The first round is complete and we’ve cut our field in half from 64 to 32. Some excellent bourbons have been relegated to the sidelines, and I have to say that I’m surprised and disappointed to see some of them go. Old Grand-Dad 114. Stagg (Jr.) #24C. Jack Daniel’s Bonded. Eagle Rare 10-Year. Weller Special Reserve. Nelson Brothers Reserve. Those and several others are sip-worthy whiskeys that won’t be moving forward, but when you look through the list below of the ones that will be continuing, it’s hard to be too disappointed. Here are the region-by-region winners from the first round:
First Round High-Proof/High-Value Winners:
1792 Full Proof, Green River Full Proof, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof, Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend, Kentucky Owl Single Barrel, Old Forester 1924, Old Forester Single Barrel, Seelbach 10-Year
First Round Entry-Level/Value Buys Winners:
Angels Envy Port Finished, Clyde May’s Special Reserve, Evan Williams Bottled in Bond, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select, Old Forester 100, Old Forester 1910, Russell’s Reserve 10-Year, Wild Turkey 101
First Round Enthusiast Level Drams Winners:
Bank Street Straight Vault Edition, Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series Pecan Finished, John J. Bowman Single Barrel, Old Emmer Cask Strength, Old Forester 1920, Seelbach’s 8-Year Cask Strength, Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Yellowstone Hand Picked Single Barrel
First Round Solid Everyday Sippers Winners:
Benchmark Single Barrel, Bulleit Bottled in Bond, Chattanooga Bottled in Bond, Elijah Craig Small Batch PGA Edition, Four Roses Single Barrel OESO, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, High West Chardonnay Cask, Old Forester 1897
Second Round – High-Proof/High-Value Region
The first blind: Old Forester Single Barrel vs. Kentucky Owl Single Barrel; Seelbach 10-Year Cask Strength vs. Green River Full Proof
Glencairn #1: Color bordering on mahogany greets the eyes, while notes of brown sugar, chocolate and cinnamon work around a little oak and some ethanol that tries to get in the way. Cinnamon and brown sugar lead the palate, followed by chocolate-covered cherries. This is a delicious dram. The finish is, thankfully, long, with the warm brown sugar and spice staying around for a pleasant visit. Score: 80.
Glencairn #2: Solid amber color leads to citrus-forward aromas on the nose, aided by light oak. There’s a lot of spice on the front end here, but I’m also picking up a solid dose of brown sugar and orange juice. There’s also mild baking spice, maybe cloves and nutmeg. A creamy mouthfeel delivers a satisfying finish where the flavors linger for a minute or two. Score: 77.
Glencairn #3: The color matches #1 with light mahogany, and I’m picking up some definite proof, with notes of vanilla, citrus, toffee and light oak with an added bit of chocolate. The flavor is a bit like one of those Terry’s chocolate orange slices, just with added cinnamon on top. There is unmistakable heat from the proof, but it doesn’t diminish the flavor at all. These drams are making my job very difficult. Score: 80.
Glencairn #4: As with glass #2, the color is solid amber, but the aroma is more oak-forward with classic bourbon scents trailing behind. Warm brown sugar leads off the taste, followed by bright fruit flavors of cherry and apple, along with some cinnamon. There’s a bit of ethanol in the taste, which takes away just a bit from the experience, but overall, this is a really nice dram. The finish lingers well with a lot of sweetness from the brown sugar. Score: 77.
The unveiling:
Glencairn #1: Seelbach 10-Year Cask Strength
Glencairn #2: Kentucky Owl Single Barrel
Glencairn #3: Old Forester Single Barrel
Glencairn #4: Green River Full Proof
The results:
Old Forester Single Barrel 80, Kentucky Owl Single Barrel 77
Seelbach 10-Year Cask Strength 80, Green River Full Proof 77
Old Forester Single Barrel and Seelbach 10-Year Cask Strength advance to the Sweet 16.
The second blind: Old Forester 1924 vs. 1792 Full Proof; Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof vs. Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend
Glencairn #1: The color is rich mahogany, and I’m immediately picking up sweet banana and brown sugar on the nose. A taste reveals warm brown sugar mixed with cinnamon, followed by banana and caramel. This one is nothing but delicious, and it has a syrupy texture that leads to a lengthy finish of sweet cinnamon. Score: 82.
Glencairn #2: Deep copper greets my eyes, and my nose is led to aromas of fruit and chocolate. I’m looking forward to this taste, and I’m not disappointed chocolate-covered cherries sweetened with brown sugar and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. The mouthfeel is lush and so is the finish, where some of that sugary fruit hangs around for a minute or two. Score: 79.
Glencairn #3: Nice amber color and sweet aromas of citrus and cinnamon build anticipation for a solid tasting. I get what I’m wishing for when I taste sweet, spicy citrus layered with a balance of oak and toffee. This is decadent and delicious, and the finish is warm and lengthy. Score: 80.
Glencairn #4: More solid amber color followed by aromas of oak, baking spice and vanilla. The last taste of the day brings a blast of warm brown sugar and spiced cherries, perhaps with a splash of apples and light oak. The creamy mouthfeel leads me to a strong finish where spiced fruit leads me to a satisfying conclusion to this amazing blind. Regardless of who wins this blind, the big winner is me! Score: 81.
The unveiling:
Glencairn #1: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof
Glencairn #2: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend
Glencairn #3: 1792 Full Proof
Glencairn #4: Old Forester 1924
The results:
Old Forester 1924 81, 1792 Full Proof 80
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof 82, Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 79
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof and Old Forester 1924 advance to the Sweet 16.
Next post: We advance to the top eight of the Entry-Level/Value Buys region on Sunday, June 29.
You can see the entire bracket at https://challonge.com/eovaukuz/
Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt
