I’ve been enjoying bourbon for a lot of years. Probably close to 20. But I will be the first to admit, I don’t know much.

I also have to admit something else. My nose is broken. Not literally, like the bones. But I don’t pick up aromas like other bourbon aficionados I know. I can often smell sweet, savory or other general aromas, but many times I simply can’t distinguish any smells. I think it might be related to a deviated septum surgery I had a couple of years ago. So trying to rely on my nose to help me figure things out is often futile.

Still, I like sampling the stuff, so I went to a site called Challonge and created a blind with most of the bourbons I had on hand. That included my infinity bottles and a couple of Old Forester creations I call “Baby Birthdays.”

(An aside: You’ll have more luck locating an actual unicorn than finding a bottle of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, and if you do find it you won’t get it for less than $1,000, and most times it’s higher than that. But I took a suggestion and tried combining Old Forester’s 1910 and 1920. In one bottle, I mixed 40 percent 1910 and 60 percent 1920, and in the other, I did the exact opposite – 60 and 40. So I today have a bottle of Baby Birthday 102 and another that’s Baby Birthday 106. They’re two of my absolute favorite sippers. I included them in a couple of blind brackets early on, but I won’t do that moving forward because you can’t simply find those on a store shelf. But if you want to try the experiment, I highly recommend the experience. The “102” is my favorite between the two, but I’m enjoying some of the “106” as I write this, and all of the classic flavors are exploding in my mouth.)

This first bracket included 46 whiskeys, with 28 competing in first-round faceoffs and another 18 getting byes into the second round. I’m attaching a PDF of the bracket, but here are the results, with notes on some of the more interesting matchups:

First Round

Buffalo Trace 60, Evan Williams Single Barrel 2015 58. My old favorite failed to win an early matchup. It’s not that Buffalo Trace was all that great. I find it to be on the thin side with very basic appeal. But Evan Williams doesn’t come across as very mature, even though it’s aged for eight years.

Baker’s 7 Single Barrel 64, Belle Meade Straight 54.

Knob Creek 9 63, Evan Williams 1793 54.

Nelson Brothers Reserve 61, Members Mark 59. Yes, Member’s Mark, not Maker’s Mark. This is the Sam’s Club special that’s distilled for them by Barton’s 1792. It’s decent stuff, but not good enough to move to the second round.

“Burlock Unknown” 66, Daviess County Toasted 60. In later blinds, Daviess will fare better for me. On this day, one of my infinity bottles was easily the better taste. I have no clue what’s in this bottle, but it’s rich and full and bursting with class bourbon goodness. (I call it Burlock because it’s in a formerly empty Burlock and Barrel bottle.

High West Chardonnay Cask 70, “Heaven’s Door Infinity” 57.

McFarlane’s Cask Strength 55, Knob Creek Rye 52. McFarlane’s is a Total Wine Spirits Direct entry, and it eked out the rye, which tells you that I’m not much of a rye fan.

“Infinity Crystal” 63, Jack Daniels No. 7 58. Another solid infinity bottle against a very tasty Jack Daniels classic. But the lack of depth in the old No. 7 doomed it to a first-round loss.

Heaven’s Door Homesick Blues 70, Four Branches Founders Edition 52. Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door brand puts out a lot of solid whiskeys, and this wheated gem easily bested an overpriced bourbon that plays on patriotic leanings more than it produces whiskey worthy of the price tag.

Maker’s Mark 46 (Bill’s Recipe) 59, Bushwood Long Ball 58.

Benchmark Single Barrel 63, Brother’s Bond Cask Strength 57. If you’re not familiar with Benchmark’s lineup, you should be. They won’t win many (or maybe any) competitions, but they’re probably the best bang for the buck in the bourbon world.

Jack Daniels Single Barrel Rye 69, First Call Rye 48. Easily the biggest mismatch in the first round. First, yes, I did include a few ryes in a bourbon bracket. But the Jack Daniels is worth the price of admission. It’s rich and chocolatey and delicious. I’ll always have this on my shelf. As for the First Call? It’s kerosene crossed with cough medicine. I had my wife sniff it to confirm and she agreed. I just nosed the bottle again right now, and it reaffirmed that the First Call Rye is a crime against whiskey. Just as I’ll commend the Jack rye to you without reservation, I will tell you to 100 percent avoid the First Call rye at all costs. Don’t even accept a bottle as a gift. Just run from the person who gives it to you and then question the nature of your friendship.

Bank Street Straight 63, “Infinity Antique” 55. This is the first, but not the last, time you’ll see me commend Total Wine’s Bank Street Straight Bourbon (the 100 proof blend). It’s surprisingly good, and good enough to recommend to most bourbon shelves.

Jim Beam Single Barrel 58, Yellowstone 54. I used to be a fan of Yellowstone, but not so much anymore. I do really like Yellowstone’s barrel-proof store picks, but this garden variety Yellowstone is just meh.

End of the first round. Round two results and commentary will follow.

Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt