BUCKET LIST BREAKDOWN (4 responses recieved):
Completely blind tasted then graded by testers on a scale of 1-5.
LAST PLACE: Stagg Jr (132.2 proof - Batch 4 - Spring 2015): 13 Points (2, 3, 3, 5)
Fruity notes, hot initial med/hot finish with ice hot start /smooth finish
Grain odor. Reminds us a little of Wellers. Chocolate. Very interesting mouth feel. I really liked this one
Nose: weaker, grassy, medicinal. Sweeter taste, seemed more viscous.
5TH PLACE: Elmer T Lee (2017): 14 Points (5, 3, 3, 3)
sharp smell/medicinal, bite initial taste, smooth finish with Ice...smooth to smooth, better with ice
Earthy odor? A nice flavor, a little stronger than we're used to. Earthy / grain / spicy flavors - Rye?
Musty/earthy nose, leather? Taste was oak, resin, pine. Some more burn, but a good burn.
4TH PLACE: Michters 10yr (2016): 16 Points (All 4's)
Smooth, George Benson smooth with a hot finish. Keep neat.
Not much of an odor. Aromatic / Earthy with a front of the tongue finish. Not as drinkable as 1, more drinkable than 2
Cedar/ wet wood nose. Stronger taste, higher ABV? Tobacco, wood taste
TIED - 2ND PLACE: Weller 12 (2019): 17 Points (5, 5, 4, 3)
Smooth start to finish, maybe too smooth for me lol, jk...Even smoother under ice, Perfect
Tastes like something we've had before. Very smooth yet still interesting. Oak notes? with good finish on back of tongue? I could drink a lot of this.
Caramel nose. Taste was cake, vanilla, marshmallow. Lower ABV, younger tasting with no wood.
TIED - 2ND PLACE: Old Weller Antique (Gaslight Liquor Pick 2019): 17 Points (5, 4, 4, 4)
Buttery smooth then hot/vanilla...held up to ice starting hot, smooth finish
Not much of an odor. Aromatic / Earthy with a front of the tongue finish. Not as drinkable as 1, more drinkable than 2
Nose: sweet, fruit, apple. Smooth taste, complex with toffee, caramel
WINNER: Evan Williams White Label Cask Aged Old Fashioned "Base": 18 Points (5, 5, 4, 4)
far and away favorite , smooth start to finish with fruit something .lol...tasted all and was last to taste, loved it but notes sparse. Thanks again. 2 tasted like a bourbon i just purchased. fyi.
Really good flavor, good drinkability
Nutty, musty nose. Taste: complex, balanced with citrus, some wood and sweetness, bubble gum? Smooth
Additional Notes:
I used a 10 point scale...? 11, 1- 9.79 and 9.86 2- 8.8, 3- 9.854-9.8, 5-9.3
Our first time with a bourbon tasting wheel, so we probably weren't very accurate. The SFTB was a great surprise - like concentrated Blantons . Thank you so much for doing this
Will do again. Everyone has different tastes and I suspected from experience that just because something costs more, it doesn't mean it's better.
Thanks ICON!
BOTTOM LINE: As always, there are some twists and turns with these.
I'm NOT surprised to find Stagg Jr at the bottom. It's very high proof (132.2 Proof) and the early batches of Stagg Jr they struggled to find ways to tame a very bold bourbon that's bottled at a pretty young age.
I'm guessing many will find it surprising to see Elmer T Lee near the bottom. IMO it's a pretty overrated bourbon that is tasty at $30-40 retail but not something worth lusting after.
Michters 10yr was included as it's another fairly high profile bottle that can be a little easier to actually obtain. This is an older release but they have held pretty consistent on flavor over the years.
Not surprised to see the Weller 12 and Old Weller Antique Pick tied near the top. Very good bourbon. Some prefer the smoothness of the 12 year, others appreciate that added punch the 107 proof bottling provides.
The Mystery Bottle was a late addition. I like throwing curveballs in these, and I think a consistent takeaway has been that some very expensive / hard to get whiskeys are overrated, and sometimes very accessible bottles can be as good or better. This isn't a fair ranking for off the shelf Evan White in that I've added a bit of juice/syrup and a good bit more time aging... but I hope it does convey that there are very strong options for cheap... and that you can improve them by playing a bit.
I'll let discussion roll for the Bucket List.... then we'll do Spectrum later on.