A Tasting of Possible House Bourbon Expressions
I want to center my house Old Fashioned around juice I've seen made
Bourbon is what got me into cocktails, but I must admit I’ve gone away from it in recent years. I’m using the development of my house Old Fashioned to get back into the category and highlight an ingredient I’ve always loved.
First things first: an Old Fashioned doesn’t necessarily have to be made with Bourbon. Truly any spirit works here, as long as it’s brought down to earth with bitters and sugar. But my house recipe will have Bourbon as the base. More on the “rules” in the future…
But I don’t want just any Bourbon in my recipe. I got into Bourbon because I spent a lot of time around where most of it comes from. I’ve seen a lot of it made and tasted dozens of expressions from the barrel to get a sense of how it changes with age and varying conditions. I probably know more about the actual making of Bourbon than any other spirit. And I want to make my Old Fashioned with a Bourbon that I’ve seen made and had a more in-depth experience with than just any well-rated bottle off the shelf.
So with that in mind, I’ve selected 5 affordable Bourbons that I know I like from distilleries I’ve toured as the options for my house recipe. And I’m starting that recipe development with a tasting of each Bourbon on its own.
Four Roses
Previously known as “Yellow Label” and described proudly by the brand as “everyday,” you feel that most in the low-proof. This bottle is 80 proof to the “average” 90, and that’s a difference you can taste. With the alcohol taking less space, you get some stone fruit on the nose paired with wood and spice, which I really like. But on the palate it’s quite sweet, even straight, with vanilla and pear dominating the profile to me. It finishes quite light with some more oak, but feels a bit thin on its own. Those are things that the other expressions in the portfolio aim to solve, but I’ve always been partial to this entry point.
Buffalo Trace
Probably the first “good” Bourbon I ever bought, and still one of my favorites. For years it was hard to find in Arizona, and while it’s gotten better many shops are still on allocation. For a kid from Indiana, that’s still hard to believe - it’s such a popular everyday drinker in the Midwest. The distillery puts out dozens of expressions, many of them legendary, but the namesake has always been a great bang-for-buck option (and, even if difficult, is actually possible to find without literally winning a lottery).
A syrupy vanilla permeates the full drink, coming through strongest right when it hits the palate. The nose is heavy oak with some fruit trying to pop through. That fruit comes through more loudly on the finish, where the vanilla is weakest and it drinks least sweet. It tastes like you paid a lot more for it than you did.
Woodinville
A Bourbon that was having quite a moment when I moved to Seattle, it’s fun to see it become so much more widely distributed while maintaining the quality that made it a local legend. The mash bill is completely of Washington ingredients, which is fun and tricks my brain into thinking there’s apple on the nose. The unique barrel treatment lessens the impact of the oak, but you still get more than enough right on the first sip. It can taste a bit hotter than the 90 proof listed, but the flavor works well throughout. The finish is quite sweet, which helps round out a hot start. It’s always balanced, and very complex, with different spices hitting you as you drink.
Sacred Stave
Billed as “Arizona Bourbon", this expression has by far the highest rye content of the bunch (28%!). That lends the expected spiciness to the palate, and it also highlights some dark fruit which is enhanced by the brief stay in fortified wine barrels. That rest also lends an enhanced viscosity and a hot finish. Water helps this open up dramatically, but the nose suffers as a result. There’s a lot of flavor on the palate, but it can be a bit lonely.
Woodford Reserve
Another Bourbon that’s surprising to see how big it’s gotten relative to where I found it (never would have bet on this being the Bourbon on a plane when I visited in 2013!). The nose is big, and the spice is clear - the brand says cocoa but I say cinnamon. The palate is quite sweet with some herbaceous Ness coming through for depth. The oak comes through in a huge way on the finish, which lends an awesome texture but a very strong flavor. Water helps that but then dilutes the wood character throughout and might make the overall experience a bit too thin.
Takeaways
Some of that commentary can come off as harsh, I’m sure. But I truly do like each of these and each could easily be my house Bourbon. But, there can only be one. And while the proof will be performance in the Old Fashioned, I need a base to build around to start. And based on profile alone, that’s going to be Woodinville. The lack of dominating wood character is unique, but the wood is never what I like best about a Bourbon. The entire spice cabinet opening up in that pour is very fun, and I love that I never taste the same thing twice in that bottle.