Category: Hall of Fame

Some of the oldest Maker’s Mark barrels EVER to be bottled including 85% 13yr old whisky, the 2024 Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged pushes into the deepest darkest char notes I’ve ever tasted from this brand. These barrels have been sitting in a 47 degree cellar though since 2017, mitigating some of the effects of longer ageing on this relatively delicate and fruit forward distillate. The result is a flavor juggernaut with layers of nougat, brown sugar, and very intense oak leading into darker fruit territory throughout.

Freddie Noe’s latest Little Book, “The Infinite” contains casks laid down by three generations of Beams, including 20yr old made by Booker, 14yr old made by Fred, 7yr old made by Freddie and a dash of shared 8yr. The result, one of the best damn bourbons ever produced by the Beams. No foxy orange yeast note to be found here, just insanely rich fruit notes along with brown sugar, spice, and caramel. It’s the closest flavor to the experience of walking into a bourbon warehouse for the first time, just very finely rendered wood and sugar! Bottled at 119.3 proof.

This year’s Master’s Keep is a 104 proof 10+ year old non-chill filtered rye whiskey that’s not playing games. It’s big, bold, spicy, sweet, with extra char but enough rye spice to lighten things up JUST enough to keep it from falling over from the oak. A touch of citrus throughout both the nose and palate along with a very complex fruit note akin to grilled peaches. This doesn’t taste like ANYTHING else out that, and for once, that’s a good thing!

This year’s expression of Birthday Bourbon is a 12yr old 107 proof brown sugar bomb blended from 209 barrels which lived their life in Warehouse G and L just outside downtown Louisville. Warehouse G is NOT heat cycled and is known to produce fruit and sweet which is certainly prevalent in this year’s release. Warehouse L tends to produce higher proof expressions, known to be spicier with more baking spice, as well as brown sugar, caramel and cherry. This year’s Birthday is essentially a “greatest hits” record of Brown Forman flavors with brown sugar and spice in perfect harmony. Plus, you get the amazingly flavor forward but still drinkable 107 proof just like another whiskey we love.

Simply put, one of the best Wild Turkey releases in years, and that’s saying a lot, becaseu there have been some real hits. It’s got big oak, akin to the older Pappy releases, but instead of softened wheat fruit and leather it exhibits intense sweetness along with baking spices. The nose alone is worth the price of admission, but the carmel topped apple crumble on the palate will make you melt. 117.2 proof and non-chill filtered. Them Russell boys know what they’re doing!

This year’s single barrel of Weller Antique 107 destined for Bourbon World is a distller’s pick from Sazerac. Quintesential 107 leather and fruit on the nose with caramel, toffee, and orchard fruit. On the palate, very fruit forward with the leather taking a back seat. I’ve always said Antique 107 was just about the perfect bourbon, and this particular single barrel falls right into line with that. It’s got enough proof to carry the flavor, but not so much that the alcohol numbs and drowns out all the drinkability.

For all the fanfare that Buffalo Trace’s wheated recipes receive (Weller, Pappy) there isn’t a lot of hype around the other major Sazerac distillery’s 1792 Sweet Wheat, a recipe they’ve been releasing since 2015. But I think it’s time people sit up and take notice. This whiskey is a knock out wheater with a healthy dose of herbs, oak, mint, and caramel on the nose. On the palate, it’s sweet, but not as sweet as the name suggests with a balance of leather, caramel chew, and vanilla. If you like Maker’s, Larceny, Weller, and Pappy, don’t skip the 1792 Sweet Wheat!

The first edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey aged for six years in rickhouse W3 on the third, fourth and fifth floors. It was bottled at barrel proof without chill filtration at 123.2 proof. The corn seed varietal chosen for this release was Beck’s 6158. The best part of this new Heaven Hill G2G project is the fact that the mashbills are totally different than normal HH. Mashbills. In the case of this rye, it’s got 63% rye, 24% corn, and 13% malt. On the nose, this whiskey is HIGHLY perfumed with an almost camphor like aroma, along with wet cedar, very pleasant. On the palate, the 123.2 proof is a spice bomb reminiscent of MGP, extremely drinkable and on par with Thomas H Handy. This may be the sleeper hit of the bunch.

High starch, higher alcohol yielding corn seed from Beck’s, an Indiana based company, ultimately makes better bourbon. In the case of Heaven Hill’s new Grain to Glass project, Beck’s seed 6158 worked perfectly in the rolling hills and rockier soils of central Kentucky to produce a 6+yr old 107 proof, 35% rye bourbon with ripe tropical fruit and lanolin notes on the nose, followed by very soft fruit palate with loads of rye fruit spice and a butter cream vanilla soft finish.

Let’s take a look at this $10,000 bottle of Double Eagle Rare. There’s no way I can taste this bottle considering we only have 1, but compared to other ultra luxury offerings, I think this bottling steps up more than any others. For one, it’s a great liquid at an age and proof worthy of the price point, but the presentation of the bottle, the glass blown eagle in the bottom as well as the glass decanter on top really set this a part. The last few years the Eagle Rare 17s at 101 proof have been some of the best and rarest of the BTAC collection. When you think a 20yr Bourbon is equivalent to a 40yr scotch and that MANY of those vintage dated scotch whiskies go for tens of thousands of dollars and are generally meant for collectors, a bottle like this is not out of the realm of what other like items in the market have fetched. That’s not to say it’s a bit much for the bourbon crowd who isn’t used to seeing prices like this, but I think overall the presentation, for those with the means, is worth the price of admission.