Buffalo Trace Distillery releases the latest round of whiskies in the Experimental Collection 2011 and BourbonBlog.com reviews them below, including a Bourbon made with rice and Bourbon made with oats.

The experiment in these two bottles is all about the mash bill as the rye grain in Buffalo Trace’s traditional recipe was substituted with rice and oats. Both Bourbons were filled on April 30, 2002, and aged on the 7th floor of Warehouse I for 9 years and 5 months.

Like most Buffalo Trace Experimental releases, this whiskey experiment yielded very few bottles. Some will be available in select U.S. stores in late December for the price of around $46 per 375 ml bottle.

There are more than 1,500 experimental barrels of whiskey currently aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace Distillery, with experiments including unique mash bills, type of wood and barrel toasts.

Buffalo Trace Rice Bourbon Whiskey Review

Bourbon: Rice Bourbon Whiskey, Buffalo Trace Experimental

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky

Age: 9 years and 5 months

Proof: 90 Proof, 45% ABV

Color: Medium amber

Nose: Black cherry, caramel with buttery aroma

Taste: Enters clean, light mouthfeel with decent expression of oak. Hints of baking spice and touch of jalapeno/spicy pepper sting on the mid-palette. The rice is mildly noticeable with a crisp grain, but seems to dissolve along with the flavors.

The taste isn’t that “experimental.” It is simply a good clean Bourbon with some nice, light spices.

Finish: Brief with spice.

Oat Bourbon Whiskey Review

Bourbon: Oat Bourbon Whiskey, Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 2011

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky

Age: 9 years and 5 months

Proof: 90 Proof, 45% ABV

Color: Medium amber

Nose: Plays between musky and fruity, some apricot, a touch of sweet smoke.

Taste: The grains are distinct on the entry and goes to a bit gritty. Then mid-palette becomes sour all the way to the finish

The taste is much more “experimental” than the Rice Bourbon above. Some depth with overwhelming flavor being sour.

Finish: Sour, fairly brief

Popularity: 14% [?]

..until now, that is when you join BourbonBlog.com and Blanton’s Bourbon in Warehouse H in Frankfort, Kentucky to taste the complete collection of Blanton’s in this video. If you’re in the U.S.A., you have the opportunity to taste the one of a kind Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon as it is available across the country.

Depending on where you live outside of the U.S., you may also be able to taste the Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel, Blanton’s Gold Edition, and Blanton’s Special Reserve.

John Shutt, International Sales Director of Blantons’ Bourbon invites BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer into Warehouse H to be first to do an on-camera tasting of the complete Blanton’s collection. At this time Blanton’s export labels are only available internationally and in some duty free shops.

“Due to such high demand from our loyal brand customers we are looking forward to bringing one or perhaps all labels to the domestic market with our US Domestic Distributor, Sazerac in the future,” Shutt tells BourbonBlog.com.

Here is BourbonBlog.com‘s complete review of the Blanton’s collection below along with the video tastings and review above. Warehouse H is described as a “magical place” due to the higher temperatures. Col. Blanton discovered that this warehouse aged bourbon better than any other on the grounds, especially in the middle sections known as the center cut where Blanton’s Bourbons age.

These are some of the Best Bourbons we’ve ever reviewed…

Blanton’s Special Reserve Bourbon Review

Bourbon: Blanton’s Special Reserve Bourbon

Distillery: Blanton’s Distilling Co., Frankfort, Kentucky

Proof: 80 Proof, 40% ABV

Notes: Originally created at the lower proof for countries with extremely high tariffs and taxes on alcohol as they relate to proof.

Color: Light amber

Nose: Floral, citrus and fruity

Taste: Tropical fruits, honey  hint of vanilla balanced by a rounded barrel character. Vibrant and somewhat juicy.

Finish: Fresh and crisp with cinnamon apple.

Blanton’s Original Reserve Bourbon Review

Bourbon: Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon

Distillery: Blanton’s Distilling Co., Frankfort, Kentucky

Proof: 93 Proof, 46.5% ABV

Notes: 1984 recreated a Bourbon that Col. Blanton had created for friends and special guests taken from Warehouse H. Blanton’s became the first American entry into the ultra-premium whiskey market. Today, most distilleries offer one or more single barrel bottlings.

Color: Reddish amber

Nose: Robust and spicy with dried citrus, oak, and mild vanilla.

Taste: Clean, smooth and delicious with a true Bourbon flavor. Rounded oak, vanilla, burnt sugar and everything that communicates a “Bold Bourbon.”

Finish: Finishes clean vanilla, honey, and citrus.

Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon Review

Bourbon: Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon

Distillery: Blanton’s Distilling Co., Frankfort, Kentucky

Proof: 103 Proof, 51.5% ABV

Notes: Second to be created in the Blanton’s collection.

Color: Dark amber

Nose: Heavy rye, died fruits, and alluring with subtle notes of chocolate.

Taste: Elements of a Cognac a noticeable here with red fruit, apples, honey, apricot. Goes from sweet to buttery then almost becomes a chocolate fudge.

Finish: Pecan, leather, hints of tobacco.

Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel Bourbon Review

Bourbon: Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel Bourbon

Distillery: Blanton’s Distilling Co., Frankfort, Kentucky

Proof: 131.9 Proof, 65.95% ABV (Other bottles may vary as typically bottled at cask strength at 127-140 proof).

Notes: Originally created for the French market as they requested a cask strength version of Blanton’s.

Color: Deep dark amber

Nose: Robust and powerful with wooded vanilla, tobacco and dark chocolate.

