FEW Straight Bourbon

WHISKIES I DON’T CARE FOR: ROUND 1 Flatboat Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey vs Few Bourbon Whiskey Lately I’ve been doing several side-by-side tastings. I have plenty of whisk(e)y that I love—probably too much—but I’ve also got some that I don’t care for, so I thought I’d mix it up and try to discern just what I don’t like about them. My mental shelving of them into the “not like” category means that they’ve been in the penalty box for some time; thus it’s instructive to ascertain whether or not they belonged there to begin with. The whiskies I selected for round one were selected randomly; they happened to be two that I recalled not liking. Unlike some of my other showdowns (Islay, BTAC, etc.), this side-by-side tasting has nothing to do with a specific region or type—these two whiskies do happen to be bourbons, by coincidence—but are simply two that I haven’t drunk much (if any) of because I didn’t care for them to begin with. Flatboat Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey- Flatboat is a private-label brand owned by Sazerac, who manufactures not just Buffalo Trace but Canadian Mist, Myers Rum, Mr. Boston Vodka, and Fireball, to name a few. The salesman where I was shopping at the time sold me on the Buffalo Trace connection, and it was only $22 or so. I bought it and tried it once at least three years ago, and it has remained untouched since then. There’s little information on the label other than the fact that it’s “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey” and 90 proof. And since there’s no age statement on the bottle, it has to have been aged at least four years. Classic clear tawny orange color. Nose shows a lot of ethanol for 90 proof, along with oaky vanilla, some cinnamon, roasted marshmallow, and cherry pipe tobacco. But the quintet is not playing well together, with the ethanol at center stage and the other aspects competing rather than complementing. On the palate the harsh and undisciplined 90 proof wreaks havoc like an unruly child punching above its weight. There are persistent woody tannins on the finish, which is overcome somewhat by the vanilla and cherry pipe tobacco. Disjointed, but not undrinkable. May work with lots of ice on a hot summer day, or as part of a punch or other drink where the bourbon is only a secondary ingredient. Not good for drinking neat, nor in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. 2.5 on the Distiller scale. Few Bourbon Whiskey More orangey color than the Flatboat. Nose shows sawdust, old Fruity Pebbles cereal, a petroleum-paraffin quality, and dish soap. The wood is more like pine than oak. The dish soap continues on the palate, like a punishment in search of the bad words that precipitated it. I received this as a gift, and while I greatly appreciate the gesture, it’s just not that good. Not a lot of bourbon typicity. There is a tannic dryness on the finish. The drink does coerce you to pause to try to identify what’s going on with the same kind of curious morbidity surrounding a car wreck. Turns out I was correct in my initial assessment. The bottle says it is aged “at least one year in charred new oak barrels.” Well, yes; to be called bourbon it has to be in new charred oak barrels. Apparently this bottle is no longer available; the website does show a Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which by definition must be aged at least two years. 93 proof. 1.5 on the Distiller scale.

*better with a splash of water added* Flaviar bottle selection 03/2022. This distillery in Evanston, IL just got bought out by Heaven Hill. Color is a nice medium-light amber. Smell is a vanilla and aromas that smell almost like a chocolate chip cookie with a hint of apple-banana. Mouthfeel is very buttery, light, airy, and warm(!)- almost like it’s not even there! Had to double check and make sure my mouth wasn’t numb and I could feel it. Taste is a lot of butterscotch, clove, and caramel with lingering barley flavor. Malty and woody with subtle toffee. Very strange mouthfeel, not a fan of the flavors - too young! *Upon adding a splash of water the aromas and flavors opened up. More of the barley comes through and it starts tasting like the high-barleyed Old Elk Bourbon with younger, greener flavors.

Nose: Stewed pink lady apple, a touch of cinnamon. Retro: A hint of vanilla lends a hand and also brings a toffeeish quality with it. Palate: Quite sweet, but not sugary more on the vanilla scale, apple and a developing spice. Finish: Dry, medium finish. Lingering squashed apple. Notes: I quite like this as a novice. It's inoffensive. It's a bit young and that definitely shows but I don't mind that if I were to look for something on the lighter end of the scale.

A balanced Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Illinois that has a rich birth with notes of cloves, malt vanilla & caramel; while a sweet life adds notes of toffee & caramel with spicy notes of cardamom & cloves joined by tangy wood & malt; that led to a long & warm death with notes of malt & baking spices. May / December 2017 / March 2018 / October / December 2020 / August 2022

Sweet pears on the nose with a sweet tropical fruit on the palate. My second visit to this bourbon automatically brought back memories of guava from back home in the Caribbean. The bourbon does have a little baking spice in the taste but it is not overwhelming. I will definitely seek this out as a bar staple because are a bit more to pick out and keep me coming back. 👍🏽

The nose is extra sweet, with the primary scents consisting of vanilla and a smoky creaminess. It smells almost desserty. The taste isn’t particularly great - it is sweet but harsh, and it is pretty obvious this is a very young whiskey. It is also very oily, it just sits on the tongue for quite a while, not in a very good way. Not my cup of tea.