Very Old Barton 100 Proof Bourbon

This is another in my quest to find a bourbon comparable in value to Evan Williams Bottled in Bond. And that quest so far remains fruitless. This bourbon is surprisingly weak in all respects for being 100 proof. The nose is barely there, mostly honey and vanilla, just a bit of spice. The palate is more honey, a pleasant sweet and doughy character, more vanilla, and gentle spice. Sort of a graham cracker vibe. The finish is the same honey and a bit of tanginess. This is perfectly drinkable and enjoyable. I wouldn't call it watery, but overall it has a very light feel to me. The flavors are thin, but in a way that's pleasantly gentle rather than annoyingly weak. I find the Distiller flavor graph and review quite puzzling, as for me sweetness is the predominant flavor here and spice is very minimal. "Rich" and "full" are not words I would use to describe this. At only $15 it is worth trying. But I probably won't get this bottle again. Because we all know what else costs only $15. . .

Nose is complex with Banana chips, oak and finishes with big league chew bubblegum. Occasionally I get some artificial grape almost like grape popsicle. Flavor is corn syrup, banana milkshake, white granulated sugar and then some soft oak. If you look hard enough there is a little rye spice that comes across as a little black pepper but it's very much in the background. Finish is very short and pleasant but it's weak in strength and tends to have me use this as a mixer instead of a sipper. It makes good sours and old fashioned style cocktails because it has some fruit elements and some oak.

Nose is corn, oak and alcohol; decidedly ‘meh’, but also not off-putting. Palate is better, and starts with oak and faint cedar spice leading to a quick blush of dark bitter cherries before fading to a pleasant numbness. Don’t get too carried away thinking this is the next Taters big discovery, because it’s not. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. But it is a very solid drink, and at under $15, pretty much unbeatable for an unchallenging, tasty bourbon. This has worked its way into my mixer rotation with Old Grand Dad BiB, Old Crow, Evan Williams and Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Rye.

I got this for free with an order. It's great for $0.00. And honestly for list price it's good. My stand by, go to bourbon is wild turkey 101. It'll take another 4 years of bidenomics before I switch over. That said. I'm glad I tried this! It's a bit harsh to the smell. But the flavor makes up for it. I notice candy. Sharp. But finishes well. I notice maybe grape or raisin flavor. I've had much more expensive bourbon that tastes so much worse( i.e. Thomas s moore chardonnay cask!) This probably fits in line with JB or JD. It's basic. But high proof so that's good.

The nose is sweet with a lesser degree of spiciness. Vanilla is most noticeable but other notes include cherry, molasses, nutmeg, allspice, gingerbread, and cinnamon. Vanilla, green apple, cinnamon, cherry, ginger, and black pepper made up the palate. The finish was spicy and oaky with notes of tart cherry, green apple, citrus, orange peel, and black pepper. Overall, this was a really tasty bourbon for what I paid (<$20 USD). I'm definitely going to plan on keeping this stocked as one of my good, cheap, "everyday" bourbons.

The nose is a bit fruity and floral, giving way to peppery fresh oak as the hints of fruit move towards a more wonderfully ripened sense. The palate is soft, filling with mouth with ripe fruit, some floral rye and the peppery oak. Sight touches of vanilla and brown sugar come out at the end as pepper really starts to take over. The finish leaves the mouth full of pepper and is medium long, with the fruity notes fading to oak, before it all eventually fades away.