Side by side blinds do a disservice to subtler flavors, especially those that trade on their good balance. Punchier flavors and outlier profiles stand out and end up scoring better than normal. Side by sides can also actually mask flaws. I think your are better off tasting blind one at a time, and even better, scoring them blind several times, to get an average score. Fun conversation. Cheers.
You nailed it with the Jack,,,,,, It is actually my number one bourbon, in every blind I do,,,,,,,, For the money,,, it is probably the best value on the market,,,,,,,,
You guys nailed this, other than taking four rises so high…. It’s funny how bottles like the KC9 can be good on their own, but fail miserably in bounds. The KC12 is the same for me. Those top 2 are flat 🔥
Ok JD Single barrel or Russel's were my choices before I watched. The low rye mash bill in the JD Select against the high rye Four Roses is a tough call. JD for me. That BenchMark is Buffalo Trace. Glad to see you guys picking the JD. Can't wait to try the Benchmark. Thanks!
Great recap! My thoughts: OGD Reference - THANK YOU!! Finally someone else that says it is garbage and doesn’t do well in a blind. Haha. JDSiB - Always great and doesn’t get the love it should. 4RSiB - Extremely underrated JDSBBP - No surprise it finished where it did.
I'm surprised JD Single Barrel Select got 4th place I was thinking it would be top 3. Surprised Benchmark made top 3. Sorry I'm a Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select fan boy it's my go to 🤣🥃
JDSBBP is hard to beat. No surprise there. Can’t believe you didn’t include New Riff single barrel! One of my favorites, by a mile. Also Penelope single barrel.
I’ve never done a blind, but KC single barrel reserve 9 year is my favorite. New Riff and Russell’s Reserve SB is up there too. Just got a bottle of John J Bowman, but haven’t opened it yet. I’m fighting a cold and I’m waiting to get over it before I do.
Just cracked a bottle of the Bowman single barrel (green label) that I waited a couple months to find. Sadly was very dissappointed. Had a funk I did not care for and overall lacked punch and presence. Everyone is raving about this bourbon. I must have gotten an off barrel. Happens. Sad because these are hard to find for me. I wouldn't hunt again but might give another try if one fell in my lap. I enjoy your vids guys! Thanks.
I have never seen a John J Bowman and I am like an hour from Louisville! Really shocked by the knob creek falling so low! When they got younger I kind of forgot about them and then the lady at coxs evergreen nulu got me to try their pick and I was caught off guard at how much I enjoyed it! I pickup up two of them and still really like it!
@@brettmchan2855 I'm not one to overhype bottles, but I personally wouldn't hate it for $100. Whatever price you'd pay for EHT, I think it's safe to put this one at the same price.
Although I might not consider Dickel SB 15 year to be an everyday SB, I do like it as a “mood” pour when I want something different. I like the mineral note in the context of other elements in the overall flavor profile. It works for me.
This is my single barrel experience or take on it, just because the bourbon came from one single barrel in no way insures it is of higher quality, or even that it will be a flavor profile you will like. Different barrels stored in different locations will age differently, creating different flavor profiles from barrel to barrel. So which barrel is higher quality? None! They are all just different. I might like one much better than you. That doesn't make it higher or lower quality. The most you can say about this is that single barrel production results in more distinct flavors, but that means higher variability also. In most products, higher variability is equated to LOWER quality, not higher! Think of it this way. How would you feel if every time you opened a bottle of Pepsi, it tasted just a little different than the last? You probably wouldn't like that very much. If you find a single barrel bourbon you love, you had better enjoy it because you may never find it again. Basically, this whole single barrel thing is (IMO) 100% marketing and not worth the extra money. Blending whisky makes it more consistent, which people generally like because they pick favorites and, guess what, you can find it again and again. All of this should be obvious, but due to marketing efforts, some people have become enamored with something that is nothing more than just plain old advertising Im onboard with the Evan Williams SB only because its cheap (price not quality) Drink whatever you like and 🥃Cheers!
Pretty much the same list I would have. Any chance you would add the Green River Single Barrel? I have recently been able to find it a lot here in Texas at least and it's really good. I would easily put it with y'all's top 3.
I agree with the assessment in the video. The store picks of RR SB were usually absolute fire, the regular single barrel (which does not indicate age and rickhouse location) are not worth their price. And the store picks usually sell at the same price, when you can find them.
@@bourbonkingdom We only get KC9SB, JDSB & 4RSB in these parts, so what do we know.. lol. Please give KC9SB a chance to redeem itself in a different lineup!
JDSBBP had the proof advantage. That’s unsurprising. Also, that Dickel is 15+ years… the Dickeliness is really turned down in that single barrel. I’m not surprised to not see it last. Benchmark SiB at second place is surprising. But they are single barrels, so it’s anyone’s game. For some reason, I have never been a Baker’s fan, even though I like Beam.
