
Let the tastings begin!
Welcome to another edition of Tasteless Tastings, which is exactly what it sounds like: tasting notes from the riffraff. If you follow the liquor industry to any capacity, you probably have come across snooty tasting notes from classy people who make the new spirit sound more like a science experiment than something you consume for fun. I want to shoot gayly forward from the hip and tell you how it really tastes. So each time the nice mailman brings me a sample to try, I’ll gather up some friends and we’ll have a candid, lively and unpolitically correct discussion about said sample.
This month’s iteration is holiday-themed, so let’s deck those halls with the bowels of someone named Holly. Let’s get to it …
What are we drinking today?:
Two Bitch Bourbon Eureka Gold
What the hell is it?:
Straight out of Eureka, Nev., this straight bourbon whiskey (aged at least two years) comes from a new Nevada-based spirits company named after the owners’ love for their two newfound dogs. Along with this product, named for the old Wild West town the owners reside in, they offer the Pack Leader Reserve and a Small Batch with Bite. Apparently, Eureka sits in the Diamond Mountains on the “loneliest road in America.” So what else is there to do than to make bourbon?
Give me the nerdy numbers:
92 proof, $45
What do we think?:
Bar Belle: I can tell this isn’t an older bourbon because of its light color. It’s a straight bourbon, which means it’s at least two years old. So there’s that.
Kat: I can sip on this one! It’s light and subtle.
Heather: It’s the color of beer.
Tracy: It’s not memorable, but it’s OK. I mean, I’m not going to stop talking to friends and go, “Oooooh, wow!” But it’s something I could sip on all night long and not become overwhelmed.
Elizabeth: (Added a few drops of water) Water changed it for the better actually. You can actually smell something now.
Amber: Yes! I detect vanilla, and it’s sweet! It’s definitely a smooth bourbon — doesn’t burn, goes down well.
Bar Belle: That’s what she said?
Tracy: It would be good in cocktails because it’s sort of nondescript and won’t overpower.
Elizabeth: This could be the White Claw of bourbon.
Bar Belle: They also sent me a sample of the Small Batch product, and it was so delicious, I’m keeping it all to myself. Sorry not sorry.
If this bourbon was a Christmas tree ornament, what would it be?:
Group consensus: A standard, frosted ball ornament
Heather: I think you all are describing an ornament I made in kindergarten — I made it from a used pantyhose container! I think I still have it.
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What are we drinking today?:
Knob Creek Quarter Oak
What the hell is it?:
This new, limited-edition release uses a secondary finishing approach, taking fully mature Knob Creek and then finishing it for a minimum of four years in a quarter cask (a smaller-sized barrel). This juice is then blended with regular Knob Creek for this product.
Give me the nerdy numbers:
100 proof, $49.99
What do we think?:
Bar Belle: This is a new release from Knob Creek, which is made by Jim Beam. Think “double oaked,” and you get the idea. I’m a big fan of finished whiskeys for sure.
Tracy: Wow! We’re moving up the tree with this one! It’s nice. I like it!
Kat: This isn’t bad at all! It’s well-rounded, smooth.
Heather: I like this one, too! It starts off with a little heavier vanilla and then finishes off spicy. It’s the perfect bourbon for sipping in the winter.
Amber: The nose reminds me of fruit — dark cherry.
Bar Belle: It’s definitely a cherry bomb. Wow! I could sip on this for days if I didn’t have a job.
Heather: It would make a lovely Manhattan.
If this bourbon was a Christmas tree ornament, what would it be?:
Group consensus: A fancier ornament on the tree — possibly a snow globe featuring a bowl of cherries sprinkled with brown sugar.
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What are we drinking today?:
Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond
What the hell is it?:
This Bottled-in-Bond product was recently launched — or somewhat re-launched — by Heaven Hill, replacing the 6-year-old BIB product it had on the market for about $9.99 until 2018. The BIB label actually dates back to 1939 for Heaven Hill, when the company first released it and it shot to the No. 1 best-selling bourbon in Kentucky. Now, with a fancier bottle and label and an extra year of aging, the BIB label is a solid choice — although some longtime Heaven Hill BIB fans lament the uptick in price.
Give me the nerdy numbers:
100 proof, 7 years old, $39.99
What do we think?:
Bar Belle: This is Heaven Hill’s latest Bottled-in-Bond product, which replaced a cheaper version that was discontinued last year. The Bottled-in-Bond Act was passed in 1897 to kind of guarantee that what you were buying was legit.
Let me read you what Wikipedia has to say: To be labeled as bottled-in-bond or bonded, the liquor must be the product of one distillation season (January–June or July–December) by one distiller at one distillery. It must have been aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years and bottled at 100 (U.S.) proof (50% alcohol by volume). The bottled product’s label must identify the distillery where it was distilled and, if different, where it was bottled. Only spirits produced in the United States may be designated as bonded.
Elizabeth: Whoa! This is like a sucker punch!
Amber: It has such a sweet smell, and then it bites you when you’re not looking.
Tracy: Holy hell, Batman! This will put some hair on your chest!
Kat: Shooo!
Elizabeth: This is like one of those candles on your birthday cake that won’t blow out! It just keeps burning and burning.
Heather: I’d put it in eggnog.
