Surprise of the year?

[White Lightning]

Speaking of Bourbon of the Year maybe others have come across a "Surprise" of the year to mention.

In my case, a friend spoke well of this bourbon before and I finally broke into a bottle myself to see whether or not the fuss was warranted.

I was pleasantly surprised, wondering what else I've been missing. The item that caught me off guard was Pure Kentucky 10 Y/O. Good stuff in my most humble opinion.

Anyone else enjoying this, or discovered something else unexpectedly pleasant as of recent?

[bourbonv]

I had this bourbon the other day at Bourbon's Bistro. For me it had a wonderfull nose and not a bad taste but lost it on the finish. There was a slight bitter wood flavor at the end that I did not care for. I think I would use it in a old fashoined cocktail or a manhattan, but not not as something I would drink neat.

At the same time, I should say a friend of mine did not find that same bitterness and rather enjoyed it. Once again, different folks with different tastes.

Mike Veach

[MikeK]

HH's Henry McKenna 10yo Single Barrel.

I find most HH products to be simple and enjoyable, but none of them blew me away until I tried this one. Tons of flavor and complexity. And a great bargain too at the $20 price point. I can't believe no one has posted a review yet. I'll have to take some notes ...

[MikeK]

My 2nd vote is for White Dog!

I've been fortunate to sample white dog of 6 different whiskeys this year. I for one had a preconceived image of pure evil in a glass. The devils cranberry juice. Makes sane men wail and perpetrate unspeakable deeds.

Actually it is quite tasty. Fresh and fruity on the palate, with very little harshness or burn. I would not mind having a small bottle of it around for an occasional taste. But that's just me.

MikeK

[kbuzbee]

An old favorite I hadn't visited for a long time. It became unavailable here and I just never went looking for it. Found a bottle a few weeks ago and thought, "Oh yeah, that was good stuff". The new bottle, exceeded my recollections. Wild Turkey Rye 101. What a wonderful spirit this is. Full bodied. Great nose. Nice finish. Very spicy. Hmmmmm

Ken

[Strayed]

Whi'Li' and MikeV, Pure Kentucky XO used to be a fixture in my personal top five list. In fact, I might be the friend Mike mentioned. But it does depend on which one you're drinking. Like some other fine brands whose familiar bottles no longer hold the bourbon we once happily paid for, XO has changed in the last few years. The version I currently see in stores is a ten-year-old which comes in a clear glass screwcap bottle with a distinctive shoulder. It looks like the same bottle Julian Van Winkle uses (I think Julian is phasing those out, though). It's not bad bourbon at all; I find it similar to Peter Jake's Private Keep (another 10-yr KBD brand), and not at all like 10-yr Old Bardstown which is very HH in flavor. I'm afraid it's no longer one of my favorites, though.

The OLD version, of which I am now nursing miserly my last bottle, came in a cork-finished, tapered bottle of smoky green glass. It was 12 years old and was a deep, rich, and perfect example of the flavor profile I associate with the Kulsveens' products. If it's one of those you've discovered, treasure it. And if you've discovered more than one LET BOURBONHEAD KNOW!!!


To Mark and Chris and all our friends on this fine forum,
Linda and I want to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR

We sincerely hope that 2006 will be the best year you've ever had... and the worst of all the years to come.



Here are some photos...

[White Lightning]

Whi'Li' and MikeV, Pure Kentucky XO used to be a fixture in my personal top five list. In fact, I might be the friend Mike mentioned. But it does depend on which one you're drinking. Like some other fine brands whose familiar bottles no longer hold the bourbon we once happily paid for, XO has changed in the last few years. The version I currently see in stores is a ten-year-old which comes in a clear glass screwcap bottle with a distinctive shoulder. It looks like the same bottle Julian Van Winkle uses (I think Julian is phasing those out, though). It's not bad bourbon at all; I find it similar to Peter Jake's Private Keep (another 10-yr KBD brand), and not at all like 10-yr Old Bardstown which is very HH in flavor. I'm afraid it's no longer one of my favorites, though.