Taste: A full, legendary flavor. Even with the high proof, the notes of oak, butter, and creaminess shine through.As once said about this specific Bourbon: “Un-filtered, un-cut, unbelievable.”

Finish: Long, Lingering and warming with deep chocolate, oak and

Blanton's Bourbon is selected from Warehouse H in Frankfort, Kentucky. Col. Blanton discovered that this warehouse aged bourbon better than any other on the grounds, especially in the middle sections known as the center cut. It is still the same today.

 

Filmed and edited by Scott Hendrickson AND Hosted and produced by Tom Fischer at Warehouse H in Frankfort, Kentucky. Special thanks to John Shutt, Age International, Inc. and Blanton’s Distilling Co., Frankfort, Kentucky

 

Popularity: 21% [?]

Buffalo Trace Distillery releases the second limited edition Bourbon in the Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. collection with a Single Barrel Bourbon. This Bourbon was aged 11 years and 7 months years in Warehouse C, which was built by Col. Taylor in 1881.

Bottom line: If you’re a Scotch fan, you’ll probably enjoy this one. If not, await future releases in the Col. Taylor Collection as more whiskeys will be added to this limited collection over the next few years. We had more of a liking to the first Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon. However, limited editions can be worth taking a ride while they last.

This E. H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel is “Bottled in Bond” at 100 proof and follows the Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon released around March of this year.

As very limited release, this Single Barrel may be difficult to find. It will be packaged in a vintage label and canister, which are reminiscent of Taylor’s bottles nearly one hundred years ago and will be priced around $59.99 per 750ml bottle.

Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Review

Bourbon: Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky

Age: 11 years and 7 months old

Proof: 100 Proof, 50% ABV

Color: Medium to deeper amber

Nose: Deep Oak, plums, and buttery. The nose contains much the signature oak DNA of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and other Buffalo Trace Bourbons.

Taste: Enters sweet and buttery, goes to a mild zesty citrus character and the swallow is a prevalence of “smokiness” reminiscent of a Scotch. The acidic nature plays against the smoke in a strange fashion at first, but after more sips becomes an interesting journey.

This kind of smoke is rather unexpected flavor coming out of a Bourbon and delivers the the depth of the barrel in a fashion that we don’t taste often.

Finish: Long finish of serious oak stays firm on the tongue along with citrus, bitter, and  tobacco.

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr.

Taylor is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry, fighting for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, nearly three decades after he purchased the now Buffalo Trace Distillery. During his time, Taylor implemented several innovative methods still used today by Buffalo Trace, such as climate controlled aging warehouses.

In addition to his bourbon interests, Taylor had political ties. He was the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor and elected the mayor of Frankfort, state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.

Bourbon review by BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer

Popularity: 23% [?]

Named after the year Kentucky officially became a state, 1792 is the official toasting Bourbon of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. A unique mash bill with stronger rye content delivers a distinct and recognizable, delicious flavor to 1792 Ridgemont Reserve. Thus, here is BourbonBlog.com‘s review of 1792 Bourbon..

1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon Review

Bourbon: 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon

Distillery: Barton 1792 Distillery, Bardstown, KY. This is the former Tom Moore Distillery

Age: “No less than 8 years”

Proof: 93.7 Proof, 46.85% ABV

Color: Solid Caramel

Nose: Corn sweetness with good backbone of the rye, vanilla, some light peach.

Taste: A nice thickness with balance of the sweet and spice. The flavor drinks well under 93 proof with little burn. This smoothness and texture are indeed a compliment to the crafting process and selection by Ken Pierce. Somewhat rich and dessert-like in nature with elements of date nut, pecan pie, apple with creamy textures on the back end.

Finish: Moderate to long with mild lingering sweetness.

Bourbon review by BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer & Stephen Dennison

Popularity: 20% [?]

BourbonBlog.com brings you the first Wild Turkey 81 review. This new Bourbon made with a blend six, seven,and eight-year-old Bourbons is the first whiskey solely crafted by Wild Turkey Associate Distiller Eddie Russell. Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon was developed largely for mixology to be a truly “mixable spirit” to delivers Wild Turkey’s famous kick.

So far, we have mixed it in a classic Manhattan and an Old-Fashioned. The flavor stands up delivering a fairly bold, buttery and refined flavor. This Bourbon also makes a good sipper for the value at a price of $19.99 (MSRP) a bottle, here is our review..

Wild Turkey 81 Review

Bourbon: Wild Turkey 81

Distillery: Wild Turkey Distillery, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

Age: Blend six, seven,and eight-year-old Bourbon.

Proof: 81 Proof, 40.5% ABV

Color: Medium amber

Nose: An oak coated vanilla with has some detectable age, soft corn and hints of rye.

Taste: The entry is mellow and somewhat soft yet it has a vibrant and rounded complexity. Flavors open up in mid-palette and become more intense with the oak and char toward the finish. Nice blend of caramel, honey, vanilla and oak. The DNA of Wild Turkey’s high-rye mash is evident, but less pronounced than most Wild Turkey Bourbons.

In some small ways, the flavor has a few of the spicier elements of the acclaimed Wild Turkey Tradition. For 81 proof, Wild Turkey 81 delivers more punch than most of the standard competition that weigh in at 80 proof. This seems to be the reason why it was created partly for the mixology wanting that real Bourbon flavor but without the proof that would completely “knock out” the rest of the spirits used in the cocktail.

The signature hallmark of a Wild Turkey Bourbon exists subtlety in a way that has never been expressed in Russell’s Reserve, Rare Breed or any other Wild Turkey Bourbons. Eddie, well done!

Finish: Opens up on the finish to heavier oak and the char #4 with hints of cinnamon candies.

Popularity: 22% [?]