We have now reached the fourth round – the Elite 8. And while these are some amazing bourbons in my realm, I well know that a lot of bourbon aficionados have infinitely more rare and valuable drinks in their collections. Even so, I would put my eight up against most other eights others might present.
Now, as I’m recording the results of this round, I have entrusted the Only Drams app with the responsibility for picking my pour, and it selected for me the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof. That’s one that was sealed up until today, but I went ahead and opened it and, holy smokes it looks like raspberry syrup going into the glass. It’s a little hot on the nose at 130 proof, but it’s wonderful on the palate with hints of cinnamon, chocolate and cherries. And there’s always the signature Jack Daniel’s banana aroma and flavor hanging around the edges.
As with the previous round, I have the PDF from this tournament available if you’d like to look at the overall scores without the commentary.
Fourth Round – Quarterfinals
Old Forester Single Barrel 82, Old Forester 1920 77. Two of my absolute favorites go head-to-head, and the winner is me! The single barrel has a clear advantage, though, in my stepdad’s lingo, we’re picking hairs off flies off eggs. Both of these bourbons are big winners, but there has to be one that moves forward, so the nitpicking winner is the single barrel. It’s slightly richer with a creamier mouthfeel and deeper flavors.
John J. Bowman Single Barrel 72, High West Chardonnay Cask 71. Another tight matchup, but neither one of these would have fared well in this round’s opening blind. The actual score on this was less than one point, so a head-to-head “taste-off” determined the winner. The color on the Bowman (which is so dark and brown) made the difference.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed 74, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 68. Yes, I’m an Old Forester guy, but this Rare Breed is racing up my charts. You instantly pick up the cinnamon and brown sugar on the nose, and those flavors quickly appear on the palate. The Heaven Hill holds its own well, but there’s just not enough there to overcome the greatness in the Rare Breed.
Old Forester Baby Birthday 102 79, Stagg Jr. 74. As with the blind at the top half of this bracket, this one ensures that the taster is the big winner. It’s impossible to deny that Stagg Jr. is a feast for the senses. Perhaps was set the Baby Birthday apart from the pack is that its proof point didn’t feel so fiery. There’s just a richness and viscosity on the palate that makes it pure enjoyment. No, you can’t find it on your local store shelf, but you can easily mix it up. I promise you that if you do, you’ll thank me for the suggestion.
End of the fourth round. Semifinal results and commentary will follow.
Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt
