Cream of Kentucky 13 Year

Rating: 19/23 N: Big and bold, with lots of wood, vanilla, and smoke. It doesn't smell overly bitter though. Eventually, some spices come out in the rich cinnamon range predominantly and there's a little overlap with something faintly like coffee. There's not other complexity here, but it has this rich, old smell to it and the complexity is solid enough. The scents are at least not muddled. P: The flavor and proof hit me less than expected after that nose. It's rich with charred wood and mocha. I get a really nice sort of fruity vanilla richness in here too. It has an uncomplex but hedonistic character. There's also this sort of mature flavor that isn't quite musty coming out of the vanilla that carries a bit of a hit-or-miss bitterness that isn't quite like sucking on a spent vanilla bean. It's almost sort of organic, bordering on heavily toasted malted barley or something. It's kind of odd, but I like what it adds here. If someone wanted to label this flavor a flaw though, I wouldn't object to them making that call. F: Some bitter char lasts, blending into the remnants of the mocha. There's not much left of the spice, but I do get some vanilla richness underlying this from time to time. - Conclusion - This is really nicely hedonistic. There's surprisingly little bite here, but it tastes quite old and rich. The proof hits me more in the nose than on the tongue, probably due to the lowish spice level. It lacks the complexity of Elijah Craig B520, but this is no slouch. As for a rating, I wouldn't put this below an 18. I'm looking at an 18 to 19. This strikes me as comparable in quality to Wild Turkey Rare Breed, but older and less complex. It's a tricky comparison, but I'm low on options to side by side in this score range. I think I'll go with the 19 here, but it's borderline. This is sample B in an unlabeled set of 4. There are about 15 different bourbons and ryes that this could be. Looking through the list, the richness, smokiness and clear age lead me to think that this is likely Sam Houston 14. It could be one of the other older ones like Cream of Kentucky 13, Bomberger's Declaration (unlikely, considering how low the proof seems here), Barterhouse 20, or Rhetoric 25. This is a tough call to make because this is clearly a well-aged bourbon, and all of those are well-aged bourbons. And I haven't tried anything from any of those producers before. Elijah Craig Small Batch doesn't seem quite as proofy in comparison, but it's pretty close. I'm thinking Sam Houston is the most likely at its 49% ABV. - The Reveal - I'm just going to go ahead and state the the name "Cream of Kentucky" is deceptive here. I expect a sweet, rich, balanced, smooth bourbon with the name including the word "cream". This is a funky, off-beat thing. It's a rugged bourbon, not a refined one. Cream of Kentucky 13 was my second guess for this one, so the name didn't entirely deceive me, but I still find it to be a poor fit. Still, it's quite a nice bourbon. Thank you @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for providing the sample.

To change things up, @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington sent me a series of samples that have either shapes or some code on them to prevent me from being able to know what they are until after I’ve tasted them. Will I mistake a rye for bourbon or completely miss a finish, who knows, but I’m dying to find out so let’s kick this blind challenge off with the vial that has 4 dots on it. Perhaps the four dots are a reference towards a brand with a four in it like Four Roses or Four Gate, or it could just be some random code that was made up, but let’s crack this sample open and find out. The nose is rich and decadent that starts with freshly baked cornbread muffins that have honey drizzled on top then fruits of baked cinnamon apples and freshly picked black cherries followed by orange blossoms before a light Mexican spiced mocha that fades to badass high-end leather motorcycle jackets and old polished mahogany with light ethanol burn. The taste is medium mouthfeel that starts with freshly baked cornbread muffins then fruits of baked cinnamon apples and freshly picked black cherries before a medium bitterness mid palate overpowers before fading to cloves and light oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with Mexican spiced mocha, Granny Smith apple, orange zest, black cherries, cloves, leather and polished mahogany. This is definitely an older bourbon that has an incredibly rich nose with big and well-polished traditional bourbon flavors that has a lighter mouthfeel than I expected off the nose, but not thin either that starts with well-polished traditional bourbon flavors then veers toward a strange bitter flavor mid-palate that I can’t seem to place before fading to a very enjoyable finish back to those traditional bourbon flavors with Mexican chocolate spiced mocha. Overall this is a tasty bourbon that has a mild bitterness that throws the balance off for me causing me to lower my score, but I’d happily drink this anytime. So, is this a Four Roses or Four Gate? Drum roll please…. Nope! The slip clearly states that this bourbon is none other than Cream of Kentucky 13 year.