I can understand wanting to do different types of tastings and wanting to do them blind, BUT ...not sure if doing single barrels is a great idea. The fact that they are SiBs introduces such an unpredictable factor. Granted, some SiBs are more consistent than others, but even then there can be an outlier. And other bourbons are almost notorious (McKenna) for varying quite a bit. Add the factor of comparing lower proof stuff with barrel/full proofs and the comparisons become even less meaningful. Other than that, drinking 11 different bourbons in one sitting can be a gas. 😂
With you on the bottom - Baker’s is terrible. KC9 is very flat - not offensive, but not much going for it either. The Russell’s SiB is a little flat, but the Private Barrel Selections are so next level!
I never understood all the love for Evan Williams single barrel. I've had a few bottles over the years and always found it mediocre. I've got a nearly 9 year Bakers and i think it's decent stuff, but probably not worth the price I paid. I am a Knob Creek fan, but it's a very mood dependent drink for me. Sometimes, it comes across as absolutely brilliant and other times, it's like, well, a big pass, find me something else, now! I'm surprised to see the Benchmark single barrel finish so high. I have the 125 proof and it comes across young and rough. I liked it a first, but haven't hardly touched it in a year. Maybe the single barrel will hit better. The Benchmark line recently hit my area ( for a long time we only had the "8"), and so have been wondering which versions to try (single barrel, Top Floor, BiB, Small Batch). Guess I'll try the single barrel. I've only had the Bowman once. I remember enjoying it, but i have not seen it barely ever in years, and when I have, the price is so excessive that it's an easy pass. Glad to see the 4R single barrel do well. It's my favorite of the core lineup, even over the small batch select. I expected the Russell's to do better, but then again, I'm not as big of a JD fan as you guys. So there would probably be some adjustments in the top half there.
I can find all of these except for the John J Bowman and most are in my rotation. Now you guys dumped all over the best bourbons I’m able to find and buy. 🤣
No you're not I love Baker 7 every bottle I've had except the one I have now (7years 5 months) has been great. It's ok but has a tannic note. The only reason I got the one I have now cause it has cap no.3 I needed that one to collect all four different caps.
I think legacy Distillery single barrels have just gotten lazy. Store pick single barrels from those same legacy distilleries are always superior. Well maybe not always. I find a lot of people aren't drinking from legacy distilleries as much as I used to. Looking back over the last couple weeks of what I've been pouring it's all been from non-producing distillers like rare character, Nashville barrel company and Barrel King.
Four roses single barrel, it's $45, available in every liquor store worth it's salt, 100 proof. It's my go to daily.
Side by side blinds do a disservice to subtler flavors, especially those that trade on their good balance. Punchier flavors and outlier profiles stand out and end up scoring better than normal. Side by sides can also actually mask flaws. I think your are better off tasting blind one at a time, and even better, scoring them blind several times, to get an average score. Fun conversation. Cheers.
You nailed it with the Jack,,,,,, It is actually my number one bourbon, in every blind I do,,,,,,,, For the money,,, it is probably the best value on the market,,,,,,,,
For me it’s Knob creek single barrel. I have 6 and will get more.
You almost have a barrel their your self, cheers lol
Reserve or store pick? Just curious because some people actually like the reserve better
You guys nailed this, other than taking four rises so high…. It’s funny how bottles like the KC9 can be good on their own, but fail miserably in bounds. The KC12 is the same for me. Those top 2 are flat 🔥
Bourbon Junkies just did a large blind, and New Riff Single Barrel came out on top.
All of the Benchmark single barrels I have had have been good and had consistent flavor profiles for single barrel selections.
I’ve only seen the JJB once around here and it was priced over a 100 bucks. JDSBBP is the winner every time.
Strange… I’ve heard such good things about the Evan Williams Single Barrel and Bakers 7 is like my favorite ever
Ok JD Single barrel or Russel's were my choices before I watched. The low rye mash bill in the JD Select against the high rye Four Roses is a tough call. JD for me. That BenchMark is Buffalo Trace. Glad to see you guys picking the JD. Can't wait to try the Benchmark. Thanks!
Great recap! My thoughts:
OGD Reference - THANK YOU!! Finally someone else that says it is garbage and doesn’t do well in a blind. Haha.
JDSiB - Always great and doesn’t get the love it should.
4RSiB - Extremely underrated
JDSBBP - No surprise it finished where it did.
I'm surprised JD Single Barrel Select got 4th place I was thinking it would be top 3. Surprised Benchmark made top 3. Sorry I'm a Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select fan boy it's my go to 🤣🥃
great review, I really like some of the benchmark products, nice everyday pours
JDSBBP is hard to beat. No surprise there.
Can’t believe you didn’t include New Riff single barrel! One of my favorites, by a mile.
