The first two blinds of the 2025 Ultimate Sip Challenge are in the books, and it’s clear that there’s going to be at least one winner – me! I’ve already tasted some great bourbons, and there are eight more on tap for today’s segment. In the first half of the first “region” (the High-Proof/High-Value Region), four great bourbons advanced to the second round: Old Forester Single Barrel, Kentucky Owl Single Barrel, Seelbach’s 10-year and Green River Full Proof. Today, eight more whiskeys will contend to make up the remainder of the region’s top eight.

Current First Round Winners:

Green River Full Proof, Kentucky Owl Single Barrel, Old Forester Single Barrel, Seelbach 10-Year

First Round – High-Proof/ High-Value Region (Bottom Half)

The first blind: Old Forester 1924 vs. Four Branches Founders Edition; 1792 Full Proof vs. Henry McKenna 10-Year Bottled in Bond

Glencairn #1: Beautiful color. Gorgeous, really. The aroma is still solid, but it’s a bit of a letdown after seeing such rich color bordering on mahogany. My nose picked up hints of fruit, maybe cherry, along with some sweet caramel. It’s just not as pronounced as I expected. The palate follows suit with nice flavors, but not amazing. It’s sweet and delicious with some cinnamon and dried fruit, pinned to the tongue by a fairly oily texture. The finish lasts a bit, especially the cinnamon. It’s not life-changing, but it’s definitely more than enjoyable. Score: 76.

Glencairn #2: After the first dram, this one seems to be a weak sister. There’s very little color here and the aroma is almost undetectable. I’m getting a little bit of classic bourbon (vanilla and caramel), but precious little. The flavor is marginally more impressive with those same flavors leading the way followed by a bit of oak. There’s also not much viscosity, and, predictably, very little finish. I think I know what it is, and if I’m right, I’m won’t be surprised that it’s not moving forward. Score: 61.

Glencairn #3: We’re back to a nice color (solid amber), but, again, not an aroma to match. It’s OK, but there’s a little ethanol blocking the sweet hints of toffee and baking spice. The flavor jumps out a bit more with creamy caramel and maybe some butterscotch, married with a touch of tree fruit. The mouthfeel is very pleasing, and leads to an even more pleasing finish where the flavors slowly fade, leaving me with satisfying tastes of classic bourbon. It’s not the most complex bourbon I’ve had, but I wouldn’t mind seeing this move into the next round. Score: 70.

Glencairn #4: My eye is instantly impressed by deep copper, and my nose is treated to wafts of brown sugar, toffee and maybe some dark chocolate. After the first two senses have been blessed, it’s time to see what the mouth thinks, and it’s not disappointed. This one is bold – undoubtedly high proof – and the creamy mouthfeel delivers beautiful spice and rich fruit (cherry, I think). There’s some oak here, but it stays out of the way and lets the other flavors be the heroes. That creaminess keeps the flavors around for a while, and I’m left with a satisfying finish where the experience doesn’t evolve but just lingers. This one edges out #1 as the best of the blind. Score: 77.

The unveiling:
Glencairn #1: Old Forester 1924
Glencairn #2: Four Branches Founders Edition
Glencairn #3: Henry McKenna 10-Year Bottled in Bond
Glencairn #4: 1792 Full Proof

The results:
Old Forester 1924 76, Four Branches Founders Edition 61
1792 Full Proof 77, Henry McKenna 10-Year Bottled in Bond 70

Old Forester 1924 and 1792 Full Proof advance to the Round of 32.

The second blind: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Select vs. Blanton’s Single Barrel;  Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend vs. Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bottled in Bond

Glencairn #1: Rich, deep copper color, followed by a blast of aromas, including chocolate, caramel and a hint of banana. All of those aromas become flavors on the palate, which also includes a fair amount of heat, most of it from a fairly high proof point. The flavors have a wonderful balance and combine to form “dessert in a glass.” (When I say that, you know that I really like a whiskey.) The viscosity is maybe the best I’ve had so far, so the finish is long and delicious, with some baking spice rounding out the dram. Score: 78.

Glencairn #2: We start with decent, but just above average color. (Dark gold.) There is a strong aroma of fruit, primarily grape. Honestly, it smells like a grape Jolly Rancher. I know there’s some vanilla and toffee in there, but the grape is overwhelming everything else. On the palate, the grape is even more present. When you combine that with the vanilla, it’s a bit like having grape jelly on toast for breakfast. The mouthfeel is really nice, but it’s making sure I get as much grape jelly as possible, and I’m not the biggest fan of that flavor profile. It’s nice, but if there was a different hero on the nose and mouth, I’d like it more. Score: 70.

Glencairn #3: The appearance is slightly paler than #2, but the aroma is almost exactly the same. Maybe it’s me and I’m stuck with grape on the brain, so after a sniff of coffee beans, I go back and still get grape. I’m immediately suspecting that this and #2 are the two Sazeracs in the blind. This so closely mirrors #2 that I wonder if I’m tasting the same thing. Grape, grape and more grape. The drop-off in color (and a lesser nose profile), place this one slightly behind #2, but they’re basically the same dram to me. Even the finish is the same – more grape. (Or do I just have sour grapes.) Score: 68.

Glencairn #4: OK, so here’s where I find out if I’m just smelling and tasting grapes everywhere I go. Nope. I get blasted with dark chocolate and a fruit basket that includes figs and cherries. The first sip kicks into high gear with creamy caramels and more chocolate. I think I pick up some cloves here as well. The viscous, oily texture ensures that the finish is long and enjoyable, as some vanilla and caramel linger for a couple of minutes. My only regret about this sip is that there’s not more in the glass. Score: 76.

The unveiling:
Glencairn #1: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof
Glencairn #2: Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bottled in Bond
Glencairn #3: Blanton’s Single Barrel
Glencairn #4: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend

The results:
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof 78, Blanton’s Single Barrel 68
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 76, Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch 70

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof and Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend advance to the Round of 32.

Next post: We move on to the Entry Level/ Value Buys region on Thursday, June 12.

You can see the entire bracket at https://challonge.com/eovaukuz/

Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt