Belle Meade Single Barrel Bourbon 10 Year

This review is for the single barrel 10-year sold by DC's Potomac Wines (currently on sale for $58, a stunning value). It's bottled at 52.3% ABV, relatively low for a barrel proof bourbon. Just about everything you want in a bourbon nose is here. It resembles Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, which I worship, just with the intensity dialed down from 11 to 9.5 or so. Hanging in the balance are oak, vanilla, toasted coconut, barrel char, cherry, coffee ice cream, and some cologne-esque musk or oiled leather. There is a lot intermingling here, but it's like the perfect party, where everyone's different personalities mesh together. The palate progression is interesting. This bourbon enters stealthily, if that makes any sense. The first sensations are of a delicate sweetness, with no burn, but then there is a warming rush of oak, tannins, toffee, honey, vanilla, and corn. It is a rich swirl of flavors, which tails off into a stimulating combination of cinnamon, pepper, and baking spices. It has a creamy rather than oily texture, and it is so gentle I would have pegged its ABV in the 45% range rather than the 52%+ it actually is. Belle Meade ends with a lovely coda of oak, butterscotch, rye bread, and cinnamon. This bourbon is for someone who enjoys a lengthy, languorous finish, but one that doesn't light the tongue, throat, and esophagus on fire. One of the best bourbons I've had -- the only criticism I have is that it hews pretty close to the traditional/classic bourbon flavor profile, and there aren't many surprising notes along the way. This is a high-rye bourbon, so imagine Four Roses Single Barrel but with more oak and vanilla flavors and a little extra oomph. I'd put this at a 96-97 on the Distiller score scale.

Barrel No. 2304 61.15% 122.3 Proof Wow, this is perfection. Nose jumps out of the glass. Gobs of maple, black cherry, oak, vanilla, lemon cookies, and peanut shell. Palate is rich and decadent. Coats the mouth very well. Quickly hits you with oak and cinnamon, but it transitions quickly to caramel and maple syrup. A great ride in the mouth. Lingers for quite some time too. This is about a perfect a bourbon as I've tried. Quite simply, it hits every note.

So good. Not only is it a syrupy sweet vanilla/caramel masterpiece, but it's also a veritable cornucopia of fruits, from cherry to apple and maybe even a hint of plum. Solid spicy undertones and some chocolate help create a complex taste. Usually it's hard to justify bourbon at such a high price point ($66 for this bottle) but the complexity and deliciousness justifies the cost. Well worth it if you can get your hands on it.

NOSE - chocolate covered toffee, almost "candy-bar-esque", sweet vanilla, light buttery cake PALATE - sweet and smooth up front with sugary caramels, very quickly followed by a bite of hot cinnamon with another tinge of sweetness, ends with buttered nougat. FINISH - not much of a finish, if anything a bit creamy towards the end but rather quickly fading

Barrel #1601. Intense caramel and fruit on the nose. Carries over on the palate. Slight astringecy, but not off-putting. Dark chocolate at the end. 3/24/18 Cask Strength, barrel # 3811, barrel filled date 10/03/06, bottle 18, 124.5 proof. Delicious, intense, sweet caramel, spice, and fruit overtones. Warm. 5/28/18

Excellent. Just excellent. Sweet sweet cotton candy nose- Tastes of carmel apple cider. Complex and hot- with a lovely burn. This is NOT a run of the mill bourbon, it is not indecipherable, it’s amazingly unique and you will quickly understand after just a taste why it’s a great addition to your collection.