Also Penelope single barrel.
That ending 🤣JJB SB is one of my all time favorite bourbons, glad to see it at the top
I’ve never done a blind, but KC single barrel reserve 9 year is my favorite. New Riff and Russell’s Reserve SB is up there too. Just got a bottle of John J Bowman, but haven’t opened it yet. I’m fighting a cold and I’m waiting to get over it before I do.
Just cracked a bottle of the Bowman single barrel (green label) that I waited a couple months to find. Sadly was very dissappointed. Had a funk I did not care for and overall lacked punch and presence. Everyone is raving about this bourbon. I must have gotten an off barrel. Happens. Sad because these are hard to find for me. I wouldn't hunt again but might give another try if one fell in my lap. I enjoy your vids guys! Thanks.
I have never seen a John J Bowman and I am like an hour from Louisville! Really shocked by the knob creek falling so low! When they got younger I kind of forgot about them and then the lady at coxs evergreen nulu got me to try their pick and I was caught off guard at how much I enjoyed it! I pickup up two of them and still really like it!
JJB actually comes from VA, even though it starts in KY. It's sadly hard to find these days pretty much everywhere.
@@FakingANerve I have thought about just saying to hell with it and just ordering one for 100 bucks
@@brettmchan2855 I'm not one to overhype bottles, but I personally wouldn't hate it for $100. Whatever price you'd pay for EHT, I think it's safe to put this one at the same price.
Although I might not consider Dickel SB 15 year to be an everyday SB, I do like it as a “mood” pour when I want something different. I like the mineral note in the context of other elements in the overall flavor profile. It works for me.
That’s the thing about Sigler barrels, they are each different. You can have a honey barrel in any brand/distiller, or a trash barrel. You never know.
Gotta say the “End” part was my favorite !! 🫣
This is my single barrel experience or take on it, just because the bourbon came from one single barrel in no way insures it is of higher quality, or even that it will be a flavor profile you will like. Different barrels stored in different locations will age differently, creating different flavor profiles from barrel to barrel. So which barrel is higher quality? None! They are all just different. I might like one much better than you. That doesn't make it higher or lower quality. The most you can say about this is that single barrel production results in more distinct flavors, but that means higher variability also. In most products, higher variability is equated to LOWER quality, not higher! Think of it this way. How would you feel if every time you opened a bottle of Pepsi, it tasted just a little different than the last? You probably wouldn't like that very much. If you find a single barrel bourbon you love, you had better enjoy it because you may never find it again. Basically, this whole single barrel thing is (IMO) 100% marketing and not worth the extra money. Blending whisky makes it more consistent, which people generally like because they pick favorites and, guess what, you can find it again and again. All of this should be obvious, but due to marketing efforts, some people have become enamored with something that is nothing more than just plain old advertising Im onboard with the Evan Williams SB only because its cheap (price not quality) Drink whatever you like and 🥃Cheers!
well I still love my Knob Creek! lol
Digging the Drekker shirt! Great beers and super cool brew hall.
The best!
@@bourbonkingdom will trade brew for bourbon :D
JD SiB BP is the best bang for the buck bourbon on the market.
Pretty much the same list I would have. Any chance you would add the Green River Single Barrel? I have recently been able to find it a lot here in Texas at least and it's really good. I would easily put it with y'all's top 3.
The issues with single barrels some suck always a roll of the dice
I've always said the same thing, no matter the price 😢
You could make the case that the Jack SBBB is the best bang for your buck in whiskey right now.
Never seen John j bowman in Colorado, Texas, Florida or South Carolina but still looking for it.
Would be interesting to see where Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit would land. I’ve had some HITTER bottles of that 🤘😎🦃
I prefer this to the Russell's single barrels.
I'm going Four Roses SiB bc the cost and how it's always been my nightcap. JD SiB BP second but I have several that can be in this category.
Watching your reactions at the end was pure gold!! LOL!!
I’m so surprised Russell’s SB didn’t do a bit better. I always have a great experience with those. Any given day… I guess?
I agree with the assessment in the video. The store picks of RR SB were usually absolute fire, the regular single barrel (which does not indicate age and rickhouse location) are not worth their price. And the store picks usually sell at the same price, when you can find them.
Love the Drekker t-shirt...you guys obviously know beer as well :)
Dave does Zach hates it🤣
They are still selling Evan Williams single barrel in Texas
They don’t like commie states like Illinois
After the disrespect to KC9SB Im wondering why I'm still subscribed... 😂
I mean we had high hopes lol.
@@bourbonkingdom We only get KC9SB, JDSB & 4RSB in these parts, so what do we know.. lol. Please give KC9SB a chance to redeem itself in a different lineup!
