Flatboat 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.

"Slow aged in oak barrels." Is that better than "fast" aged? I really can't say. At least it's not solera, or maybe that would be a good thing? For some reason the world needed another mid-lowish level Barton product. What that reason is probably only Sazarac knows. One thing I can say is this will beat out Tenn High or Kentucky Gentlemen, but maybe not by that much. Very Old Bartons? ehhh probably. The sweet oak nose is very promising, like a real old bourbon made the right way. Through the middle the body is a bit sweet and rough at the same time, both oaky but not as mellow as well aged oak from say Woodford. The promise of the nose just doesn't quite add up. It's almost like a dry oaky whiskey that was somehow sweetened with corn syrup. A lot of the right components are there but like a Frankenstien project it just doesn't seem to have ended up right. At just over 20 I would say you aren't getting ripped off, but at that price you can usually find Larceny which would also edge this Barton product out. Not a bad try though, would be a great bar pour for a bowling alley bar, beware of 5 star hotels proudly displaying this on the premium shelf. cheers!

This one was better than I expected. The reviews really didn’t do it justice. I get vanilla, caramel, oak, and a pretty good hug with it. Buy one if you can and see if i steered you in the right direction. I live in Alabama so i wont be able to grab another for a while. It’s Kentucky exclusive.

Stronger burbon taste, not as sweet as others. Your mouth gets a full aroma of that oak finsh and there is a nice flora and caramel taste that lingers. For a cheaper bottle it is a nice burbon to sip on. Worth the buy for the sale price of $29 CAD, not sure if I would spent the regular $40 CAD.

A good bourbon with some Rye spice. I am not sure what the mashbill is here, but I found the nose light and floral and the favour to be layered with nice spice. A bit young and not too much oak, but an enjoyable drink.

Excellent value bourbon. For $25 or less, this can also be yours. Gentle nose, sweet and lingering caramel and floral on the palate and a longer than expected finish. Aged 4-7 years. Great value bourbon.