1792 Small Batch Bourbon
– $25.98 –
Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. They have 196 acres, the with 29 barrel aging warehouses, 22 other buildings including an impressive still house, and the legendary Tom Moore Spring. Barton’s is now owned by Sazerac.
Profile: 1792 is sophisticated and complex. A distinctly different bourbon with precise craftsmanship. Made from their signature “high-rye” recipe. Unmistakable spice mingles with sweet caramel and vanilla to create a bourbon that is incomparably brash and bold, yet smooth and balanced.
Kevin’s Notes: We’re constantly searching for whiskies of value, whiskies that taste above their price point for under $40. My sales rep for Sazerac brought me a sample of the 1792 (the year Kentucky was welcomed into the Union) and said, “I think you’re going to like this”, and I loved it! I can’t believe it took me 4 years to finally taste it.
Rowan’s Creek Bourbon
– $46.99 –
Rowan’s Creek is made and bottled by hand, in small lots, one batch at a time. This Bourbon takes its namesake from the creek that runs through the distillery, named after John Rowan who first settled around Bardstown in the late 1700s. The creek still bears his name carrying the best limestone spring water for making Bourbon.
This distillery is owned by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Inc., or “KDB” which is located on the outskirts of Bardstown, Kentucky on a site that began as a farm owned by the Willett family. Operating primarily as a relatively large independent bottling company, KBD has been called “the big daddy of bourbon and rye bottling”. The company has remained under family ownership and operation at the same location since it was created in 1935 as the Willett Distilling Company. The company started doing business as KBD in the mid-1980s, but, in 2012, it began promoting the Willett name again, as its primary business name.
In addition to this offering, KBD/Willett makes Noah’s Mill, Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon and Willett Rye, Johnny Drum, Kentucky Vintage, Pure Kentucky XO, and the Old Bardstown bourbons.
Profile: Amber, with a dark golden cast. Reminiscent of pear, lemon, honey, and flowers. Smooth texture. Quite elegant and attractive on the palate. Stunning, velvety mouth feel of delicate fruit and spice elements.
Kavalan
Kavalan is Taiwan’s first whisky distillery. The King Car Group, founded by Mr. TT Lee in 1956, has decades of experience in food and beverage, but producing whisky has always been the founder’s dream. In 2002, Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization, which allowed the establishment of a privately owned distillery in Taiwan for the first time in modern history.
Construction on the distillery began in early 2005 and was completed in only nine months. The vision for the whisky was overseen by Master Blender Ian Chang in collaboration with world-renowned whisky consultant Dr. Jim Swan. The distillery is comprised of Scottish style copper pot stills from Scotland made by the Forsyths Company, as well as Holstein stills. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to protect it from the sub-tropical climate of Taiwan. To combat the high heat and humidity of Taiwan, the spirit vapors are cooled using both tube condensers and sub-coolers. The five-story warehouse houses 30,000 casks tied together because of the high risk of earthquakes in the region. The top floors of this warehouse can reach up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit, causing an “angel’s share” of no less than 15% annually! This is more than TWICE the evaporation seen in Scotland. What’s aged 18 years in Scotland, will only take 7-9 years at Kavalan.
Kavalan, which means “flatland people,” is named after the Taiwanese aboriginal ethnic group that originally inhabited modern-day Yilan County, where the distillery is located. Yilan was chosen for its proximity to the cold spring water of Snow Mountain and the salty Pacific Ocean air. The subtropical heat and high humidity of Yilan cause an accelerated maturation, ensuring a rich, complex whisky in just a few years.
Kavalan Classic Whisky
– $84.99 –
This Kavalan Single Malt consists of mainly refill barrels, ex-bourbon barrels, and a small percentage of sherry barrels.
NOSE: Clean, elegant, floral (pleasant and refreshing fragrance of the butterfly orchid), fruity. Hints of honey, tropical fruits (mango in particular), pear drop, vanilla, coconut and suggestions of chocolate.
PALATE: A hint of sweet mango juice with spicy complexity and gentle warmth on a medium, oily and citrus finish.
Kavalan King Car Conductor
– $124.99 –
A vatted single malt of refill barrels, ex-bourbon barrels, sherry barrels and other specially selected barrels named for the King Car conglomerate. It is similar to the Classic in terms of flavor and aroma, but has a higher content of sherry casks.
NOSE: Excellently clean and freshly fruity single malt. A touch of papaya, banana and green apple.
PALATE: Sweet, rich, vanilla, banana, coconut, a slight pleasant bitterness balancing the sweetness.
