Tasting Tuesday: The Great Wheated Bourbon Blind—Round Three

By the time I reached Round Three of the Great Wheated Bourbon Blind, several bottles I expected to contend were already gone.

Weller Antique 107 had been eliminated in Round One. So had the Larceny Barrel Proof I poured myself at Heaven Hill. Then Green River Wheated Full Proof missed the championship by one-tenth of a point in Round Two.

At that point, I had learned not to assume anything.

There was also one other development. I originally thought this was going to be a 14-bottle blind. Then, after tasting the first 10 samples, I noticed another wheated bourbon sitting on the shelf immediately to my left.

Not hidden. Not behind anything. It was in the center of the shelf, right at the front.

Hard Truth Wheated Bottled-in-Bond had apparently been waiting patiently for me to remember it existed.

So the field became 15.

I added Hard Truth to the final group without knowing which sample it was. That gave me three five-bottle rounds, with the top two from each moving on to the six-bottle championship.

Here is Round Three.

Sample K

Color: Very light copper.

Nose: An herbal note appears first, almost like anise, followed by light oak, toffee and vanilla.

Palate: Cinnamon-honey graham crackers. That is the note. It is delicious, though not especially complicated.

Mouthfeel: Lightly oily.

Finish: Quick, but enjoyable while it lasts. The cinnamon-graham flavor hangs on briefly.

Score: 79.64

Sample K offered one of the more unusual noses in the competition.

The herbal, almost anise-like opening made it stand apart immediately. The palate was much more familiar, with cinnamon, honey and graham crackers taking over.

It was tasty, but fairly simple. The short finish kept it from becoming a serious contender.

Sample L

Color: Solid copper.

Nose: Toasted oak, caramel, vanilla and light brown sugar.

Palate: Rich brown sugar, buttery toffee, sweet cinnamon and light oak. This may have been the best palate of the blind to this point.

Mouthfeel: Lightly creamy.

Finish: Solid. The oak balances the cinnamon and brown sugar nicely.

Score: 83.55

Sample L was immediately impressive.

The nose was rich and familiar without becoming predictable, and the palate delivered exactly what I want from a strong wheated bourbon: brown sugar, buttery toffee, cinnamon and enough oak to keep the sweetness balanced.

The mouthfeel and finish were both strong enough to support the flavor rather than simply introducing it.

Sample L moved comfortably into championship position.

Sample M

Color: Light copper.

Nose: Some proof arrives first. Beneath it, the whiskey is warm and lightly sweet, with brown sugar, pears, caramel, nutmeg and just a touch of oak.

Palate: The fruit and brown sugar come straight to the front, followed by cinnamon, vanilla and caramel.

Mouthfeel: Fine overall, though a little thin.

Finish: Spicy and warm, but quicker than I wanted. Cinnamon and caramel last the longest.

Score: 81.59

Sample M had one of the brighter flavor profiles in the group.

The pear note gave it something different from the heavier brown-sugar-and-toffee pours surrounding it. The proof added energy, though it occasionally interfered with the nose.

The thin mouthfeel and shorter finish kept it from reaching the top two, but this was still a good whiskey.

Sample N

Color: Light to mid-copper.

Nose: A little ethanol appears first, followed by toasted oak, caramel, butterscotch and nutmeg.

Palate: Brown sugar and cinnamon arrive again, with the brown sugar turning toward honey as butterscotch joins in.

Mouthfeel: Borderline creamy.

Finish: Very sweet, with brown sugar, honey and baking spice leading the way.

Score: 81.81

Sample N was another strong pour that fell just short.

The ethanol on the nose did not help, but the palate improved considerably. Brown sugar, honey, cinnamon and butterscotch created a sweet and satisfying profile.

It finished slightly ahead of Sample M, but not close enough to challenge the two leaders.

Sample O

Color: Deep copper.

Nose: A bready note appears first, with cardamom, caramel and light brown sugar behind it.

Palate: The bread carries onto the palate but does not dominate. Brown sugar, honey, light cinnamon, nutmeg and mild fruit all make appearances.

Mouthfeel: Rich and thick—the best of all three opening blinds.

Finish: Strong. The bread fades while the sweeter notes linger for a long time.

Score: 84.41

Sample O was the biggest surprise of the entire preliminary round.

The bready opening was unusual enough that I was not sure what to expect. Instead of becoming distracting, it developed into a richer, more complex profile.

The palate brought brown sugar, honey, spice and fruit, while the mouthfeel was the best of the first 15 samples.

Then came the finish.

It lasted.

That sounds simple, but several excellent bottles had already been eliminated because their finishes disappeared too quickly. Sample O kept delivering after the sip was gone.

It finished first in the group and posted the highest score of the entire preliminary blind.

The Blind Rankings

Sample O took first place with a score of 84.41.

Sample L followed at 83.55.

Sample N finished third at 81.81, with Sample M at 81.59 and Sample K at 79.64.

That meant O and L advanced to the championship.

The top two were separated from the rest of the group by a meaningful margin. Both delivered richer palates, stronger mouthfeels and longer finishes than the bottles behind them.

It was time for the reveal.

The Reveal

Sample K: Weller Special Reserve

Sample L: Hard Truth Wheated Bottled-in-Bond

Sample M: Wilderness Trail Family Reserve Cask Strength

Sample N: Maker’s Mark Private Selection store pick

Sample O: Ragged Branch Wheated

I did not see that coming.

Hard Truth Wheated Bottled-in-Bond—the bottle I nearly left out of the entire competition—finished second in the group and second overall in the preliminary blind. Had I not looked to my left, it would never have made the field. Instead, it earned a place in the championship.

Then there was Ragged Branch. I would not have predicted it to win this group. I certainly would not have predicted it to post the highest score of all 15 preliminary samples. But blind, Ragged Branch gave me the richest mouthfeel of the opening rounds, one of the strongest finishes and a profile that became more interesting as I tasted it. The bread note could have worked against it. Instead, it helped distinguish the whiskey from the more familiar caramel, vanilla and cinnamon profiles around it.

Maker’s Mark Private Selection finished third. It was good, sweet and flavorful, but the alcohol on the nose kept it from matching the two leaders.

Wilderness Trail Family Reserve Cask Strength followed closely behind, while Weller Special Reserve finished last in the group.

Neither Weller expression reached the championship. That may have been one of the more surprising results of the entire blind.

Moving On

Ragged Branch Wheated and Hard Truth Wheated Bottled-in-Bond advance to the championship.

Maker’s Mark Private Selection, Wilderness Trail Family Reserve Cask Strength and Weller Special Reserve have been eliminated.

The six finalists are now set:

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength.
Seelbach Wheated.
Maker’s Mark 46.
Old Elk Wheated.
Hard Truth Wheated Bottled-in-Bond.
Ragged Branch Wheated.

The expected favorites were gone. The bottle I almost forgot had advanced. And the preliminary leader was the bottle I least expected to see at the top.

That left only one question.

Would Ragged Branch do it again when all six finalists met in the same blind?

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