Kentucky Owl Bourbon St. Patrick's Edition

N: Cherries, caramel, chocolate orange, shaving soap, and a musty oak. Cooked fruit, brown bread, and brown sugar. Little bit of ethanol harshness, but still a robust and lovely nose. P: Very sweet with caramelized brown sugar drizzled on a bowl of maraschino cherries. Dash of citrus. Chocolate, vanilla, and mint make for a nice mid palate. Finish has some rye grain, herbs, and more mint. A little oak tannins and a mild ginger and black pepper spice. This is a lot of things, but I think first and foremost it's a really nice, tasty bourbon. And it should get credit for being that. But it's also a gimmick, an awkward marketing campaign, a vanity label (maybe), and a terrible value. This is just not a $120 bourbon. It's probably a $55 bourbon. I think it compares favorably to the Old Forester Whiskey Row series, for example. This is probably why these were dumped on Costco shelves and sold at a pretty steep discount from retail ahead of St. Patrick's, although still too expensive. If there's any chance even steeper discounts come, maybe this bottle starts to make sense, but I think it's more likely whatever cases are left spend the next year in a stock room and we see this come around again next March at pretty much the same prices. _______ Please come join a bunch of regular Distiller reviewers are chatting spirits in real time on Discord: https://discord.gg/4nfePCdyKM. (If the link is expired, post a comment and I will post a new one.)

This is 100% worth $125.00 per bottle. It’s a pappy 12 year smooth bourbon, yet no harshness like in so many 100 dollar bottles, the nose is interesting… lots of notes of caramel, predominately premium new saddle leather, a little hint of vanilla, marzipan, molasses. I mean this in 100% certainty, having tried 99% of all Kentucky bourbons, this is most confusingly familiar, interesting and by far and away the best note out there. They should make this into cologne. It’s contemplative with soft complexity that keeps you interested but not overwhelmed. The draw is initially sweet, it’s tickles all right senses as it challenges you to place the familiar yet distinctly new flavors that you are consistently close to naming but just quite can’t put a finger on. The finish is a warm and gentle spice like a refined, mellow and rare barbecue sauce. This is a first class bourbon, a true masterpiece, something to be collected and savored. Master Blender John Rhea of Kentucky Owl and Irish Whiskey Bonder Louise McGuane of Jameson came together for this limited release for St. Patrick’s day and hit a world record breaking home run. For those that say it’s overrated or not worth the $125.00. I say to them, they’re wannabe hipsters that wouldn’t know the difference between gasoline and a tall frosty glass of go f*** yourself. It’s one of the best to date and will go down in history as such. Period.

This is a NDP whose products I mostly ignore. Seems like they built a reputation based on early releases which contained very good well-aged bourbon, but have since released mostly overpriced young bourbon. I have seen these recently marked down to $60-70 locally, but apparently it hasn't moved well even at that price. I took a flyer on it when it was marked down to $30. I'll say, I think $30 is a fair price for this. It comes across like a slightly higher aged version of Willett Pot Still. I don't know if the barrels come from Willett, or if it's a blend of multiple Kentucky bourbon distilleries. But the prominent notes are floral, cinnamon, citrus, and light caramel. It's said to be a blend of 4-11 year old barrels, but I'd guess it's mostly in the younger range. I'd be disgusted to have paid the $135-150 that this was sold at when released, but again, I think $30 seems fair for the quality, so I'm not disappointed to have this in the cabinet for mixing.

The nose presents corn, apple, and some light baking spices. The oak is somewhat shy, and seems a bit young, while the flavor profile again has that apple quality, along with some vanilla, honey and cinnamon sugar. There’s a kind of young-vs-old tug of war going on, in which the age of the chosen casks seem to rise and then recede within the blend. This is not a bad thing, but the overall effect is of two to three whiskies, rather than one cohesive spirit. The finish has a bit of heat, but ends on a pleasant citrus note. Overall, this is a unique whiskey that gives us a glimpse into a long lost art of blending. Try this in a Mint Julep for a bit of refreshment on St. Paddy’s Day.

Nose is caramel, brine, bit of vanilla. Bourbon basic, but nothing offensive. Body is pure caramel. There is nothing else. Maybe some chocolate if you really hunt. Again, bourbon basic, but nothing offensive. Finish is brine. Chocolate. A good mocha when I put them together. It’s rare that my favorite part of a drink is the finish, but thats exactly what happened here. The main drink is kind of boring, and a real disappointment for the price tag. I was underwhelmed by KO Confiscated (and angry). I’m not angry this time, but when this bottle dies, there will never be another KO on my shelf. Like... ever.

Super fun spontaneous find. Nose is sweet cream and caramel. Very soft oak. Extremely welcoming. Up front smoothness. I get the caramel from the nose in buckets. I get a little leather and molasses here too. I get a good amount of late burn, which I love, but may get a bit intense for some. The finish is great and long. Still lots of caramel and coffee. I get some tingling like Szechwan peppers. Very impressed and this is a very fun social whiskey. Great first go at this mix!