Tasting Tuesday: 95-and-Under Challenge, Blinds 5 & 6

We’re getting deeper into the 95-and-under bracket, and the pattern’s starting to show itself. The higher-proof matchups in earlier rounds had punch and character; this stretch is proving how tricky it can be for a lower-proof bourbon to keep the same level of personality once the water gets involved. Still, there were some nice surprises and a few reminders of why certain bottles continue to hold their spots on store shelves.

Let’s see how these next two blinds played out.

Blind #5

Old Forester 1910 (2) vs. Benchmark Top Floor (31)
Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select (15) vs. Evan Williams Single Barrel 2015 (18)

Glencairn A
Color: Decent copper.
Nose: A bit of proof and oak lead the front end, with some classic vanilla and a little baking spice trailing.
Palate: There’s a lot of spice up front, with some oak and caramel close behind. It’s not overly complicated, and the flavors are a little light, though there is a pleasant mouthfeel.
Finish: The sip fades into the background a little too quickly, with vanilla and spice the noticeable flavors.
Score: 68.6

Glencairn B
Color: Deep amber.
Nose: Leather and vanilla lead a touch of allspice. Like the first dram, it seems more savory than sweet.
Palate: The savory notes continue. There’s a decent amount of oak here and more proof than I’d expect in a lower-proof bourbon. I’m getting classic bourbon flavors—vanilla and caramel—with a bonus of some baked apples. Average mouthfeel.
Finish: This one lasts longer than expected with some nice caramel and baking spice leading a touch of fruit.
Score: 72.0

Glencairn C
Color: Solid mahogany.
Nose: The aroma tells me which one this is, but I’ll hold off on identification. Rich brown sugar, sweet caramel, nutmeg, and light oak waft in a beautiful coexistence.
Palate: The dram is creamy, with baking spice and brown sugar at the front, with some cherries and caramel rounding out the mix.
Finish: It’s nice when a sip takes its time to leave, and this one is very nice. The cherries get a bit sour, but cherry is one flavor where sour is a good thing. As I’m about to stop writing, butterscotch makes an unexpected appearance.
Score: 86.7

Glencairn D
Color: The lightest in the blind—honey amber.
Nose: What’s here is nice, but it’s on the light side. The aroma tends toward cherry cola, with some oak and vanilla trailing.
Palate: The flavor is fairly thin and so is the mouthfeel. It’s a bit smoky and oaky, but there’s some decent vanilla and fruit in the background.
Finish: Things get a bit tart toward the end, and some of the oak and baking spice linger, but not too long.
Score: 67.7

Thoughts on the blind:
I already suspected this, but now that I’m sampling a lot of lower-proof bourbons, I’m realizing that most of these whiskeys sacrifice quality by adding in the extra water. There might be some great flavors in a lot of these, but they’ve been diluted so much that they border on generic. Some have figured out how to go low on proof and still maintain a greatness—like Glencairn C. The others are so close to each other that it’s hard to tell them apart.

The Reveal:
Glencairn A: Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select
Glencairn B: Evan Williams Single Barrel 2015
Glencairn C: Old Forester 1910
Glencairn D: Benchmark Top Floor

The Results:
Old Forester 1910 (86.7) defeats Benchmark Top Floor (67.7)
Evan Williams Single Barrel 2015 (72.0) defeats Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select (68.6)

Old Forester 1910 and Evan Williams Single Barrel 2015 advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Blind #6

Square 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon High Rye (7) vs. Burlock & Barrel Reserve (26)
Weller Special Reserve (10) vs. Benchmark Small Batch (23)

Glencairn A
Color: On the honey to golden side.
Nose: Fairly light. A little ethanol and vanilla with some oak and baking spice.
Palate: On the savory side, but still a little sweet. Baking spice leads, with traditional vanilla and caramel following. Uncomplicated, but pleasant. The mouthfeel is a bit silky.
Finish: The baking spice and vanilla lead, and I’m picking up a bit of cherry as the finish fades. Nice, but not amazing.
Score: 67.6

Glencairn B
Color: Light copper.
Nose: A cross between home-baked bread and leather, with light vanilla and cinnamon.
Palate: The bread disappears and leaves only the leather, vanilla, and cinnamon to do the work. It’s almost completely savory, but there’s a nice viscosity to it.
Finish: These aren’t the flavors I love, but that viscosity ensures they stay around for a while.
Score: 72.4

Glencairn C
Color: Dark amber.
Nose: It’s very pleasant, but uncomplicated. Light vanilla, allspice, and warm sugar dominate the aromas.
Palate: It’s the aromas transferred to the tastebuds. The vanilla is more pronounced, as is the spice, and the sugar has turned into warm caramel. It’s not quite creamy, but the mouthfeel is still on the plus side.
Finish: Surprisingly, the finish fades a bit quickly, but there’s some toffee that joins the spice and vanilla at the exit.
Score: 72.6

Glencairn D
Color: Very nice. Solid copper, bordering on mahogany.
Nose: OK, so after the lovely color, I’m confused. Honestly, I’m picking up plastic, almost like the packaging on a child’s toy. It’s hard to get past that, but if I try, I might get a little caramel.
Palate: The flavors take a while to develop, but there’s finally a bit of leather, oak, brown sugar, and caramel. This has a nice creamy mouthfeel…
Finish: …but I’m still confused as the dram moves into the finish. The flavors weren’t great at the start, but toward the finish, they get better. Toffee, baking spice, a bit of oak. But it’s not very long, which is a pity.
Score: 69.4

Thoughts on the blind:
This one had its ups and downs. B had a higher score, but I didn’t love it. However, its strong points commend it, especially to those who might like that flavor profile. D was a “slow learner,” coming along late, but not having enough to make me love it. I wonder what it would be like on a cube. None of these are likely to win any awards, but there’s enough here to make me want to explore them some more.

The Reveal:
Glencairn A: Benchmark Small Batch
Glencairn B: Square 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon High Rye
Glencairn C: Weller Special Reserve
Glencairn D: Burlock & Barrel Reserve

The Results:
Square 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon High Rye (72.4) defeats Burlock & Barrel Reserve (69.4)
Weller Special Reserve (72.6) defeats Benchmark Small Batch (67.6)

Square 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon High Rye and Weller Special Reserve advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Sweet Sixteen So Far

Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old Bourbon
St. Augustine Florida Straight Bourbon
Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch
Elijah Craig 2025 PGA Championship Edition
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Eagle Rare 10-Year
Jim Beam Black 7-Year
Sleight of Hand
Old Forester 1910
Evan Williams Single Barrel 2015
Square 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon High Rye
Weller Special Reserve

Next Week

The final two blinds will decide the last four entrants into the Sweet Sixteen. Some of the biggest names in whiskey will be there — Jack Daniel’s, Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace, Russell’s Reserve, Angel’s Envy. This might be the best blind of the first round, so I’m already looking forward to tasting these samples side-by-side.