March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—First Round Matchups 5-8

Opening Pour

The second wave of the Round of 64 brought another four blind matchups to the table. As before, everything was poured and scored without knowing what was in the glass. Some of these were tighter than the numbers suggest. A couple surprised me. And one bottle advanced despite not being at its best.

Let’s get into it.

🥃 Matchup 5 — Blind

CCC vs. VV

Blind Tasting Notes

CCC

Color: Light copper
Nose: Proof-forward, slightly muting the aromas; oak and vanilla most prominent
Palate: Peaches and strong cinnamon spice lead, with creamy caramel joining
Mouthfeel: Creamy
Finish: Decent, fruit and caramel dominate
Score: 83.03

Color: Deep amber
Nose: Butterscotch, brown sugar, and light oak
Palate: Brown sugar forward, butterscotch lingering, nutmeg emerging
Mouthfeel: Creamy
Finish: Lovely, with spice and caramel most prominent
Score: 82.03

Reveal & Result

CCC: Stagg Jr. #24C (#8)
VV: High West Rum Cask (#57)

✅ Winner: Stagg Jr. #24C (#8)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
Closer than expected. Stagg’s proof showed up early and slightly suppressed the nose, but the palate delivered enough fruit-and-spice intensity to edge it forward. The High West brought sweetness and polish, but lacked the punch to finish the job.

What decided it:

Power and spice depth overcame early ethanol interference.

🥃 Matchup 6 — Blind

III vs. J

Blind Tasting Notes

III

Color: Dark copper
Nose: Toffee, graham cracker, savory spice
Palate: Butterscotch and brown sugar dominate; nutmeg and caramel follow
Mouthfeel: Soft but decent
Finish: Toffee and nutmeg close things out
Score: 81.81

Color: Mid copper
Nose: Caramel, chocolate, baking spice—slightly masked by ethanol
Palate: Heat up front, but subsequent sips reveal chocolate, caramel, and banana
Mouthfeel: Oily
Finish: Strong, with chocolate, caramel, and cinnamon
Score: 83.33

Reveal & Result

III: Old Elk Wheated (#25)
J: Jack Daniel’s Developer Series Sweet Mash (#40)

✅ Winner: Jack Daniel’s Developer Series Sweet Mash (#40)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
This was a good example of patience being rewarded. J wasn’t perfect early, but once it opened up, the flavor development surpassed III’s steadier but less dynamic profile.

What decided it:

Evolution in the glass and a stronger finish.

🥃 Matchup 7 — Blind

R vs. HH

Blind Tasting Notes

Color: Solid copper
Nose: “Dessert in a glass”—brown sugar, chocolate, caramel
Palate: Breaks down; thin mouthfeel limits flavor impact
Finish: Chocolate and caramel linger, but lack structure
Score: 79.64

Color: Deep amber
Nose: More savory than sweet, with caramel joining oak and spice
Palate: Oak leads vanilla, nutmeg, and light caramel
Mouthfeel: Silky
Finish: Soft, caramel fades too quickly
Score: 77.25

Reveal & Result

R: Old Forester 1924 (#9)
HH: E.H. Taylor Small Batch (#56)

✅ Winner: Old Forester 1924 (#9)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
This one felt like a missed opportunity for both bottles. R teased greatness on the nose but couldn’t carry it through. HH was steady but lacked staying power. In the end, the stronger aromatic profile nudged R ahead despite the thin palate.

What decided it:

A superior nose was just enough to overcome palate weakness.

🥃 Matchup 8 — Blind

MM vs. E

Blind Tasting Notes

Color: Mid-copper
Nose: Balanced sweet and savory—chocolate and baking spice lead
Palate: Brown sugar, floral note, rich caramel
Mouthfeel: Creamy
Finish: Satisfying; brown sugar leads, though shorter than expected
Score: 85.50

Color: Mid-copper
Nose: Strong butterscotch, caramel, vanilla, baking spice
Palate: Cinnamon up front, followed by sweet caramel and vanilla
Mouthfeel: Modest
Finish: Flavors linger nicely
Score: 81.92

Reveal & Result

MM: Brothers of the Leaf Blended Whiskey (#24)
E: Hard Truth Four-Grain Bourbon (#41)

✅ Winner: Brothers of the Leaf Blended Whiskey (#24)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
MM brought balance and texture. E was flavorful, but the mouthfeel difference mattered. In blind format, texture consistently separates contenders from pretenders.

What decided it:

Creamier mouthfeel and better overall balance.

🔀 Second-Round Matchups Created

Stagg Jr. #24C (#8)
vs.
Jack Daniel’s Developer Series Sweet Mash (#40)
Old Forester 1924 (#9)
vs.
Brothers of the Leaf Blended Whiskey (#24)

Closing Reflections

The theme emerging? Texture matters. High proof doesn’t automatically win—but it helps if the structure is there. A couple of bigger names survived without dominating. A blend advanced confidently. And a few bottles may already be reconsidering their seeding.

Round 2 is beginning to look dangerous. Come back on Saturday to see who wins in the next set of blinds in Round 1!

Note: This challenge recap is taking the place of the regularly scheduled Bourbon Cheapskate column. That will return on Thursday, April 9.