Cream of kentucky is one of these never ending older kentucky bourbons that seems to be coming out lately. It's proofed well enough. I don't know much about where it was sourced from. I do know it's got a good age statement and so far the releases have been good but not exciting. Nose - generic and classic bourbon. Vanilla, caramel, corn, very light oak to the point I could have forgotten about it. There's a nice amount of nutty oak elements but the balance here and the focus is really on that "classic" vanilla, caramel, and corn. Taste - The name cream of kentucky makes it impossible for me to not think cream when I drink this. It's creamy vanilla with a lightly spiced oak. The real showcase here is a very nice sweet opening that's not over the top. The finish is starting to show that 13 year old bourbon, and while this might be the lightest oaked 13 year ever, it's still there. Overall this is a pretty well made bourbon, it's full of flavor but nothing jumps out, it's creamy and thick without being 60%. Should you run out and buy this? I dunno about that. It doesn't really blow your mind in any way. It's just really balanced and well made bourbon. I'm at a 2.5 here. A part of me wants to go 3.0 just because I think this is in a way a perfect bourbon, but I need something a bit more to go there. 130 bucks is also an odd and difficult price. It's not EXPENSIVE, but I don't know a single bourbon lover who doesn't see 130 as really expensive...and yet I see weller's going for 200+ and by that this is a value. If you like the idea of a creamy mouth feel with vanilla and mellow bourbon opening with a nice oak spice at the end. Well then this is your bottle. For whatever it is worth, I bought 2 bottles so I was pretty pleased with it and I'll be happy to have this one down the line.

CoK has been pretty polarizing in online groups. A lot of complaints about the price. After all, it's just sourced bourbon from Barton 1792 (supposedly). Setting aside the price discussion, actual reviews of the whiskey itself seem to have been getting better with each batch/release. So I decided to give batch 4 a try. Nose - It's a pretty traditional bourbon nose - antique oak leads along with caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and clove. Also some orange peel, and freeze dried apples. There's some ethanol at first - the nose is a bit hotter than expected for 102 proof, so letting it breath for a while is recommended.  Palate - pleasant mouthfeel, really coats the palate. Dark brown sugar leads along with earthy oak, vanilla, baked apples and baking spices. The finish lingers, with a really nice sweet note along with oak and spice. There's a warm Kentucky hug, but it's not at all harsh or hot. All in all, a pretty traditional bourbon profile, but very well executed. I like how the sweet note stays with the oak all the way through the finish, which is quite long for 102 proof. At this age it's not unusual for the oak to start taking over and drying things out, but that doesn't happen here. I think the proof is also about right; this is a really balanced whiskey, and the flavors are concentrated enough that I'm not sure cask strength would add much other than more heat. It may be Barton juice, but it's better than anything I've had with 1792 on the label, so I have to give Rutledge some credit for the blending here. Yes, it's more expensive expensive than I'd like, but they seemed to have priced it about right for the current market. It doesn't immediately fly off the shelves around here, but it does sell without sitting for months/years the way the Whistlepig Boss Hog or Kentucky Owl does.

Per the man himself: “I like something with a mellow mouth feel and a long and very smooth finish. The bourbon we eventually found for Cream of Kentucky met our goals, and also had a nice creamy mouthfeel with gentle fruitiness a hit caramel and vanilla, plus some soft woody characters.” The color is a darker orange-amber. Unlike some bottles, when I pop the cork on this when there are no sawdust or funky aromas. The nose is immediately rich with fruity flavors of orange zest, cherry and clove. The oak is there too, but it’s a little deeper in the glass. It sounds cliché, but the oak aroma just resembles something a bit older and more mature. There’s also an unmistakable whiff of vanilla. I can convince myself there’s some crisp, sun-dried tobacco as well but nothing that comes across as leather or bitter. Another odd thing, my dog wants a piece of this. She’s a 10 year old lab and could care less about bourbon but there’s something she’s apparently picking up as well. Mellow, sweet in entry with a kick of wood and smoke by mid palate and then a building but gentle heat with lingering vanilla, brown sugar sun-dried tobacco and baking spices. It’s not as viscous or oily as I’d like but certainly not thin. This is approachable, mature, balanced and hits all the right notes. The age shows mid-palate through the finish. In ways it reminds me of GTS dialed down to a 7-8 but without the leathery and mineral notes. It’s just so well balanced... and the finish for me is remarkable without being an overzealous gobstopper like ECBP. I’m out $140 and am going back to buy another one if I can find it. Here’s to you Mr. Rutledge. The lesson seems to be never retire if you’re good at what you do.

Disclaimer: When you're approaching the $200 mark, I don't take price into account unless we're talking extremely good, or extremely bad value. That being said... I get a nutty oak upfront on the nose; walnut maybe, with alcohol fume seeping through if you take a deep breath. Taste is sweetened oak... Hint of cherry with Earthy undertones. Not as much burn as the nose lets on... Wonderful, lasting finish that just warms on the way down.