A Corny Evening Deserves A Corny Headline

Two months ago K&L Wine Merchants hosted a Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd. tasting at my favorite (Hollywood) brew house, with both the distributors and a whiskey sommelier pouring and discussing the specifics of what differentiates bourbon from other whiskeys (easy), as well as how and where each of their specific bourbons are made and aged (spiffy!). So, like a moth to a flame…wait, no that’s a bad metaphor…like a moth to a linen suit I was there; snifter and Moleskine tasting book in hand.

I’ll spare you most of the unimportant details; but in a nutshell, the night went like this: between 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm on a Tuesday evening, my spirit-savvy friends and I had tasted 7 bourbons and 1 rye (all but one being completely new to me).  12 bottles were emptied between a total of 45 people. And - as is always my luck - after all of the posh, rosy-faced yuppies had left in their Lexus SUVs, the portly, grey CEO at K.B.D. (who – for some reason or another – was suspiciously rosy-faced, himself) began getting rather heavy handed with the most expensive bottle of whiskey they had (Vintage 21 Year Rye) with the remaining patrons (namely: Stephen, Sarah, Oliver and I).  All-in-all an educational, inebriating, and enjoyable evening; full of laughter, merriment and hugs...some of them awkward.

I had originally intended to report back on a few select brands from the night that really caught my fancy, but then opted to fall in line with my aforementioned ‘blogkreig,’ by offering a quick and dirty description of all of them, or at least the ones I remember/jotted down notes for.  Alright let’s DO THIS:

Kentucky Vintage (90 proof)

A good starter. Very light on the nose and the palate.  Subtle maple and nutmeg, noticeably high rye content.  Pleasant overall.  I’d recommend this to anyone who want’s to break away from the more approachable wheated bourbons (Makers, Basil Hayden, etc.).  $32 / 750mL

Vintage 17 Year Bourbon (102 proof)

Sweet and delicate honey on the nose, much less dense than most bourbons.  Also unlike most bourbons, the 17 year fronts a more sophisticated, brighter palate; replacing the characteristic chewy, oaky sweetness with  more herbaceous flare: light maple and honey with touches of mint and coriander that linger long after the first sip.  Not many other people took to this one, but - being a fan of the perplexing - I really enjoyed it.  $80 / 750 mL

Rowan’s Creek Bourbon (101 proof)

I had overlooked this the first time I tried it at the 7 Grand, which I will chalk up to socializing, which always takes precedence.  Here, though, is probably one of the sweetest of any bourbons I’ve ever tried: rich with cherry, dried apricot and vanilla.  Surprisingly dense mouth-feel.  $45 / 750mL

Johnny Drum Private Stock (101 proof)

Solid, medium to full-bodied bourbon.  Rich layers of smoke and chocolate complimented by a delicious, velvety mouth feel.  I definitely need to revisit this one.  $30 / 750mL

Pure Kentucky XO Bourbon (107 proof)

 Heyo!!  Hot and spicy rye mingling with maple and oak on the nose that dissolves on the palate into creamy buttermilk and caramel.  Honestly - imagine a fresh-baked old-fashioned doughnut.  Bought me a bottle of the stuff (actually, it was for my lab) right then and there.  Yummmmm. $42 / 750mL

Noah’s Mill (114.3 proof)

Don’t let the high ABV dissuade you from trying this one.  Mellow, earthy tones of tobacco and oak on the nose which carry on to the palate.  After a rye kick, the tobacco returns, with subtle but delicious notes of cut grass, orange peel, vanilla and créme brulé.  Apparently these last two bourbons were our dessert.  I may or may not have purchased a bottle of this, as well. (Don’t judge me).  $50 / 750mL

Vintage 21 Year Rye (92 proof)

Well, this one woke us all up.  Huge rye on the nose, and an intensely aromatic, beautifully layered flavor profile.  I say “beautiful,” but I think I might mean “crazy-pants-ridiculous.”  Cherry pits, charred oak, turmeric, anise and a bit of turpentine were prominent, though I’m pretty sure there are many a varying interpretation to be had of this one.  Granted, by this time our palates (not to mention most other senses) were glossed over with all the characteristic sweetness of +6 bourbons, so I’m not sure if my recollection of this one is all too accurate despite the extra pours we were getting by the end of the evening (not complaining!).  Deserves a revisit (pending available funds).  $90 / 750mL

Next week, I plan on collaborating with my brother-in-arms-in-bars, Ryan Julio of You Me & Iowa fame as we  compare and contrast our own bottles - each representing two different batches/barrels - of 4 Roses Single Barrel Bourbon.  If you’re not giddy with anticipation, you have much less to worry about than I.