Alton Browns Blind Bourbon Review/Tasting
Alton Browns Blind Bourbon Review/Tasting
If you’ve never listened to Alton Browns Podcast (Alton Browncast) you are missing out. I am a huge Alton Brown fan (still have good eats episodes on my DVR from 2010) and when I heard Julian Van Winkle was going to be his guest I was extremely excited.
In his most recent episode he interviewed Julian Van Winkle (well worth the listen) and held a blind taste test with a friend after the interview. Alton selected 5 Bourbons from his collection and poured each Bourbon in an identical glass. They bounce around a little during the Bourbon review portion but I have tried to accumulate the majority of the tasting notes. Make sure to listen to the podcast first because I will reveal the results of the Bourbon tasting in this post
Below are the results of the Bourbon tasting:
Mystery Dram # 1
Woody, oak, not as smooth with a little more burn. A little more of a rye mix than #4
Mystery Dram #2
smokey, peaty, scotch. Sweet spice kind of like a ginger cookie.
Mystery Dram #3
Smell is similar to #5. Sweeter, smoother, fuller. Excites the mouth. Spicy but mellow. Woody but not over powering
Mystery Dram #4
No real aroma. Sweet, smooth
Nice. Smooth with a little bit of spice
Mystery Dram #5
Darker fuller more saturated in color. Warmness without the burn.
Blind Bourbon Tastings Ranked:
3, 4, 5, 2, 1
Bourbons Revealed:
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# 1 Elijah Craig 20 Year ($140)
Woody, oak, not as smooth with a little more burn. A little more of a rye mix than #4
#2 Hudson Baby Bourbon ($45 375 ml)
smokey, peaty, scotch. Sweet spice kind of like a ginger cookie.
#3 James E. Pepper 1776 15 Year ($115)
Smell is similar to #5. Sweeter, smoother, fuller. Excites the mouth. Spicy but mellow. Woody but not over powering
#4 W.L. Well 12 Year ($25)
No real aroma. Sweet, smooth
Nice. Smooth with a little bit of spice
#5 Old Rip Van Winkle ($40 if you are the chosen one and find at retail)
Darker fuller more saturated in color. Warmness without the burn.
Bourbonr Comments:
The results are interesting but not all that shocking. I have always been a big believer that price does not always correlate with quality. Then has been proven true in numerous studies with wine. Your taste can be affected by outside factors like price, bottling and anticipation. Even changing rooms can greatly affect the taste.
Also, personal preference plays a big role (which is why you should be tracking your own ratings and not worry about what others say). If you enjoy drinking Weller 12 instead of Old Rip Van Winkle that is great! You will save yourself a lot of money and time trying to track down ORVW.
Have you tried one of these fine whiskies?
Add it to your Whiskey Library and start reviewing bourbons now!
5 comments
Advance notice–this is going to be harsh.
Shock! Old Rip Van Winkle which mere mortals cannot obtain is #1? BFD. I need a reference to something I can drink, not wish I could drink. Or have to win the lottery to obtain.
Full Disclaimer: I am thoroughly partial to Hudson Baby Bourbon and have visited the distillery. Not cheap but ambrosia of the Bourbon Gods. And (finally) accessible.
Elijah Craig 20 Year. I’ve had other Elijah Craigs and they are good standard bearer bourbons. The description above is pretty much the same for all of them, so save yourself $140 and buy one of the other bottles. Then use it to mix for cocktails.
I’d like to try Pepper (it consistently gets good reviews) but at $115 a bottle, I think I’d be drinking it out of an eye-dropper not a glass.
Well intrigues me and the price point is right. Will definitely get a bottle.
Four Roses (not reviewed) is (or already has!) made a come-back from what had become a cheap-drunk booze brand to a respectable sipping Bourbon. Looking forward to more from the Roses. Right now, they contend smartly against the Craig. And affordable.
There are several other excellent Bourbons not listed, and no, I’m not telling you what they are because I like them and don’t want a run on the bottles given the current tulip-craze over Bourbon just now.
My personal opinion. Your’s may differ, which is totally cool, so don’t be a hater if you don’t like what I gotta say.
I’m not sure I understand your comment. ORVW wasn’t #1 it was #3. The point was everyone has their own taste and a lot of times the most sought after bottles aren’t what people like best.
If you really like Hudson Baby Bourbon that’s fine. You’re paying almost $100 a bottle for something that is aged only a few months but if that’s what you like drink away.
As far as Four Roses and other bourbons go, yes, there are dozens of other great bottles out there. They weren’t a part of this tasting though. Did you think this was a “top 10” list? Also, no one would argue Four Roses has made a comeback. Their Small Batch LE was American Whiskey of the year.
haha… apparently this guy got drunk and then posted.
So Barnet Sherman… just for you… in the blind taste test the top to bottom was like this:
1. Pepper
2. Weller
3. Van Winkle
4. Hudson
5. Elijah Craig
So… yeah.
Also while I understand you love Hudson… I’m not a fan. I literally think I listed Baby Bourbon as single handedly one of the worst bourbons I’ve tried this year. The sheer volume of “corn” and presumably sweet corn… mixed with Ginger. Plus for that price point the finish disappears in an instant… it has no lasting power. Which isn’t to say it’s terrible bourbon, but it does say for my “personal” tastes… I’m not a fan.
I’m not sure if the first guy posting is an idiot or a troll. Hudson baby bourbon is the only pour I’ve ever sent back in my life. That stuff sucks.
This is quite old, but I couldn’t resist pointing out what a moronic comment that was from the guy who can’t read or count apparently. I stopped reading right there, because someone that dense cannot have a valid point. Whaaaaa, I don’t agree, whaaaaaa.