Trader Joe's Kentucky Bourbon, 45% abv ($15)
The nose is very nice, woody with a nice rye kick, burnt caramel and cloves. The palate is much less complex with lots of vanilla, and some spice on late palate, but it fades to bitterness in the end which lasts into the finish which is quite bitter.
This one starts well but doesn't hold up. Even for $15, there are better bourbons on the shelf. I expected more out of Buffalo Trace/Barton, but maybe there is a reason they aren't releasing this under their own label.
And maybe why Harlan Wheatley continues to insist, as he did a few weeks ago in Chicago, that they don't sell their barrels to others...yeah right.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, I don't know that this would qualify as selling their barrels to others. It's more like doing a private label for someone. Given that BT had the label approved, they were likley the ones who bottled it and TJ's is just selling it. That is as opposed to what distilleries do with KBD, where they just sell them barrels and KBD bottles and sells.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't mean they don't sell barrels (I've certainly heard rumors that they do), just that this is sort of a different circumstance.
Should we be pleased that Buffalo Trace and other distillers sell some bourbon to retailers for off labels like this one in the review. I think it would be reasonable to assume that they are selling their least desirable barrels. So in effect they are using better barrels on average in their main labels.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't we...that is...
ReplyDeleteJust saw this yesterday at the local J. You're saying it's not even worth $15? I mean... how much cheaper can it get? I'd throw it into warmed cider just to drunk it as cider punch.
ReplyDeleteIt will be just fine for punch.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the review 100%. It's not that much more for just regular old buffalo trace, which is much nicer through and through. HOWEVER, the bottle is open in my house and I can say that it is nice with something sweet to eat (like ahem...pumpkin pancakes, for example). Also, it is not bad as a bourbon back.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, Steve. Looks like I'll pass on this, unless I might bring one to a party or something. That price is hard to pass up though...
ReplyDeleteGuess I'll just continue to mine vintage 86 proof ND or BF juice for regular pours until it dries up!
Picked up a bottle this evening ...
ReplyDeleteI tried to find someone in the store who had tried it but could only find one guy who had a buddy who had done the deed. He said it compared favorably with MM and KC, and was heads above Jack.
The one-word description I can offer after tasting 1.5 glasses is as follows:
Gack!!
Next budget purchase planned is Costco's Small Batch Bourbon. It's gotta be better than this.
So maybe I'll keep it in the trunk of the car and gift it to some down-on-his-luck person holding a sign. And then haul ass lest they throw it at me.
just saw this today and grabbed a bottle.
ReplyDeletehow do you know it comes from Buffalo Trace. the label says 'boubon square distillery'?
anyway... it drinks like Wild Turkey to me, with a bit more caramel overtone.
i thought maybe it was a WT reject. much like i can taste the JB in Costco brand before i knew it was a JB spewing...
Gino, Buffalo Trace filed for the federal label approval for it and their spokesperson told me that it was made at the Barton distillery, which they own. Barton isn't the same distillery that makes their regular Buffalo Trace bourbon, they make Very Old Barton, Ten High and 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbons.
ReplyDeleteCould you ID the bourbons that are better at the same price? Would love to try them.
ReplyDeleteSure. Dickel 8, Very Old Barton, Old Fitzgerald and Weller Special Reserve spring immediately to mind.
ReplyDeleteOff the top of my head, I could also suggest Benchmark (another by Buffalo Trace), Heaven Hill White Label, Old Heaven Hill, and Evan Williams as good comparably-priced alternatives.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, everything I just listed is cheaper than TJ's Bourbon, at least in Chicagoland.
On the other hand, I don't think TJ's is as bad as all that. The nose is quite successful, which may lead to slight disappointment in the fairly unsophisticated taste.
The bitterness—which I've seen described as sourness as well—that this and other reviews are critical of strikes me as the notes of charred oak usually more prominent in older bourbons. I know it's not everyone's favorite, but I've acquired a taste for this woody 'sawdust' flavor, so it doesn't bother me.
It says this one is aged 5 years, enough to impart such flavors depending on the warehouse conditions.
After seeing predominantly negative reviews, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe not every bottle is the same...
I will soon know for sure, but I expect I will agree with the last post here.
ReplyDeleteI like a robust flavour, definitely a rye over wheated fan and one of my favourites is Ezra Brooks.
It is a little higher ABV, but more importantly has a smokey, almost charred flavour that many seem to dislike.
These days, however, Very Old Barton is my go-to.
Costco bourbon is buffalo trace but aged longer - think of it as a cheaper and smoother version of bt. It is the best bourbon you'll ever buy for $20.
ReplyDeleteThe Trader Joe is not bad (unlike Rebel Yell that sells for $11) but bear on mind $15 is cheap. It does have more of a rye bite on the finish but that does not mean it's bad. It does start off smooth and sweet but gets the bite after (insert girlfriend joke here). It is made by the Barton distillery which is owned by Sazerec who also make Buffalo Trace and Costco Bourbon.
Bear in mind the distillers do use different mash bills to change the flavor profiles. 1792 is very different from Buffalo Trace for example.
It is a matter of what flavors you prefer.
If you like sweeter with smoother finish then spend $5 more and get to Costco.