Tasting Tuesday: The 95-and-under Sweet Sixteen Begins

After eight rounds of blind tastings, we’ve reached the business end of the 95-and-Under Challenge — the Sweet Sixteen. What started as a crowded field of affordable contenders has now tightened into a serious competition, with heavy hitters like Old Forester, Elijah Craig, Blanton’s, and Weller all still in play.

This is where personality and balance start to matter more than novelty. The weaker bottles can’t hide behind charm or affordability anymore — they either deliver or they go home. And while the top seeds have the pedigree to go deep, a couple of mid-bracket surprises are looking to play spoiler.

This week, the first two blinds kick things off, featuring the tournament’s top overall seed and a pair of Sazerac classics. The pours were solid across the board, but the cream definitely started to rise.

Blind #9

The contenders:
Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old Bourbon (1) vs. St. Augustine Florida Straight Bourbon (17)
Elijah Craig 2025 PGA Championship Edition (9) vs. Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch (25)

Glencairn A:
The color is a nice, light copper. The nose leans savory with a bready quality, plus baking spice, vanilla, and oak. All of that shows up on the palate as well — the bread and oak lead, chased by spice. As the taste continues, my nose starts to pick up apples, and that fruit shows up again in the finish, which is pleasant but not overly long. Score: 73.4.

Glencairn B:
Beautiful, rich copper greets the eyes. If the first glass had a little breadiness, this one is a bakery wrapped in leather. It’s a little much — difficult to get past that heavy first impression — but the sip redeems it with apples, spice, vanilla, and caramel. The mouthfeel is decent and the complexity is interesting. The finish hangs around with vanilla and spice. Score: 75.2.

Glencairn C:
Glorious mahogany in the glass. The nose is easily the best so far — rich dark fruit followed by brown sugar, nutmeg, and toffee. The first sip brings a beautiful mouthfeel and a burst of flavor: brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, and a hint of oak. The richness leads to a nice finish where toffee, sugar, and spice linger long after the sip. Score: 85.6.

Glencairn D:
Beautiful rich copper again, but the nose seems a little dusty with some light vanilla trailing. The dustiness shows at first on the palate, but nice flavors break through quickly — butterscotch, brown sugar, caramel, and oak. There’s a creaminess that leads to a satisfying finish with butterscotch, brown sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. Score: 79.3.

Thoughts about the blind:
I’d be shocked if I didn’t know which was which. I’d love a surprise here, but I’d be very surprised if C and D weren’t the hands-down winners.

The Reveal:
Glencairn A: Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch
Glencairn B: St. Augustine Florida Straight Bourbon
Glencairn C: Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old Bourbon
Glencairn D: Elijah Craig 2025 PGA Championship Edition

The Results:
Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old Bourbon — 85.6
St. Augustine Florida Straight Bourbon — 75.2
Elijah Craig 2025 PGA Championship Edition — 79.3
Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch — 73.4

Advancing:
Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old Bourbon and Elijah Craig 2025 PGA Championship Edition advance to the Elite Eight.

Side note:
If there was ever a bourbon that needed a little smoke to improve it, it’s the St. Augustine Straight. It’s so reminiscent of Texas bourbons — with their infamous funk — that it might as well be from the Hill Country. But after dropping some cherry smoke into the glass, that funk turned into fruit on both the nose and the palate. The smoke didn’t make it amazing, but it smoothed out some rough edges and made it far more enjoyable. Just a tip if you’ve got a bottle of St. Augustine sitting around waiting for redemption.

Blind #10

The contenders:
Blanton’s Single Barrel (4) vs. Eagle Rare 10-Year (10)
Jim Beam Black 7-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon (28) vs. Sleight of Hand (21)

Glencairn A:
We start with light copper and a sweet, fruity nose of apples, vanilla, and oak. The oak jumps up early on the palate, joined by butterscotch, cinnamon, and vanilla. A light creaminess carries through to a finish where spice, apples, and caramel come together nicely. Score: 79.0.

Glencairn B:
Also copper, but slightly darker. The nose is oakier and darker too, with brown sugar and toffee. Oak leads again on the palate, followed by brown sugar, caramel, and light spice. The mouthfeel is moderate, and nutmeg and toffee guide a solid finish. Score: 79.4.

Glencairn C:
A third glass of lovely color — nearly identical to A. The nose is fruity and sweet, with candied grape, vanilla, and oak. Those grapes are unmistakable on the palate, followed by oak, caramel, and cinnamon. The mouthfeel is moderately creamy, and cinnamon and toffee take it home. Score: 78.0.

Glencairn D:
The lightest color of the bunch, still a rich amber. The nose is buttery with oak, apples, and a hint of vanilla. The flavor is a sugar-bomb: toffee, vanilla, apples, and cinnamon all shining through. The mouthfeel is soft but satisfying, with spice, fruit, and toffee closing the show. Score: 79.3.

Thoughts about the blind:
This one was incredibly close, and I already hate that two of these bottles are “going home.” All four were really enjoyable — even the Jim Beam Black 7, which impressed me far more than expected. But rules are rules. Time for the reveal.

The Reveal:
Glencairn A: Jim Beam Black 7-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Glencairn B: Sleight of Hand
Glencairn C: Eagle Rare 10-Year
Glencairn D: Blanton’s Single Barrel

The Results:
Blanton’s Single Barrel — 79.3
Eagle Rare 10-Year — 78.0
Sleight of Hand — 79.4
Jim Beam Black 7-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 79.0

Advancing:
Blanton’s Single Barrel and Sleight of Hand advance to the Elite Eight.

The Elite Eight (So Far)

Old Forester 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old Bourbon
Elijah Craig 2025 PGA Championship Edition
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Sleight of Hand

Coming Next Week

The remainder of the Sweet Sixteen lines up for their shot at the Elite Eight — a round that will feature some heavy hitters. Expect fireworks from Old Forester 1910, Buffalo Trace, Russell’s Reserve, and Angel’s Envy as they fight for survival. If this week was any indication, the next round will be packed with bold flavors and even bolder upsets.