Another fun evening of bonding around bourbon at the Main Street Wine Bar (http://www.mainstreetwinebar.com) is in the books— thanks to the 12 participants who brought impressive insight and humor to the room! New friendships and connections were made and a great time was had by all (especially by me!).
The final lineup below represented the Heaven Hill Distillery well, spanning categories of Single Barrel, Small Batch, Wheated, and advanced aging (of bourbon).
An informal poll was taken at the end, and there seemed to be wide support for the Wheated– Larceny– and mixed reaction to the Elijah Craig 18. It’s very difficult to pull off what the Van Winkle line does with a long aging process (too much exposure to the barrel can introduce some less than desirable elements), but this offering was well received, although not the clear winner I expected. The McKenna sparked a lot of conversation and rightfully so– a 10 year old Single Barrel that also carries the “Bottled in Bond” designation. So rest assured no tobacco spit, rattlesnake heads or turpentine were added to the process! Since the anniversary of the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was celebrated earlier this month (at least by me), we thought this was an excellent way to highlight the topic. The link below takes you to an entertaining discussion of the Act and those who embrace it with tattoos. I’m a fan, but draw the line at body ink.
Planning is underway for the next session, and I’m open to suggestions. A horizontal of award winners across different distilleries is a contender– let me know if you have others.
Until next time–
The Bourbon Boss
Mountain Bourbon 