As we enter the second round of the Battle of the 100-Proofs (Give or Take), the matchups start to get very tight and very tasty. A quick glance of the head-to-head blinds reveals that there are absolutely no weaklings in this Sweet 16 round. Here are the contenders:
- Old Forester “Baby Birthday” 102
- Old Forester 1924
- Old Forester 1897
- Bulleit Bottled-in-Bond
- John J. Bowman Single Barrel
- E.H. Taylor Small Batch
- Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond
- High West Rum Cask
- Old Forester 100
- High West Chardonnay Cask
- Bank Street Straight
- Wild Turkey 101 8-year
- Chattanooga Bottled-in-Bond
- Henry McKenna Bottled-in-Bond
- Jack Daniels Bonded
- 1792 Single Barrel
Today’s recap is being written during the enjoyment of Wild Turkey Rare Breed (which was picked by my new favorite app, Only Drams – you can find it on both Apple’s and Google Play’s stores). This bourbon is a favorite for many, and the reputation is well-deserved. The nose is bright, with caramel and citrus, and those flavors pick up on the palate. Bright notes of brown sugar and orange flood the mouth, and those linger in a lengthy and enjoyable finish. At about $55, it’s a no-brainer to add to your shelf.
Back to the competition. Again, most of the matchups are within five points, and the lowest score in this group is more than 65, so this was a very tasty set of blinds.
Second Round – Sweet 16
Old Forester “Baby Birthday” 77, Henry McKenna Bottled-in-Bond 70. Both of these are first-rate drams, but the Baby is a clear winner. McKenna’s brown sugar blast is sweet and relaxing, but the layers of ice cream sundae flavor surge through my taste buds and linger on my palate. Another win for the Old Forester home blend.
High West Rum Cask 71, Old Forester 100 68. I like the High West finished series, and this one is a new favorite. I pick up a little coconut on the nose, but the flavors are mostly brown sugar and a touch of banana. It’s sweet and decadent. Old Forester simply doesn’t make a bad bourbon. Their 100-proof baseline is almost as dark and rich as its more seasoned cousins. There’s tons of cherry on the nose, though there’s a fair amount of alcohol that lingers a bit too long. The cherry sits on the tongue, too, along with maple sugar and caramel. For the money, there’s not much better, but it’s not strong enough to slip past the High West.
1792 Single Barrel 69, Bulleit Bottled-in-Bond 66. This one made me a bit sad and disappointed. I have absolutely love the new Bulleit, which is the first completely distilled, barreled and bottled by the company. It’s a gorgeous cinnamon roll in a glass, and I’ve even bought a couple of bottles to give to friends as presents. But today, it just didn’t come across as good as it has on previous tastings. The 1792 is fruity and maybe even a bit chocolatey. I’m happy to enjoy it this much, but I’m still saddened I didn’t like the Bulleit more in this round.
John J. Bowman Single Barrel 71, Wild Turkey 101 8-year 66. I’m not sure why the Bowman doesn’t rate any higher in these early rounds, but it’s still one of the best bourbons on my shelf. There’s a creaminess on the nose that includes rich caramel and tree fruit. Pear, maybe? Sweetness highlights a palate that is rich in vanilla and deep caramel. The Wild Turkey 8-year still doesn’t blow me away. There’s just so much oak on the palate that I don’t end up enjoying the underlying flavors as much as I want to.
Old Forester 1924 78, Jack Daniel’s Bonded 69. My second experience with the JD Bonded is just as good as my first. Good Lord, I do enjoy Daniel’s signature banana nose and palate. But the Old Forester 1924 has raced up the charts of my favorites. The nose is rich and buttery with sweet berry notes, and the flavor profile hammers those flavors (and more) home with a viscosity that lasts into a lengthy finish. The 1924 is definitely a contender to win this bracket.
Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 70, High West Chardonnay Cask 67. This High West was my first of the company’s finished series, and my instant thought was “crème brulee.” There’s a buttery decadence to this bourbon that makes it instantly enjoyable – but it’s almost too sweet. The Heaven Hill BiB is a super-solid pour. It’s textbook bourbon with lavish and classic flavors of vanilla and caramel. It probably won’t win the bracket, but it deserves to be here and in every bourbon cabinet.
Old Forester 1897 72, Chattanooga Bottled-in-Bond 70. The 1897 is one of the newest additions to my collection, and it’s worthy of the name Old Forester. Aromas and flavors of plum, vanilla and caramel stick to the mouth like warm sugar. There’s a bit too much ethanol on the nose, but that doesn’t show up on the palate. The Chattanooga is almost as solid in this round as in the first. Hints of cherry and cinnamon highlight a super enjoyable experience. This was a very close blind, and I had to drain both Glencairns to figure out which one rose to the top. This time, it was the 1897.
Bank Street Straight 73, E.H. Taylor Small Batch 69. This is my second big surprise of the bracket. E.H. Taylor has such a great reputation that I figured it would easily advance through the blinds. But I’m finding out that I’m not a huge Sazerac fan, and the Taylor is apparently classic Sazerac. I kept picking up grape soda on the palate, and I’m not really a big fan of the grape flavor. Meanwhile, the Bank Street just keeps on keeping on. Its beautiful balance of vanilla, caramel and oak simply continue to impress my tastebuds. It’s on to the quarterfinals, where it will face off with the Old Forester 1897.
My Elite 8 is:
- Old Forester “Baby Birthday” 102 vs. High West Rum Cask
- 1792 Single Barrel vs. John J. Bowman Single Barrel
- Old Forester 1924 vs. Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond
- Old Forester 1897 vs. Bank Street Straight
End of the second round. Round three results and commentary will follow.
Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt
