1792 Full Proof Review

Hi everyone,

Happy Valentine’s Day.

For my 69th American Whiskey review I have for your viewing pleasure, the BEST WHISKY IN THE WORLD. The entire world. ^{accordingtoJimMurray…}

Seriously though, I remember liking the usual 1792 when I tried it before and I have my friend Mike to thank for bringing a sample of this back from the USA for me to try.

Having spent some time and done tastings with Mr Murray myself, I have to say that my opinion of him has dramatically improved. Though, he seems to like Bourbon and Rye a hell of a lot more than I do.

In his honour, I will be tasting this whisky after drinking a black coffee, not having garlic for a week and spitting the entire measure into a plastic cup…

 

1792 Full proof 62.5%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Full

Nose: Big nose. Complex and dry, spiced caramel, cinnamon, some apple and under ripe cherry, a little hint of wood smoke, all nicely balanced together and without a big alcohol hit.

Taste: Silky and soft arrival, building with the grain and dry spices, lovely mouthfeel and good development through stronger spice and wood notes, very dry late in the development with a little chocolate.

Finish: Long length. Caramel and spices again but stays really nicely with silky oils, a tad too dry for me though.

Jim Murray seems to like whiskies that are well put together and this is surely that. Self-assured, powerful and balanced. This is fantastic Bourbon, if a little dry for my tastes.

79/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

American Review #69

Whisky Network Review #1010

Network Average: 75.2

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as the Global Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Pappy van Winkle 15, Family Reserve Rye 13 & Sazerac 18 Bot.2000 [Road to #1000, Reviews #985-#987]

Hi everyone,

Today I have more generosity from the guys at JVS and ImpEx, this time some American whiskies.

Near the start of my whisky journey, I was given 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die and I’ve been desperately trying to complete it. One of the more difficult ones to get a hold of was the Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye and when I mentioned it to Chris Uhde, he said that he had a bottle open.

Anyway, many thanks go to him for the last two as he also let me taste some of his Sazerac 18 collection (he seemed to have them all!) but I only made notes on the oldest, bottled back in the year 2000.

Just to complete my line up of notes on the Pappy range (still haven’t had the 12), I also tasted the 15 at the Whisky Exchange Show this year.

Pappy van Winkle 15 53.5%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Great nose. Fruity, red apple and orange, a slightly woody smoke, quite fresh though actually, brandy soaked raisins, buttery with popcorn coming out. Chocolate orange and cherry.

Taste: Dry and fruity, raisin and red apple, orange, a flat-ish spice note of ginger and pepper, quite flat in the mid-palate.

Finish: Long length. Dry wood, light tingling spice.

Love the nose, taste lets it down more and more. I’d heard that this was some people’s favourite from the Winkle line up but I prefer the 20.

75/100

 

Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 47.8%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Nicely leathery, coffee and chocolate in addition to the usual caramel, toffee and vanilla that I find in American whiskies.

Taste: Quite dry, nice leather and chocolate but flatter in other parts. Not much spice for a rye either.

Finish: Medium length. Not too spicy but not too impressive here IMO.

Lovely nose on this but again it gets quite flat and there’s plenty of average notes in here too. Still, it’s nice but you wouldn’t catch me paying $2000 for a bottle.

78/100

Sazerac 18 1981, Bottled 2000 45%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Complex and great richness, real sense of the grains, the rye is very clear but there’s a more earthy malt note here too which is as fascinating as it is delicious. Great nose.

Taste: So soft and supple. There’s something really restrained about this that I love, it isn’t super in your face but enough power and interesting spices to carry it through.

Finish: Medium length. Again soft but rich oak, complex with a darker chocolateyness. Not over oaked at all.

One of my favourite American whiskies I’ve had the pleasure to try and definitely the best rye I’ve tried.

82/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

American Reviews #64-#66

Whisky Network Reviews #985-#987

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as the Global Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Four Roses 125th Anniversary & 2x Single Barrels Reviews

Hi everyone,

Something unusual from me today, American whiskey.

I haven’t reviewed any Bourbon for a while and since I’ve actually been in the US quite a bit recently, I’ve been able to try some stuff that doesn’t really make it over to the UK.

In particular, I’ve been very impressed with Four Roses and it might start becoming a new favourite of mine Bourbon-wise.

Four Roses 125th Anniversary 57.6%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Interesting, light and creamy, some cooling abv, clean vanilla, perfumed oak, Parma violets, chocolate covered nuts.

Taste: Dry arrival, then soft and oily, building back up again with the perfume, dry flowery oak, dried flower petals, super dry but super good.

Finish: Long length. Chewy, floral and perfumed. Great finish with a little spiciness coming through.

Marriage of 13yo and 18yo.

79/100

 

Four Roses OBSQ Single Barrel 59.8%

Colour: Dark Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Ethereal and delicate, corn and rye quite clear and clean, some v light chilli spice, butterscotch.

Water: The fruit comes out with a cool vanilla-y raspberry thing going on. Cherry too.

Taste: Soft and very oily, amazing mouthfeel, dry oak building up with spice, vanilla and clove, some white pepper then going oily again into the finish. Some chocolate and cashew nut in there too.

Water: Really soft now, but good, dry oak and more intense spice with black pepper and big tannins, black liquorice into the finish. Cherry pith.

Finish: Medium length. Again, great oiliness, delicate spice and dry oak.

OBSQ, 35% Rye. 9 years, 7 months. Selected by Fine Wine & Good Spirits, 26th Ed. All about the mouthfeel, bone dry whisky.

77/100

 

Four Roses OBSO Single barrel 56%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Stunning. The richness is awesome with lovely fragrant wood, complex chocolate that stays with you after you leave the glass, chocolate truffles, chocolate powder, complex spices with stem ginger, liquorice, white pepper, creamy vanilla, dry nose overall but a lot of complexity for a Bourbon, very impressive.

Taste: Great arrival, dry and fruity with red apple, brown sugar, molasses, quite rich but not heavy, quite drying but not too much, plenty of sawn wood, then the chocolate truffles come in and they are delicious.

Finish: Long length. More herbal here with rosemary and thyme, slightly over-oxidised red apple, the wood takes a back seat.

11 years, 8 months. Selected by Liquor Barn. Best Bourbon I've tried so far, which puts it above the Pappy’s and Blantons Gold. Many many thank yous go to u/Devoz for providing this sample for me to take home.

84/100

Thanks for reading!

American reviews #61-#63

Whisky Network Reviews #938-#940

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Balcones Baby Blue Review

Hi everyone,

Aaaaaaallllll the way back in my first American review on Reddit, I reviewed Balcones Brimstone. Seems like a long time ago now. Also, I didn’t really like it. It was weird. So weird that I’ve avoided Balcones ever since. Problem was the Baby Blue was in my 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die, and as a bit of a completionist about these things, I knew I’d have to try it eventually.

 

Balcones Baby Blue 46%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Cardboard. Really, I can't get much past that. A little corn and caramel as it opens up but the cardboard is now wet.

Taste: Some oak, cardboard again, wet and soggy cardboard at that, thin mouthfeel, no balance.

Finish: Medium length. Oak and spice, very boring here. Cardboard and plastic.

Perhaps I was generous with the Brimstone. That was weird, this is boring beyond any reasonable flavour spectrum. This is the lowest score I’ve given something that actually claims to be whisk(e)y, add a few points if you enjoy chewing on carboard.

In all seriousness, I should add that I tried the True Blue as well but didn’t have time to make notes. That was much better, with no cardboard at all.

38/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

American Review #60

Whisky Network Review #855

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

4x Bourbon Reviews: Willet, FEW, Blanton's Original & Gold

Hi everyone,

Haven’t reviewed much American whiskey recently but I had a great chance to try some in Spain back in May, along with a certain infamous whisky reviewer whose name will remain anonymous for the moment.

This reputable, irrefutable reviewer is quite the fan of American whisky and claims to have tasted more rye whiskey than any other human on earth, so it was interesting to see him at work and taste some of the following with or in close proximity to him.

Willet Bourbon 47%

Colour: Dark Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Corn, lots of it, oak, lots of it, old crystallised honey, toffee apple, sweeter as it opens up, some nutty pistachio coming through?

Taste: Oaky hit then caramel, green apple and honey before darker notes of coffee and dark chocolate, pretty oaky all the way.

Finish: Long. Still quite oaky here, very dry, more floral oak.

I do quite like this one, despite all the oak.

74/100

 

FEW Bourbon 46.5%

Colour: Dark Bronze

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: A better balance than I remember the rye having. Dark caramel, marshmallow, deep oak, clove, quite rye forward.

Taste: Soft, quite oily mouthfeel, rye, clove, liquorice root, lots of oaky spice coming in with some marshmallow, tannins.

Finish: Long. Spicy but a bit flat here, flat tannins.

Not bad but any stretch for craft American, the nose in particular is pleasant.

69/100

 

Blanton's Original 46.5%

Colour: Dark Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Fragrant and full bodied, orange peel, lots of oak, dark caramel, quite nutty with Brazil nuts, floral oak, cherry lip gloss. Very good nose.

Taste: Soft arrival, builds well with fresh orange citrus and good oak, eucalyptus, oily mouthfeel, plenty of spice, red and black liquorice, mixed peppercorns.

Finish: Long. Very oaky here, but good and dark, very strong black Americano.

Single barrel. Good nose but a bit too much oak to taste, still, one of those Bourbons I like. My companion loved this one in particular and I wonder if a certain award might be swinging the way of Buffalo Trace this year…?

75/100

 

Blanton's Gold 51.5%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Pretty bloody good, lovely balance of fresh citrus-y orange, fragrant floral oak and clove and liquorice spice. Dark chocolate with walnuts, a little sugary almond paste, and a single apple pastry.

Taste: Soft arrival, quite delicate in the mouth (in a really lovely way) before developing more power, dark chocolate, coffee bean, tobacco leaf, dry great quality oak coming in then very lovely dark chocolate powder into the finish. Did I mention mouthfeel is spot on too?

Finish: Long length. Very great here too. Dark chocolate powder, soft oak whispering away,

One of my favourite ever Bourbon's. What I love here is the balance and effortlessness, which, in my book, puts it above the Pappies 20 & 23. Barrel 187 was clearly a very, very good one.

82/100

Thanks for reading!

American Review #56-#59

Whisky Network Review #779-#782

Network Average: 75.0

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Blanton's Straight from the Barrel (no. 235) Review

Hi everyone,

Never tried Blanton’s before. Mainly because it’s generally more expensive and less available than other stuff in the UK, probably due to the little figurine atop each bottle. I was excited about this one in particular because it was up at that higher strength than can sometimes denote an older Bourbon and greater intensity, which is generally what I’m craving from my Bourbon.

Since then I’ve leant that it’s distilled at Buffalo Trace and has a pretty good reputation for quality across the whole range.

 

Blanton's Straight from the Barrel 66.65%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Full

Nose: Intense, oak, nutty, caramel, damp rotting wood, which isn’t an off note but makes for a really interesting nose.

Water: Softer with more fruit, almond and marzipan, even some cherry.

Taste: Really intense caramel and oak then toffee and tingling spices, vanilla, quite bitter though.

Water: Softer with more balance now, lovely orange and it's more juicy.

Finish: Long length. This is where the magic happens. Chocolate, dense and rich, nice oak. Better with water again. Lovely finish.

A very impressive one for my first Blanton's, although not quite as good as the Elijah Craig Barrel Strength I’ve had recently, this is great quality. Especially in the finish here, this one really shines.

79/100

Thanks for reading!

American Review #54

Whisky Network Review #653

American Average: 69.3

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Maker's 46 Bourbon Review

Hi everyone,

More Bourbon now, and coming up. This time something from Maker’s Mark, of which I’ve only tried the basic expression (not that there’s loads of others to try).

The reason I wanted to try this one in particular is the peculiar finishing process. You may well have heard of Compass Box using Inner Staves to mature their original version of Spice Tree and it was banned by the Scotch Whisky Association. Well, Maker’s Mark aren’t under the SWA being in America and all, so they went right ahead and did it. I can’t really be bothered to look up who did it first (go ahead if you want to), but it seems like exactly the same idea. Getting good quality French oak, charring it and inserting a stave into the barrel.

 

Maker's 46 47%

Colour: Light Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Softer than the Baker's I had before this. Vanilla, cream soda, some oak, creamy, a little herbal, almosty leafy? Not getting any of the perfumed oak notes I’d expect from the French oak.

Taste: Soft, vanilla, cream soda, vanilla ice cream then building spice- white pepper and ginger, drying oak. A nice creamy one to start but the spice comes in, especially into the finish.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Dry oak, white pepper, lacks balance here.

Didn’t get much of the French oak influence other than the spiciness you’d get from any virgin oak whisky really. It’s quite intense into the finish, knocking it out of balance really. But the strength is good and it’s a vast improvement on the original Makers.

71/100

Thanks for reading!

American Review #53

Whisky Network Review #652

American Average: 69.2

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?