Sam Houston | Rating 91

Coincidence brought me face to face with this very small batch bourbon. Soon after moving to Houston, I stumbled upon a bottle of bourbon named after the the city's namesake. The distiller also bottles Jefferson's Reserve and carries a handwritten label. Good start, and an even better finish. Although 90 proof, the initial nose is not overpowering. A dash of water brings out an excellent palate - sweet, but not sugary or fruity - the sweetness only found when aged by an expert. The finish only accents those flavors and leaves you wanting more. Being hand crafted, I highly doubt you will come across a bottle belonging to the same batch. However, I would bet the attention each bottle receives will reward you as well as it did me. I intend to find out soon for myself. Treat yourself and I'm sure you'll agree, Sam Houston should always be stocked in your private collection.

Price: $25

Rating: 91

--Marc

Old Whiskey River | Rating 77

Old Whiskey River presents a lot of expectation. When someone names a
bourbon after the song Willie Nelson has played twice every day for 50
years, you can't help but root for the damn drink to blow your doors
off. Upping the ante is the fact that this bourbon has been distilled in
Nelson County for eight generations. And it comes with a guitar pick
(don't try to actually use it) with Willie's signature on it. What is
not to like, right? Well, as much as this pains me, I cannot put this at
the top of my favorites. I'll tell you why, friends: 1) first smell -
heavy oak, which is a good sign; 2) first sip - excellent flavor with a
hint of vanilla, not sweet; 3) aftertaste - surprisingly bitter, and not
in a good way. Everything about this bourbon is great going down, but
the moment when you should be enjoying your recent purchase, you get a
shocker. After several tasting sessions, I must settle at a solid rating
of 82, mainly for presentation and reverence to the master musician. I
may purchase another bottle to try and redeem my hero, but not in the
near future. If you find the correct ratio of water (or other mixer) to
whiskey, please reply (but remember, the perfect bourbon stands by
itself). I leave you with a taster's quote: "A little citrus. Maybe some
strawberry. Mmm. Passion fruit, mmm, and, oh, there's just like the
faintest soupçon of like, uh, asparagus, and, there's a, just a flutter
of, like a, like a nutty Edam cheese." (Sideways, 2004). Keep Tasting.

--Marc

Old Montanta | Rating 40

You have to ask yourself a question when you prepare to drink Old Montana. What comes to mind when I think of Montana? Images of the wild west filled with tough mountain men clad in leather and fur and miners with copper flakes under their fingernails. Bar fights and dusty saloons where most men would just as soon punch you as shake your hand. Well, bottle up those ideas in liquid form and you have Old Montana bourbon whiskey. A recent trip to the third largest state in the union inspired me to buy this bottle and give it a try--hey, when in Rome. I must elaborate a bit on the bottle. First of all, this bourbon is distilled in Kentucky (obviously) but bottled in San Jose, CA for Montana Distillers in Helena, MT. Yep, I was confused too. Also, the bottle proudly contains accurate one-liners including, “Spirit of the Wild,” and “Traditional Western American Whiskey.” I splashed the 80 proof amber liquid on top of some ice (which is readily available in the treasure state). Dust and oak might be the main ingredients in this one were my initial thoughts. No need to cut with water though, as 80 proof is manageable. I didn’t mix it with coke, but I think that might have helped. However, I got about half a bottle down while playing poker with new found Montana friends. In other words, you can enjoy it while not completely focusing on the fluid you are imbibing. 

I would usually end my review with that, but I must make a follow up with my second sampling of Old Montana. A weekend in a mountain town in the middle of Colorado seemed like a good place to finish my bottle of Old Montana. Again, I found myself sitting with friends around a poker table. I drank a few glasses cut with water over ice. It also got “accidentally” mixed with some Limoncello and I agreed to drink it just so the whiskey didn’t go to waste--bad decision. The Old Montana kept me going well into the night, but when I laid down, my head wouldn’t stop spinning. I am not going to blame it all on the Old Montana, but I don’t think I’ll be enjoying another bottle for awhile. Contradictory to many of the things I’ve recently met in Montana, this bourbon is not one for your liquor cabinet.