JDSBBP had the proof advantage. That’s unsurprising. Also, that Dickel is 15+ years… the Dickeliness is really turned down in that single barrel. I’m not surprised to not see it last. Benchmark SiB at second place is surprising. But they are single barrels, so it’s anyone’s game.
For some reason, I have never been a Baker’s fan, even though I like Beam.
Very interesting, thanks.
Have you tried doing a blind of 4-5 single barrels from the same line?
I can understand wanting to do different types of tastings and wanting to do them blind, BUT ...not sure if doing single barrels is a great idea. The fact that they are SiBs introduces such an unpredictable factor. Granted, some SiBs are more consistent than others, but even then there can be an outlier. And other bourbons are almost notorious (McKenna) for varying quite a bit. Add the factor of comparing lower proof stuff with barrel/full proofs and the comparisons become even less meaningful. Other than that, drinking 11 different bourbons in one sitting can be a gas. 😂
I didn’t see EH Taylor Single Barrel. I wonder where that would’ve landed.
But it’s not an everyday findable bottle
With you on the bottom - Baker’s is terrible. KC9 is very flat - not offensive, but not much going for it either. The Russell’s SiB is a little flat, but the Private Barrel Selections are so next level!
I never understood all the love for Evan Williams single barrel. I've had a few bottles over the years and always found it mediocre.
I've got a nearly 9 year Bakers and i think it's decent stuff, but probably not worth the price I paid.
I am a Knob Creek fan, but it's a very mood dependent drink for me. Sometimes, it comes across as absolutely brilliant and other times, it's like, well, a big pass, find me something else, now!
I'm surprised to see the Benchmark single barrel finish so high. I have the 125 proof and it comes across young and rough. I liked it a first, but haven't hardly touched it in a year. Maybe the single barrel will hit better. The Benchmark line recently hit my area ( for a long time we only had the "8"), and so have been wondering which versions to try (single barrel, Top Floor, BiB, Small Batch). Guess I'll try the single barrel.
I've only had the Bowman once. I remember enjoying it, but i have not seen it barely ever in years, and when I have, the price is so excessive that it's an easy pass.
Glad to see the 4R single barrel do well. It's my favorite of the core lineup, even over the small batch select.
I expected the Russell's to do better, but then again, I'm not as big of a JD fan as you guys. So there would probably be some adjustments in the top half there.
Baker's 7 is one of my most flavorful boibons
FYI.. Benchmark and JD SB are quite young, 4-5 years. JJ Bowman more like 8-9. But 3 of the top 5 are the youngest in the selection.
Allegedly (according to the Bowman tour guide) JJB is 10+ years, which I found a little surprising.
What’s the difference between the single barrels? One has a green label and the other one doesn’t?
Green label USUALLY indicates a rye, not whiskey/bourbon.
That is a hefty pour that Zach has. Sorry if your name is spelled wrong.
You are spot on with the name my guy!
That’s some heavy pours right there.
JJ Bowman all day long!
This video is comical 😂😂
I can find all of these except for the John J Bowman and most are in my rotation. Now you guys dumped all over the best bourbons I’m able to find and buy. 🤣
The ending 😂😂😂
1792 single barrel,
Evan Williams (easily the worst major sub brand of Heaven Hill) and Jim Beam are some of worst of the large distilleries…your bottom 3 make sense
Been pouring juice for over 50yrs and to be honest you'll always run into a bad run of ANY brand eventually...TRUTH 🤔
Some more than others ...😉
Who is Glen Karen?
Drink, drink, drink...😂
I seem to be the only person that likes Baker's 7.
No you're not I love Baker 7 every bottle I've had except the one I have now (7years 5 months) has been great. It's ok but has a tannic note. The only reason I got the one I have now cause it has cap no.3 I needed that one to collect all four different caps.
I think legacy Distillery single barrels have just gotten lazy. Store pick single barrels from those same legacy distilleries are always superior. Well maybe not always. I find a lot of people aren't drinking from legacy distilleries as much as I used to. Looking back over the last couple weeks of what I've been pouring it's all been from non-producing distillers like rare character, Nashville barrel company and Barrel King.
Y’all must’ve not washed the Taco Bell off your pallets or something to say some of these are “terrible”. Lol
The more I see reviews like this, the more I think blinds are a bad idea. The guys even said it, boubons they know they like ended up doing terribly.
I'm not at all surprised to see Bakers dragging behind. I don't get the hype - it's just not that good to me. I regret that purchase.
Henry McKenna is a 50/50 crap shoot. Very inconsistent.
I've seen so many comments saying that same thing, I'm hesitant to roll the dice
@@davidteller7681Same here.
This is why I think blinds are kinda a waste of time……so many so soon
Master blenders in the making 😂
That's because EW Single Barrel isn't that good. I've had bottles before and they're always just ok. That old $32 price was right for it.
Somebody needs a new hairdo , cause the other person has a killer do!!!