Still on my bourbon testing trail and this time I'm comparing three straight bourbons suggested by various members, though member Bengel was more helpful than most.
So I had Buffalo Trace at 40% abv, Wild Turkey at 40.5% abv and Jim Beam White Label at 40% abv. These were tasted separately each night on their own though following on from a couple or three bottles of ale. All shots were about 11cl (I get roughly 6 shots per 70cl bottle) and each shot has about a teaspoon of cold water added.
First off the Buffalo Trace, this I found to be well tasty with a little spicy finish. Flavours of vanilla and some undiscernible spice with nuttiness and corn sweetness to boot. Allegedly aged for 8 years, this I can well believe as it comes across as being very smooth indeed. Not Jack Daniel's 'Gentleman Jack' smooth but very smooth nontheless. A well deserved 7 1/2 out of 10.
Second is Wild Turkey. This I found to be very similar to Buffalo Trace in flavour profile though with more emphasis on sweetness and vanilla. The corn flavours certainly came through on this one but for some reason every time I had a glass of this I was left with a slightly unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth. I've not a clue what was causing that but it certainly was there. As for the extra .5% abv I really wish I knew why it was there. Bragging rights perhaps? I think 6 out of 10 is a fair score for this one.
Finally we come to Jim Beam's White Label. Now this was a very different kettle of fish. This bore little resemblance to the previous two inasmuch as it tasted more like a rye whiskey than a bourbon. A little research explained that I wasn't a million miles off as apparently this particular tipple has a much higher rye content in the mash bill. The first few times I tried this I was a tad disappointed in its lack of sweetness but as time went on I came to appreciate it more. Obviously much drier than the above two it was still packed with flavours and a slight earthiness and a little spice plus it had a nice fiery kick to it that the others lacked. I would say 7 1/2 out of 10 would be reasonable here.
These are of course my own personal views and likely not going to match with those of you who are more seasoned bourbon drinkers. I am no connoisseur of borbon (or anything else for that matter) but have enjoyed this little excercise.
I am currently comparing Jim Beam's Double Oak and Bulleit's Frontier bourbons so will give my views when I'm done. I have just today taken delivery of Old Forester (43% abv) and Maker's Mark (45% abv) so they will follow the above.
Regards,
Jay.
So I had Buffalo Trace at 40% abv, Wild Turkey at 40.5% abv and Jim Beam White Label at 40% abv. These were tasted separately each night on their own though following on from a couple or three bottles of ale. All shots were about 11cl (I get roughly 6 shots per 70cl bottle) and each shot has about a teaspoon of cold water added.
First off the Buffalo Trace, this I found to be well tasty with a little spicy finish. Flavours of vanilla and some undiscernible spice with nuttiness and corn sweetness to boot. Allegedly aged for 8 years, this I can well believe as it comes across as being very smooth indeed. Not Jack Daniel's 'Gentleman Jack' smooth but very smooth nontheless. A well deserved 7 1/2 out of 10.
Second is Wild Turkey. This I found to be very similar to Buffalo Trace in flavour profile though with more emphasis on sweetness and vanilla. The corn flavours certainly came through on this one but for some reason every time I had a glass of this I was left with a slightly unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth. I've not a clue what was causing that but it certainly was there. As for the extra .5% abv I really wish I knew why it was there. Bragging rights perhaps? I think 6 out of 10 is a fair score for this one.
Finally we come to Jim Beam's White Label. Now this was a very different kettle of fish. This bore little resemblance to the previous two inasmuch as it tasted more like a rye whiskey than a bourbon. A little research explained that I wasn't a million miles off as apparently this particular tipple has a much higher rye content in the mash bill. The first few times I tried this I was a tad disappointed in its lack of sweetness but as time went on I came to appreciate it more. Obviously much drier than the above two it was still packed with flavours and a slight earthiness and a little spice plus it had a nice fiery kick to it that the others lacked. I would say 7 1/2 out of 10 would be reasonable here.
These are of course my own personal views and likely not going to match with those of you who are more seasoned bourbon drinkers. I am no connoisseur of borbon (or anything else for that matter) but have enjoyed this little excercise.
I am currently comparing Jim Beam's Double Oak and Bulleit's Frontier bourbons so will give my views when I'm done. I have just today taken delivery of Old Forester (43% abv) and Maker's Mark (45% abv) so they will follow the above.
Regards,
Jay.
