Sam Houston 15 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

I’ve heard of the Sam Houston and didn’t hesitate when I saw the 15 on the shelf. I’ve had three small pours in a glencairn neat or with a drop of water. This is the CA batch 2 and was a complete delight Nose notes are heavy cherry and oak. The nose alone screams that this is a quality bourbon with a perfect proof and a lot of attention to detail. Does have a rich smell that smells softer than expected of 103proof - no alcohol burn in the nose, but a lot of very full and rich flavors. Taste - cherry and dark chocolate on sips 1,2,&3. Great taste and mouth feel with a lot going on, but… nothing that wild for bourbon. This tastes like an excellent bourbon with a lot of the expected notes hit and hit well. If I have one issue with the mouthfeel it’s that it doesn’t last as long as I would like. I love a whiskey that lingers and evolves in my mouth, this doesn’t do that. What’s there is great, but doesn’t last that long. The proof is once again perfect here… no need for ice or water - unless you want a drop to open things open, but I didn’t notice that much more when I did (got some more spice and initial alcohol on the nose and taste). Overall, it’s great. But damn difficult to find and hardly cheap when you do so. I paid 120 and am a-okay with that (hell if it were still available near me for that price I’d buy another bottle). To me, it was a bucket list bourbon as a native of Houston Texas and I’m happy to have tried it. It stood up to my expectations but didn’t blow me away either. If you see it for 120-150, I’d recommend it.

Neat. Neck pour. KY-01 batch. Really enjoyed the Calumet 15 this year and excited to try its 3-barrel brother here. On the nose, simultaneously getting fresh banana nut bread and red velvet cake. Lovely. I can break apart both of these angles. The banana nut bread side has this nice spice to it. The red velvet cake angle has this nice moist chocolate and vanilla butter cream. I could spend an hour with just the nose. Mouthfeel isn’t creamy, just a step down. Milky. Very oily and coating though. Lighter than expected up front, lots of vanilla and orange. Bit of milk chocolate sneaking in too. The oak comes center stage mid palate. It’s a rich milk chocolate. On the finish brings a wave of caramel and a hint of banana. Decent heat on the legs. Again, vanilla and chocolate keep coming back. Got a bit of the orange again on the finish. The taste isn’t as decadent as the nose but it’s really good overall. The oak isn’t overpowering and there are these nice waves of lighter flavors. Comes across as a more consistent dram than Calumet 15 but both are just fantastic. Is this worth the extra $30? I think so on first impression.

KY-1 How am I first? Anyway. Nose - classic barton's with apples, cinnamon, and some cherry. Nice sweetness that then leads into oak. Now I get some butter and some funked oak. What can I say it's classic sourced barton with a hint of savory elements, touch more oak, and everything I like about them. Taste - It opens soft and sweet. Fruity elements of apples, light spice comes in , and then oh goodness smoked oak. Such a nice wonderful smoked oak. Vanilla cream meets cherries meets caramel meets this butter scotch in the most creamy yummy form. This is possibly my new favorite barton blend/sourced deal. It's really good and at 150, I'm pretty dang happy. I say this fully thinking some old carter single barrels I loved weren't as good and I was happy spending more. God 3.5 people. This is an instant buy up to 200. It's a bit coyingly sweet up front but the finish saves that. It's not perfect and I can see a few bourbon drinkers passing, but this is awesome.

Batch KY-01 Nose is really dominated by cherry, dark chocolate and mild oak. There is clove and then some banana laffy taffy scent. Some marshmallow, coconut oil and sweet chocolate show up the longer the whiskey sits in the glass. Tobacco is the prominent note towards the end of the nose. Flavors pop immediately. Banana sundae appears. Cherry syrup, chocolate fudge, vanilla, and then some oak creeps in with a little black pepper on towards the back of the flavor ride it puts you on. Mouthfeel is pure velvet. Finish is ginger snap cookie with heavy dusting of granulated sugar. There is a little leather and tobacco that flash before a nice warm oak and carmel syrup finish off the sip. The finish keeps going and leaves that little banana bread note. There is a certain barrel char and dusty funk here that makes you want to sip again and again. Excellent release! Phenomenal complexity here from some Barton bloodlines. One of the best bourbons I've had.

KY Batch 06. Nose - This is what bourbon is supposed to smell like. Smoked oak notes followed by bubble gum, rye spice, vanilla, rich dirty caramel. Just wonderful with some nice fruits scattered in. Taste - This is really just a wonderful example of bourbon. The age is so well done. They've really crafted about the perfect bourbon for today's market. Balanced spice, oak, and sweetness. This reminds me of an off profile older MGP with more focus on the spice and the finish is starting to really improve. I loved batch 1 and I love this batch 6. Really impressed with where they're going with these. 3.75 I think is fair.

Right off the bat, you smell the potency of this bourbon. It has a deep caramel color and long legs. First sip has the tingles of spice that hints on the front of your tongue. It goes down smooth with a lingering warmth. It’s sweet and rich just like you’d expect an aged whiskey to be. A great alternative to a Pappy 15, Orphan barrel, or an aged IW Harper. Definitely a great purchase!