Johnny Drum 15 Years Review

Country: USA

Brand: Johnny Drum Private Stock Label

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Age: 15 Years

ABV: 50.5 %

Date: 18/05/2013

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Sweet Corn, Maple Syrup, Charred Oak, Vanilla, Glue, Cinnamon, Caramel, Orange/Mandarin and Peanut Butter are my first impressions. Nose carefully because there's quite some Alcohol around, especially if you have opened a fresh bottle. Hints of Cotton Candy, Peach and Caramelised Apple follow. Quite nice once you manage to cheat the Alcohol.

Palate: By far not as Sweet and Tasty as the Nose would want you to believe! It's quite Spicy and a bit Musty actually!  Charred Oak, Herbs, Peanut Butter, Rye Bread, Pepper, Nut Casks, Caramel, Nougat, Orange and Maple Syrup.

Finish: Certainly lasting but a bit on the Sour side with Charred Oak, Pepper, Maple Syrup and quite some Mint.

I added a bit of Water and that strongly reduced the Alcohol and Spices on the Nose. The remaining Sweetness and Cinnamon remind me of a Whisky Liqueur. Palate and Finish become too Watery for my taste.

Rating: 82

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20  Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

A Confederate Drummer Boy

General Remarks: Johnny Drum is a Brand Name owned and marketed by Independent Bottler Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Ltd (KDB) also known as the Willett Distilling Company. Although it's not quite sure where the Johnny Drum is distilled, chances are it's from Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky or Brown Forman or both. Johnny Drum comes a Green Label with an ABV of 40%, a Black Label at 43% and as a Private Stock Label at 50.5% and various age types including 4, 8, 12 and 15 Years. The 15 Years we are tasting today is the flagship of the lot and is produced in small batches only. It costs around 35 US Dollars.

In the American Civil War lots of young boys wanted to join the fight but a minimum age of 18 years was established. Younger boys could only enlist as a drummer or a bugler. Legend has it that Johnny Drum was one of them and after having safely returned from the War started to make Bourbon in Kentucky.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: Not bad but certainly not one of my favourite Bourbons. The Nose is quite okay actually if you can get around the sometimes sharp Alcohol. But on the Palate and in the Finish I find the Johnny Drum less enjoyable. Too Bland, a bit Sour and slightly Musty. Therefore I wouldn't consider buying a full bottle. Cause for mixing it's a bit too expensive.

Jan van den Ende                                                                        May 2013

Buffalo Trace Review

Country: USA

Brand: Buffalo Trace

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Age: NAS (Probably between 8-12 years)

ABV: 45%

Colour: Deep Orange Amber

Nose: An interesting combination of Sweet Corn/Popcorn, Butter, Rum, Toffee/Caramel, Maple Syrup, Vanilla, Honey, Dried Apricots, Nuts, Aniseed, Cinnamon and White Pepper. There's some Alcohol here to deal with as well. The Sweetness and Spices, though quite common in nature, are well-balanced.

Palate: Sweet, Fruity and Spicy at the same time with Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Orange, Caramel, Oak, Rye, Nutmeg and Mint.

Finish: Middle-Long, Dry and Spicy with Pepper, Licorice, Mint, Coconut Shells and Vanilla. Both the Corn and Rye are noticeable.

I added a few drops of Water and on the Nose the Alcohol retreats of course. But at the same time Spices and Grain start to dominate in this field while the Fruit quietly gives way. Palate and Finish are washed down completely. Only Licorice is left. Don't add water to this Bourbon.  

Rating: 84  

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21 

General Remarks: The name of this Bourbon is a tribute to the Buffalo and the pioneers that followed them westwards. One of these westward trails or traces was called the Great Buffalo Trace and crossed the Kentucky River just north of present day Frankfort. A distillery was constructed in 1858 but in 1872 E.H. Taylor Jr. built a new one on the site. It was rebuilt again in 1882 after a fire that was caused by lightning. The distillery is currently part of Sazerac Company Inc. and is one of the oldest remaining American distilling sites. Buffalo Trace Bourbon was introduced in 2001, two years after the name of the Frankfort distillery was changed from Ancient Age to Buffalo Trace. The distillery produces  a variety of other Bourbons and Rye-Whiskies a.o. Eagle Rare, Weller, Blanton, Elmer T.Lee, van Winkle and George T. Stagg. The secret Mash Bill of the Buffalo Trace includes Corn, Wheat and some malted Barley. It's low on Rye. The Buffalo Trace is a mix of selected barrels from the middle-floors of the warehouses C, I and K. It's relatively cheap at around 25 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks : Good

Conclusion: A good, well-balanced but slightly spicy day-to-day Bourbon. Much better than most Scotch whisky offered at this price level. It's nice to sip or enjoy on the rocks. If you prefer a sweeter flavour profile, Buffalo Trace might not be your Bourbon of (first) choice.

Jan van den Ende                                                             February 26, 2013

Evan Williams Review

Country: USA

Brand: Evan Williams Black

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Age: NAS

ABV: 43%

Date: 03/01/2013

Colour: Light Amber

Nose: Sweet with a slight rough Alcohol edge to it. Familiar flavours like Sweet Corn, Rye, Charred Oak, Glue, Vanilla, Butter, Brown Sugar, Coca Cola, Leather, Cinnamon, Furniture Polish from Grandma's days and Pine. Traces of Honey, Peach, Dried Apricot and Banana. Not bad at all!

Taste: Medium Alcohol bite, Caramel, Charred Oak, Dark Red Fruits like Cherries, Rye, Toffee, White Pepper, Vanilla, Brown Sugar. A bit rough I'm afraid.

Finish: Medium-Long, Nutty and a bit Sour towards the end with Charred Oak, Grain, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Brown Sugar, White Pepper and hints of Leather, Licorice and Tobacco.

I added a few drops of Water but the Bourbon just waters down. Better sip it neat or drink it over Ice.

Rating:  81.5  (out of 100)

Nose: 21.5 - Taste:  20- Finish: 20 - Overall: 20

 Heaven Hill Warehouses (Note the Black Fungus!)

General Remarks: Evan Williams started distilling Whiskey on the banks of the Ohio River back in 1783, making him Kentucky's first commercial distiller. Today, this Bourbon is distilled at the Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. Corn, Malted Barley and Rye are part of the Mash bill. The Whiskey matures for around 4 years in new charred White Oak Barrels. Evan Williams is America's second largest selling Kentucky Straight Bourbon after Jim Beam. It's not very expensive at around 12 Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks : Good

Conclusion: This is certainly a good alternative when you don't want to spend too much money on your Bourbon and still want to be able to enjoy an acceptable quality. I applaud the ABV of 43% and I quite like the Nose of the Evan Williams. Nothing too fancy but agreeable and well-balanced. It's a bit rough on the Palate and it's not my favourite sipping Bourbon. But it's quite alright with Ice on a warm day. And fortunately there are many of those in Sao Paulo!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   January 2013