Bar Belle: I like the spiciness. It’s definitely characteristic of the Heaven Hill mashbill. Not everything can be covered in caramel, you all! Embrace the spice, because it’s nice.
Tracy: This is one I’m not going to finish, if that tells you anything.
If this bourbon was a Christmas tree ornament, what would it be?:
Group consensus: A Snoopy driving a firetruck ornament … maybe that even makes a siren noise when you push a button.
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What are we drinking today?:
291 Colorado Rye Whiskey
What the hell is it?:
This single barrel rye whiskey was made by Distillery 291, based out of Colorado Springs, Colo. It is distilled in a copper pot still and aged in American white oak barrels for one year, and then finished with aspen staves. Distillery 291 is a small batch whiskey-making company owned by distiller Michael Myers (not the one with the creepy mask), who aims to replicate the taste, smell and folklore of the Wild West. This rye whiskey was recently named World’s Best Rye by the World Whiskies Awards and has received similar accolades from all over the world. It is now available in Kentucky.
Give me the nerdy numbers:
101.7 proof, $59.99, Mashbill: 61% malted rye, 39% corn
What do we think?:
Bar Belle: Rye whiskey from Colorado! And there is no barley in the mashbill, which is uncommon.
Amber: This smells smokey, almost like a Scotch.
Elizabeth: Or feet.
Kat: It definitely smells different. But it doesn’t bad.
Heather: It has a malty taste.
Tracy: Well, it tastes better than it smells, that’s for sure. It’s like fruitcake!
Kat: I really like this!
Bar Belle: Me, too! It’s different than a high-rye bourbon, but displays a great smoothness and finishes nice. I want to chew on it.
Elizabeth: If you can get past the nose, it’s actually quite tasty.
Heather: I’m not sure I’d put this in a cocktail, but I could sip on it.
If this whiskey was a Christmas tree ornament, what would it be?:
Group consensus: A pine cone with glitter on it.
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What are we drinking today?:
Larceny Barrel Proof
What the hell is it?:
Although Larceny Bourbon has been out now since 2012, this is the first new line extension of the Heaven Hill product. Larceny is a wheated bourbon usually bottled at 92 proof. And now, HH is releasing it with a barrel-strength proof. In fact, the bottle we sampled was 123.2 proof, but you’d never know from its crazy smoothness and sweet finish. I’ve liked Larceny since it was launched, but I never loved Larceny — if that makes any sense. However, after tasting the Barrel Proof, I’m smitten of the brown nectar that flows from the pearly gates of Heaven’s Hills. Shoo. I guess we should see what the others say …
Give me the nerdy numbers:
123.2 proof (proof will vary from bottle to bottle), $49.99
What do we think?:
Bar Belle: I hope you all are ready for some heat!
Amber: Wow! I like that. It pops, and then it’s smooth.
Kat: This is my favorite so far! Tastes like candy!
Amber: I agree. Right now it’s the topper on the tree!
Tracy: This is the bomb. A caramel bomb. It would be good to sip on by the fireplace.
Heather: (Added a few drops of water) It’s actually better neat. The water increased the burn.
Bar Belle: I feel like I’m licking a pole of caramel taffy. I wouldn’t even mind if my tongue got stuck to it at this point. It’s amazing how proof can make such a difference! This Barrel Proof just exceeded my expectations of this brand and elevated it to a whole new level! I mean, I feel like I know who let the dogs out now.
Tracy: Who? Who-who-who?
Bar Belle: John E. Fitzgerald, of course. The guy this bourbon is named in honor of. He was one of the only dudes with a key to the rickhouse back in the day, and they say a few of the better-tasting barrels would always come up a little short from year to year. They’d call them the “Fitzgerald barrels” because the juice was always quality, but also, there wasn’t much of it left. Can you blame him?
If this whiskey was a Christmas tree ornament, what would it be?:
Group consensus: This isn’t an ornament, it’s for when you’re watching the tree after it’s been decorated, sipping on a great bourbon while the fireplace crackles behind you.
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What are we drinking today?:
Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey
What the hell is it?:
Huh? Peanut butter whiskey? Yes, you heard that right. Peanut butter-flavored whiskey made — where else — than nutty California. There isn’t much about the distilling process on the label or website, but what we do know is it’s an invention by a married couple from Ocean Beach, Calif., who owned (or maybe still own) a bar. It’s also made with real peanuts, so if you have an allergy, this whiskey won’t cure all that ales you.
Give me the nerdy numbers:
70 proof, $26.99
What do we think?:
Tracy: (Takes a whiff) Well, I do smell the peanuts! (Takes a sip) Oh no! No no no!
Amber: It’s like drinking peanut butter.
Kat: I actually might enjoy sipping this on ice.
Bar Belle: It’s weird. Too syrupy and fake flavor-y to me. But I’d be willing to try it in a cocktail of some sort. Something with either jelly or chocolate.
Heather: Might be good in a chocolate shake — like a boozy milkshake.
Elizabeth: It would it be the popcorn ball ornament!
Amber: It’s the pickle ornament kids try to find in the tree! You know, the only one that’s different from all the others.
Heather: Come the first of the year when the diet starts, I might want to dip celery in it.
Bar Belle: That’s not a bad idea.
If this whiskey was a Christmas tree ornament, what would it be?:
Group consensus: It’s actually the drink of choice on the Island of Misfit Toys.