The OLD version, of which I am now nursing miserly my last bottle, came in a cork-finished, tapered bottle of smoky green glass. It was 12 years old and was a deep, rich, and perfect example of the flavor profile I associate with the Kulsveens' products. If it's one of those you've discovered, treasure it. And if you've discovered more than one LET BOURBONHEAD KNOW!!!

Always great to hear from you J! The bottle I have is the newer 10 y/o. I was encouraged to try when it was still 12 but never really saw it and just never "Strayed" very hard or far to find it.

Something that I was contemplating which you touched on, is the batch info. I was going to mention that it seems to fluctate quickly. My bottle is dated 7/26/94 - 1/28/05.

Mine is def. the clear bottle, newer screw cap 10 y/o. I'd describe it as just a tad thinner than I'd like but aside from that I found it be a damn fine pour. In all honesty it reminded me quite a bit of some older Rip Van Winkle I've had in the past - the major distinguishing factor was the thinner texture. If I can find a same batch or happen to stumble on a 12 I'd DEFINITELY back up a bottle.

[Bourbon Joe]

An old favorite I hadn't visited for a long time. It became unavailable here and I just never went looking for it. Found a bottle a few weeks ago and thought, "Oh yeah, that was good stuff". The new bottle, exceeded my recollections. Wild Turkey Rye 101. What a wonderful spirit this is. Full bodied. Great nose. Nice finish. Very spicy. Hmmmmm

Ken

Ken, It's one of my favorites as well. Of course they don't sell it in Pennsylvania.
Joe

[kbuzbee]

Ken, It's one of my favorites as well. Of course they don't sell it in Pennsylvania.
Joe

Well, just come on over to Ohio and I'll set a bottle aside for ya.

Ken

[Mike]

The version I currently see in stores is a ten-year-old which comes in a clear glass screwcap bottle with a distinctive shoulder. It looks like the same bottle Julian Van Winkle uses (I think Julian is phasing those out, though). It's not bad bourbon at all

The bottle of Pure Kentucky XO I just reviewed happened to be 16 years old (the screw-on ORWV 15 YO type bottle). But I think I agree with your assessment above, it's not a bad bourbon at all, but it doesn't live on my top shelf.

[Strayed]

Nice review, Mike (ABCGroup, too). Well, that adds yet another twist... ABCGroup's example was made in '83 and mine in '86, and both use the older "batch" label, so we don't know the bottling date. WhiteLightning's is much newer, made in 1994, but yours, with the two dates, is one of the old green bottles (at least in the illustration) and made in '87, only one year later than mine. From that I would guess that at least my '86er might also have been really 16 years old. ABCGroup's is three years prior than that and there's no telling how old it might be, but I'd guess that one was just as good (or better).

...and, in my opinion, it may equal Rowan's Creek, but it is not the equal of Noah's Mill, a favorite of mine...

I LOVE the way bourbon is experienced completely differently by enlightened -- but different -- tasters. That's why I don't pay much attention to tasting "scores". I've always been one of KBD's most outspoken supporters, but my take vis-a-vis Rowan's Creek/Noah's Mill turns out to be exactly the opposite of yours. Although I find Noah's Mill to be simply awesome -- I think of it as Old Grand Dad 114 with the "authority" of Booker Noe -- it is Rowan's Creek that I've always held slightly ahead. In fact, I think of Rowan's Creek as KBD's most sophisticated bourbon, such that one might equal Noah's Mill but not Rowan's Creek. By the way, although it's nearly impossible NOT to make comparisons between Old Rip van Winkle and Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, because they're America's two most prominent independent bottlers (and I guess you could toss David Sherman in there, too), they really represent two very different ideas of what (at least their) bourbon should taste like, and only a very few of us who enjoy one profile also really like the other. If I had to choose only one bourbon, between Rowan's Creek and ORVW15/107 I'm afraid Pappy would win out over the Big Red One. But if the choice were between Rowan's and Weller Antique (also 107 proof, and a special favorite), I think the KBD product would be my selection. Now if it were Bakers... that might be a harder choice.

Whi'Li'... Our whiskey collection lasts because we drink very small portions. I have no doubt there will be some of my old bottle remaining by the Sampler in April. We'll bring it with us. Be there!