Bond & Lillard Kentucky Straight Bourbon (Batch #2)

This year for the holidays I’m going to try a brand new whiskey every day in December. #lifegoals Dec. 22 I debated whether or not I would create a new whiskey in Distiller for this one. So I poured this side-by-side with Batch 1, and immediately, it felt necessary. For starters, the colors are noticeably different. Batch 2 is much darker in color. However, it wasn’t until I tasted the two that I realized just how different they were. The nose is where I see the most resemblance. Caramel, leather, brine. There’s apple on batch 1, and for the life of me I can’t find it here. There is cane sugar though. Body is nutty and dusty. I get leather, pecans, powdered sugar. This is wholly different from the fruit on the body of batch 1. Finish, however, is fruity. The brininess transforms into a citrus on the sides of your tongue. It’s delicious. There’s a cinnamon and vanilla buzz that carries off on top of your tongue. This too is wholly different from batch 1. I can tell these batches are brothers. They both manipulate the same types of flavors, albeit at different times during the drink. I can tell that they are both expertly made, but they’re just too different to be considered the same. If I had to give the edge to one, it would be Batch 1, but it is extremely close. A large part of that vote would be personal preference only. Both batches are worth a go IMHO, should you find them. Just mentally adjust for the 375 mL trickery. ‘Tis the season. I don’t know if I actually have 9 more new whiskeys lined up, so if you’re reading this and there’s something readily available out there you’d like me to enjoy/suffer through this holiday season, leave it in the comments.

Nose offers vanilla custard, caramel, black cherry, oak, sesame seed, and cinnamon. Slightest hint of buttered corn. Ethanol is low, allowing for huffing to one’s content. Palate matches the nose nearly precisely but adds raisin, apricot, pecan, milk chocolate, and candy corn. Flavor profile is rich, soft, and well integrated. Finish is nice and long and offers a smooth transition to cinnamon sugar, nutmeg, mint, black pepper, and soft, sweet oak. Mouthfeel is medium bodied (honestly I wished for just a little thicker) but very very oily. So let’s get this out of the way right now; I really liked this bourbon and…I’m about to slam it. At $76 for a 375ml bottle (ok maybe I overpaid but not by that much over MSRP from my research) the value is…crazeballs. If this was $50 for a 750ml then “hello new daily drinker” but alas, it’s not to be. Not regretting the purchase per se, but no way this makes rebuy status at the price point. Sorry, not sorry. Manages a 3.5 because what’s in the bottle is damn good.

After trying the WBS I was a bit disappointed, but a friend gifted me a bottle of B&L to try. Hoping it is better than the other offering. These come in half bottles that look nice on the shelf, but when you double the price to get a similar comparison to other bottles you should take into account that this is actually a pricier pour. Nose is really quite nice here. Brown sugar with a hint of roasted peanuts. Not a hint of ethanol to be found. First sip is a bit sharp on the palate. Get some vanilla, almond, and corn. There is a bit of heat in there that the nose hid. I get a bit of burnt sugar on the edges that takes a little bit away from an otherwise pleasant dram. The finish has a fading peppery burn. Overall this is definitely better than Saffel, but not worth the price of entry in my book.

Nose- The nose is full of lots of floral vanilla and a hint of citrus. Body- Very smooth and sweet up front with the vanilla sugar continuing, giving way to classic wild turkey earthiness including baking spices, pecans and lots of leather. There is a rich earthiness to this whiskey reminiscent of Blanton’s. Finish- The leather now gives way to tongue prickling pepper spices. This finish shifts gears hard when compared to the body. There is more of a zing than a sizzle that I really like. The pecan continues but becomes a bit more like the earthy bitter pecan pith that leaves your tongue a bit numb. This is an excellent, dynamic sipper. Thanks for the recommendation Milliardo.

nose - Sweet corn, faint dust, oak, clay putty. Nothing interesting. You know that horrible candy corn stuff? This smells a bit like that. Taste - Starts sweet but quickly goes to funk, dirt, clay, putty, and harash alcohol (it's 100 proof only). This is horrible. Run from this crap. I don't know how they found such bad whisky to blend but my lord they did it. on sale for 40 for a 375 ml bottle!

Nose - Alcohol, baked good, connamon, carmel - Orange Taste - Fireball - dry - Something green. Maybe the corn Finish - Short Other - pretty smooth. Baked spices and orange makes it nice to sip What I don't get - Vanilla, apples, strong oak