Price

: $13/750mL


Rating

: 40
--Eric

Old Grand-dad (First Review) | Rating 75

Old Grand-dad bourbon is one that will make your eyes bulge out and you’ll exclaim “POHHEE!! “ My first taste, as in all my reviews, was made with a healthy portion of Old Grand-dad straight over ice.  Now I love bourbon, you can’t stop me loving bourbon, but this one made me pucker up like I just swallowed a lime.  It is not sour like a lime, but it provides a shock to the system.  At 114 proof, its no wonder it packs quite the punch.  There should be a warning label on the front that says, “Old Grand-dad should not be enjoyed near any open flames.”  But let’s move past the fact that this jet fuel of a bourbon is hard to drink straight up on the rocks.  After a few sips straight up, I cut the distilled pleasure with a splash of water.  Wow, what a difference!  Old Grand-dad comes alive with full flavors of smoke and caramel.  Caramel, yep, that’s what I said.  I sat and enjoyed a few glasses of the water cut bourbon while in the biggest little town in the Texas panhandle with two other bourbon connoisseurs.  With friends or sitting in a blizzard by yourself, this is a good bourbon--just drink cautiously.



Price

: $23/750mL


Rating:

75
--Eric

Dickle | Rating 85

At first you may just giggle at the name. After pouring a glass you may change your tune. This 90 proof Tennessee medal winner with the funny name has a serious taste. A connoisseur will appreciate the initial heavy oak and earthy flavors. I found something missing, however, and tried the next glass as a Manhattan. As all bourbon lovers should know, some whiskeys are better enjoyed with a little help. Some just need a splash of water, others play better with stronger pairings. Two parts Dickel, one part sweet vermouth, and a splash of bitters. The marriage was one I recommend for those bourbons that need a little help. But you'll find the cocktail better when using a quality base like Dickel.

Price

: $20

Rating

: 85

--Marc

Phillips Union | Rating 40

It states on the bottle that its a blend of Canadian whiskey and Kentucky bourbon.  That's the biggest load of fickle matter I've ever heard.  They should have labeled it a woman's whiskey that captures the perfect blend of Malibu rum and (insert a flavored vodka here).  It was like I was drinking a white Russian all night long.  Needless to say I was very disappointed in it.  It does however go very well with coke as it has a very vanilla/hazelnut taste to it.  It goes down very smooth.  A good selection if you are wanting to break-in the old lady on the art of whiskey drinking, but never would I be caught dead with a bottle of this in my hands around  the boys.  Not a huge dent in the pocket book as it only cost $18.  Like I  said its a woman's whiskey.  I like women and whiskey all the same but never  at the same time, only one after the other.  Preferably the whiskey then the  woman because then you would be getting lucky at the end of the night, but  I'm sure we've all been there where a fifth of whiskey was needed to remove any memory of the woman that came before the bottle or had a figure that looked like the bottle. 

Rating

: I give Phillips Union whiskey a 40 on a scale of  100.  Its in that  category of "Only drink it if its free or if it will get 
you laid, anytime else is just not worth it."
--Matt

Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey | Rating 44

Since I had never heard of it and the bottle looks like something right out of the 19th century, I had to try it. Apparently invented by Augustus Bulleit, so it's got that going for it, which is nice. However, it seems this particular brand has been around only since 1987. And I think the proof is in the taste. I know I don't have to qualify this every time, but it doesn't taste "bad." It just has a distinct hint of dust or something...perhaps what frontier bourbon might have actually tasted like. At $20 I have to give this one a thumbs down for taste, but a thumbs up for authenticity. Of course, that is only one man's opinion. This whiskey won the gold medal at the 2004 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, so it obviously tickles the palate for some people (i.e. gays). Maybe worth a shot for you, pun intended. Thank you thank you I will be here all week. I will still savor every last drop until the next bottle finds its way into my liquor cabinet.

FYI

: 90 Proof. Just like on the frontier.
--Marc