The journey has begun! After seeding ten outstanding Bottled-in-Bond bourbons, it’s time for the first taste-off. To narrow the field down to our Elite Eight, the four lowest-seeded contenders must first battle it out in a play-in round. This sets the stage for the full bracket and gives two bourbons the chance to prove they belong with the top dogs.

Here is the complete list of contenders by seed:

1. Old Forester 1897
2. Bulleit Bottled-in-Bond
3. Henry McKenna Bottled-in-Bond
4. Chattanooga Bottled-in-Bond (Fall 2019)
5. Early Times Bottled-in-Bond
6. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond
7. Jack Daniel’s Bonded
8. George Dickel 13-year Bottled-in-Bond
9. Old Grand-dad Bottled-in-Bond
10. Benchmark Bonded

The play-in matchups are set: #(7) Jack Daniel’s vs. #(10) Benchmark, and #(8) George Dickel vs. #(9) Old Grand-dad. Let’s get to the blind tasting.

The Blind: Play-In Round

Glencairn #1
Color: Light copper.
Nose: Bananas, brown sugar, and caramel.
Palate: Bananas, baking spice, chocolate, and caramel.
Mouthfeel: Modest.
Finish: Brown sugar, bananas, and baking spice.
Score: 76

Glencairn #2
Color: Nice amber.
Nose: Light nose, maybe vanilla and berries or grapes.
Palate: Cinnamon, caramel, and peanuts.
Mouthfeel: A little on the thin side.
Finish: Decent and lingering, mainly cinnamon
Score: 73

Glencairn #3
Color: Light amber.
Nose: Tree fruit, brown sugar, and light baking spice.
Palate: Brown sugar, cinnamon, and tree fruit; low complexity, but delicious.
Mouthfeel: Silky.
Finish: Solid, sweet, and spice-filled finish.
Score: 74

Glencairn #4
Color: Light copper.
Nose: Pears, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Palate: Cinnamon at the front, followed by brown sugar, tree fruit, and caramel.
Mouthfeel: Mid-level.
Finish: Cinnamon-heavy finish.
Score: 76

Thoughts About the Blind

All four of these were very good. None of them would likely fit into the elite bottles on my shelf, but they were all easy sippers that would be suitable any day of the week. But the first and last bottles had something that set them apart from the other two. A little more flavor. A little better finish. Just enough to move them into the eight-bottle bracket.

The Unveiling & Results

Here is how the blind tasting shook out:

Glencairn #1: Jack Daniel’s Bonded
Glencairn #2: Old Grand-dad Bottled-in-Bond
Glencairn #3: Benchmark Bonded
Glencairn #4: George Dickel 13-year Bottled-in-Bond

The final results of the play-in round are:

Jack Daniel’s Bonded (76) defeats Benchmark Bonded (74)
George Dickel 13-year Bottled-in-Bond (76) defeats Old Grand-dad Bottled-in-Bond (73)

Jack Daniel’s Bonded and George Dickel 13-year Bottled-in-Bond survive and advance!

What’s Next: The Elite Eight is Set

With the play-in round complete, our official bracket of eight is locked in. The two winners will now take the #7 and #8 spots as we move forward.

Next up: We sample all eight of the remaining contenders in the second round on Sunday, July 20. Stay tuned!