Alamo Bourbon Black Label

As someone who grew up in Texas, what I remember of the Alamo is mostly Davey Crockett's coonskin cap and Pee-wee Herman's bicycle. We'll see if there's anything worth remembering about this Alamo. Christmas gift from a friend. Never heard of the brand before. The nose is pleasant, taffy candy, vanilla, roasted corn, apple. The palate is a little thin, but the flavors are good. Vanilla, light caramel corn, slight barrel char, maybe the mildest of subtle fruit. Actually surprised there's nothing really off here. It's more like a Kentucky bourbon profile than what I'd expect out of Texas. I'd even go as far to say it's not far off from Buffalo Trace. So much so, I'm going to go ahead and side-by-side them. Unfortunately, in the process of pouring and sitting down with the two glasses, I've actually lost track of which is which. Neither blows me away as anything worth seeking out, but I generally think of BT as a competent, if unreasonably hard-to-find at times bourbon. And the Alamo appears to hold it's own. There are some differences in flavor, but I can't easily pick apart which is which and which is better. Don't get carried away, it's basic budget-level bourbon, but it's surprisingly decent. And from what I can gather, it appears this can be purchased at or less than BT's SRP. Texas whiskey, you never cease to amaze me -- to have a never-heard-of brand stand toe-to-toe with BT. But will I remember the Alamo? Honestly, as with Buffalo Trace, I don't know that I'll think much about it after I finish this bottle.

Made in downtown San Antonio, Texas, this upstart distillery also makes a corn-based Vodka and a coffee liqueur. I first received a bottle of this gratis at a company holiday party and thought it was decent. Since it’s a 90 proof small batch (which it doesn’t taste like) there must be a LOT of variation in batches, because I purchased a second bottle which tastes NOTHING like the first. The mashbill is purportedly corn, barley, and a “hint” of rye. I don’t detect anything that would suggest rye, and the corn, which must be predominant in order to call this a Bourbon, seems bland and lacks character. I definitely get the softness of barley. In fact, it’s so light that I suspected it might really be a spirit whiskey (since they’re using corn to make their “ethanol” vodka, could they be blending this? Whatever the case, I suppose a lot more time in oak and perhaps a bit of heat applied to hasten the aging process could help this Bourbon. As it sits, I can see why the price has dropped by 20% recently at my local Total Wine outlet. But even at $20.49, it’s no value. Even Ezra Brooks 90 proof blows this away for half the price. I want to support these guys but I just can’t recommend this stuff.

Nose is soft and sweet like fresh brown sugar, blackstrap molasses, and chocolate. Mouth isn't like other bourbons. It's like the ghost of rye is present with lots of corn which gets muted somehow like malt barley is competing for the same note and the corn wins out only on the high end making it almost taste like chocolate leather honey. The heart of this is very dark and earthy like dutch cocoa, pipe tobacco, and rich soil finish is short and earth covered. Leather bound books surrounded by rich wood

I was pleasantly surprised by this one, never quite sure what you are going to get with these craft distilleries. This one opens up with lots of dark fruits, some vanilla, and brown sugar. A very pleasant nose. On the palate you get some of that young corn note that is so common with less mature craft bottles. Towards the back of the palate some of the vanilla returns, along with some spice that makes for a decent, if unspectacular, finish. Overall, not at all disappointing for what this is.

A balanced, Bourbon Whiskey by the Alamo “grain-to-glass” Distillery in San Antonio, Texas made with locally sourced corn, barley & rye then aged in new American oak barrels. It has a rich birth with notes of caramel, peat smoke & spices; while a bold & rich life adds notes of corn, oak, vanilla, dark fruits & brown sugar; that led to an elegant death with notes of barley & rye spice. January / May / July / September 2020 / August 2022

Nose: Caramel candied green apple smoothed out by some vanilla notes and cooked grains. Palate: More caramel sweetness, the apple note is more of a cooked apple now and not nearly as prominent. Cooked mash, think of a nice fresh bowl of cooked oatmeal. Finish: Hints of brown sugar almost burnt like a crust of a creme brulee. That candied apple comes back to say goodbye.