March Bourbon Madness: Best-of-the-Shelf Challenge—First Round Matchups 9-12

Opening Pour

The third set of Round of 64 matchups brought a mix of heavy hitters and quiet contenders. A couple of dominant performances showed up. A couple of bottles fought hard but lacked depth. As always, everything below was tasted blind and scored before the reveal.

Let’s see who moves on.

🥃 Matchup 9 — Blind

LLL vs. FFF

Blind Tasting Notes

LLL

Color: Solid mahogany
Nose: Dessert-in-a-glass — bananas, chocolate, caramel, nutmeg
Palate: Everything from the nose amplified; nutmeg turns to cinnamon, caramel becomes creamy
Mouthfeel: Luscious
Finish: Chocolate-covered caramel hangs on beautifully
Score: 91.47

FFF

Color: Dark amber
Nose: Savory spice, mint, light vanilla
Palate: Mint and stone fruit with brown sugar and vanilla
Mouthfeel: Soft
Finish: Light; fruit and mint lead
Score: 77.79

Reveal & Result

LLL: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey (#4)
FFF: Bulleit Bottled-in-Bond (#61)

✅ Winner: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey (#4)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
LLL wasn’t just better — it was operating in a different tier. The richness, texture, and length overwhelmed FFF, which felt lighter and more restrained by comparison.

What decided it:

Superior depth and a finish that simply refused to quit.

🥃 Matchup 10 — Blind

Q vs. DD

Blind Tasting Notes

Color: Mid-copper
Nose: Brown sugar, butterscotch, tree fruit
Palate: Brown sugar apples up front; some ethanol and oak behind
Mouthfeel: Just shy of creamy
Finish: Butterscotch and brown sugar reemerge
Score: 80.62

Color: Deep amber
Nose: Oak dominant, with vanilla and spice trailing
Palate: Tree fruit (peaches), caramel, cinnamon
Mouthfeel: Rich
Finish: Cinnamon and light oak dominate
Score: 78.66

Reveal & Result

Q: Kentucky Owl Single Barrel (#29)
DD: 13th Colony Bourbon Finished with Maple Spirals (#36)

✅ Winner: Kentucky Owl Single Barrel (#29)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
This was closer in profile than in score. DD had richness, but Q carried slightly better integration and sweetness balance, even with a touch of ethanol showing up.

What decided it:

Better sweetness integration and a steadier finish.

🥃 Matchup 11 — Blind

D vs. NN

Blind Tasting Notes

Color: Deep copper
Nose: Butterscotch, caramel, light cinnamon, mild peanuts
Palate: Creamy cinnamon and buttery caramel; light oak and vanilla behind
Mouthfeel: Creamy
Finish: Buttery peanut butter and cinnamon linger
Score: 85.61

Color: Light copper
Nose: Brown sugar apples, mild vanilla, oak
Palate: Warm caramel, brown sugar, oak; fruit and cinnamon follow
Mouthfeel: Silky
Finish: Solid; spice, apples, sugar remain
Score: 81.05

Reveal & Result

D: Seelbach’s 10-Year Cask Strength (#13)
NN: George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond (#52)

✅ Winner: Seelbach’s 10-Year Cask Strength (#13)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
Both were solid pours, but D had more weight and creaminess, which consistently separates contenders from mid-pack bottles in this format.

What decided it:

Creamier texture and stronger flavor concentration.

🥃 Matchup 12 — Blind

WW vs. Y

Blind Tasting Notes

Color: Light copper
Nose: Brown sugar, cherries, savory baking spice
Palate: Tart fruit, cardamom, light brown sugar
Mouthfeel: Modest
Finish: Modest; tartness and spice dominate
Score: 78.23

Color: Light copper
Nose: Buttery caramel, light oak, tree fruit, nutmeg
Palate: Oak up front, followed by cinnamon, caramel, mild vanilla
Mouthfeel: Borderline creamy
Finish: Longer than expected; vanilla and spice linger
Score: 80.18

Reveal & Result

WW: John J. Bowman Single Barrel (#20)
Y: Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve (#45)

✅ Winner: Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve (#45)
➡️ Advances to Round 2

Post-Matchup Thoughts
Neither bottle dominated, but Y showed better structure and slightly more staying power. In this bracket, “just a little better” is enough.

What decided it:

Slightly stronger finish and more balanced oak integration.

🔀 Second-Round Matchups Created

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey (#4)
vs.
Kentucky Owl Single Barrel (#29)
Seelbach’s 10-Year Cask Strength (#13)
vs.
Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve (#45)

Closing Reflections

A theme is emerging: creaminess and finish length consistently separate the advancing bottles from those heading back to the shelf. The high seeds are largely holding serve so far, but a few mid-seeds are quietly earning respect.

Round 2 is starting to take shape — and the margin for error is shrinking. We’ll see you on Sunday for the next four blinds in Round 1.