks the same way, so I don't see any reason why that wouldn't be the case.  The odd way of marketing it--aged in S-W barrels--makes me wonder though.  Why not just say "This is S-W bourbon"?  Anyhow.

I already have a bottle of it in my bunker, so I passed, but Gulliver picked up another bottle of it for his.  Gulliver loves that stuff.  He's got a few bottles in his bunker.  The store was also doing an E.H. Taylor line tasting, so we stuck around for that.  We tasted the small batch, single barrel and the rye.  I preferred the small batch, and Gulliver preferred the single barrel.  We both knew more about bourbon than the representative pouring the whiskey, but we mostly kept our mouth shut and just enjoyed the whiskey.

We had a few more minutes to kill so we walked over to a place next door tastefully named Bourbon. Bourbon had an excellent selection of high end and hard to find bourbon.  I had pours of the 2010 Parker's Heritage Collection wheated bourbon and an Eagle Rare 101 that is no longer in production.  Gulliver had Elijah Craig 18, which is not in production now, and a PHC 2010.  We both though the PHC 2010 was the star of the show.

Wheater Wednesday, Van Winkle "Lot B"

Note: Wheater Wednesday is a result of a massive blind wheated bourbon tasting that recently concluded.  All bourbons here are publicly available.

Van Winkle is quickly becoming the most famous name in bourbon--or at least the most sought after.  (As any whiskey blogger can tell you, writing about Pappy Van Winkle is a quick way to boost your traffic stats.)  The "Lot B" version is a 12 year old whiskey bottled at 90.4 proof.  Two years ago I received a bottle as a gift, but since then (and that bottle is LONG gone) I've not been able to find any at a reasonable price.

Remember that the big wheater tasting was blind, so I did not know what I was tasting.  Here are the details:

Nose: Caramel, some vanilla and barrel char.  Some richness here.

Taste: Disappointingly thin and watery.  Doesn't live up to the nose. Musty, not a whole lot stood out here for me. Some nice sweetness but it is in the background.  Okay, but unremarkable.

Finish: Mild spice, but rather short.

Overall: I scored this an 80.  I think this is perfect example of something being overrated because if its name. It's not bad, but there's better wheaters out there and they're almost all easier to find.

Bourbon Hunting Saturday

On Saturday morning, Gulliver and I played a round of golf at one of our favorite courses in Maryland.  As is our tradition, we did some bourbon hunting after the round.  We sort of try to keep an open mind--we look for dusties and hard to find bottles.

My Haul

The Washington, DC market for bourbon is, well, insane.  The best-stocked stores have recognized the whiskey bubble, and over the last couple of years they've raised prices on the hardest to find bottles by up to 100%.  I've seen the BTAC for $149.99, Parker's Heritage for $120, and some older Willett bottles for well over $200.  And don't even try to find Pappy--my local store I visit most often is selling "Lot B" for $129.99.  The suggested retail price of "Lot B" is somewhere around $40-$50.

So after the round, Gulliver and I hit a couple of liquor stores.  The first was a den of miserable human existence that included off-track betting and cheap, handle sized whiskey.  I thought we might be able to find a dusty or two there, but no dice. We did, however, find a bottle of Old Fitzgerald with a misspelling on the back.

Gulliver's Gifts

We drove down the street a little bit and hit the bourbon jackpot.  The store had Stagg, Weller, and the rest of the BTAC, as well as 2011 and 2012 versions of the Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch.  These bottles are all well over $100 in DC, but we were able to get them at or below $79.99.  Gulliver added an Abraham Bowman Port finished and I also picked up a Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 19 year old French oak.

All and all, even though our golf games sucked, our bourbon game was excellent.  We were able to snag some great whiskey at fair prices.  And these days, that is almost asking too much.