Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

Whisky of the Week Blog header 4 WOTWColour

Category: Bourbon whiskey Page 4 of 7

Bourbon whiskey

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for bourbon whiskey. A collection of all the interesting American releases I have tried.

Slaughter House Whiskey

Slaughter House American Whiskey header
I love to explore the artwork on bottles. Many of the wine producers have re-invented their old fashioned, standard labels into works of art to stand out in a crowded market place. Especially in the last couple of years, there has been an explosion of striking and fun labels.

Whiskey is slowly changing too, from the more traditional labels to fun and colourful labelling. Leading this change is the beautiful labels on the Douglas Laing Remarkable Malt releases including Timorous Beastie and Scallywag whisky and the beautiful labels coming out of Japan. Filled with flowers and soft colours, they stand out in between the dark traditional whisky labelling.

A few weeks ago, I found a bottle of whiskey from the USA with a colourful and striking label (and name). The Slaughter House American whiskey is a newish entrant to the SA whisky market, and I added a bottle to my collection.  After reading a bit more about the Splinter Group (owner of Slaughter House), I noticed a wine connection.




A casual conversation between the Wilkinson family and renowned winemaker, Dave Phinney sparked an idea to mellow whiskey in seasoned wine barrels. Dave Phinney, the founder of Orin Swift Cellars in Napa Valley, California, is a very well known name in the USA’s wine and spirit industry. And so The Splinter Group started.

The Slaughter House label shows a butchers meat cleaver with a white backdrop. This image invokes a murderous intention similar to  an old school slasher movie. Slaughter House American whiskey was released in 2015 and followed its first product, Straight Edge bourbon.

Also Read: Koval Bourbon

Slaughter House American Whiskey Review

Review and tasting notes Slaughter House American Whiskey with glass
The Slaughter House mash bill comprises 85% corn, 8% wheat, 6% rye and 1% malted barley. The whiskey spends 9 years in American oak before being finished in Orin Swift Cellars’ Papillon barrels (French oak barrels). It gives it a distinct Bordeaux barrel finish.

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 44%

COLOUR: Dark copper

NOSE: Vanilla, cinnamon and honey with hints of oak. The nose is rich and sweet and inviting and promises a sweet experience.

PALATE: The intense sweetness and vanilla do not translate into the palate. There are notes of hot pepper spices, stone fruit and oak with hints of honey.  In the background, crumbs of buttered toast with marmalade. Medium body with lots of lemon pepper.

FINISH: Black lemon pepper with hints of sweetness.

RATING: GOOD

The nose was lovely and promised vanilla and sweetness, but left me with lemon black pepper overwhelming everything else in the end. It was so spicy that I did not finish my glass. I read quite a few reviews on this and was expecting a lot more. I don’t know if I have a defective bottle, but this bottle might be in my collection for quite a while.

Looking at my previous notes, I found another American whiskey that I have tried,  the McCarthy’s single malt whiskey from Oregon. See my thoughts on this young release.

The range also includes Whip Saw rye whiskey and Partner Sweet Vermouth. Slaughter House American whiskey was awarded a Gold Medal and Best in Class at the 2015 Whiskies of the World competition.

Also ReadFour Roses Single Barrel bourbon



Blanton’s Bourbon Gold Edition Whiskey

Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon whiskey header
Last week, while binge-watching NCIS New Orleans Season 3, a bottle of whiskey caught my eye. Pride and Gregorio were sharing a whiskey from a very distinctive bottle. As I scrutinized the screen, I realized it was none other than Blanton’s bourbon Gold edition whiskey—a bottle I had in my own collection. I knew I had to join the NCIS team and savour it.

Blanton’s bourbon Gold edition boasts the iconic Blanton’s bottle shape – short, round, and crowned with a unique stopper. This particular release, Blanton’s Gold, is a rare gem in the bourbon world, bottled at an impressive 51.5% ABV.

The origins of Blanton’s bourbon trace back to 1984, when it was introduced as a single barrel bourbon. This spirit is created at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, and owned by the Sazerac Company.




In the world of whiskey, a single-barrel bourbon like Blanton’s is distinctive because each batch originates from the contents of a single barrel, never blended with other barrels.

Now, what sets the Blanton’s bottle truly apart, besides its elegant stature, are the eight different stopper designs. These ornate stoppers each feature a figurine of a racehorse and jockey, capturing various scenes of a horse race, from the starting gate to the thrilling finish line. Will I be collecting more stoppers, or will this solitary horse stand alone in my collection?

Blanton’s  bourbon Gold edition whiskey undergoes aging for a commendable 6 to 8 years. The mashbill has a higher rye percentage, and each bottle is meticulously hand-filled, sealed, labelled, and individually numbered.

Also Read: Pairing Snickers and Bourbon

Blanton’s Bourbon Gold Edition Whiskey Review

Review and tasting notes Blanton's Gold bourbon whiskey with glass

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 51.5%

COLOUR: Dark amber

NOSE: Prepare for an aromatic journey with robust oak, warming rye, condensed milk, subtle hints of sun-dried oranges, and the inviting embrace of vanilla. The nose alone is a testament to the excellence of this bourbon.

PALATE: While there’s a hint of alcohol burn initially, give it some time to breathe. The palate is an symphony of flavours featuring toasted oak, fudge, notes of cinnamon, chocolate-covered oranges, a touch of Sichuan pepper, whispers of cherries, honey, and the soothing essence of vanilla.

It’s big, beautiful, and complex. If you choose to add water, proceed cautiously, as only a few drops are needed to unlock further intricacies while taming the alcohol intensity.

FINISH: The bourbon’s grandeur extends to its long-lasting finish, filled with the delightful aftertaste of fudge, cinnamon, a pinch of pepper, and subtle hints of orange peel.

RATING: DIVINE

Blanton’s Gold Edition is a bourbon whiskey that left me and John in awe. We’ve savoured many outstanding bourbon whiskeys, including the beloved Maker’s 46 and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked bourbon, but none have earned the “divine” label until now.

The Gold Edition bourbon is more than just a whiskey; it’s a special occasion dram. Its sophistication and complexity command your full attention, making it a treasure worth savouring.

In fact, it almost made us cancel our dinner plans, as it enticed us to spend the evening getting better acquainted with its exceptional character.

This amazing whiskey also work very well with a pungent blue cheese. It is bold and spicy enough to create a lovely balance.

Also ReadFour Roses Single Barrel bourbon



Koval Bourbon

Koval Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey header
I have been testing and writing about an American whiskey or bourbon every month for the last two and a half years. Slowly I am running out of affordable bourbons available in SA to taste and write about. I still have one or 2 bourbon’s to write about and this week I am opening my first Koval, the Koval single barrel bourbon whiskey.

Established in 2008, Koval is a craft distillery situated within the Chicago City limits and is one of the first new distilleries that opened there since the end of Prohibition. Koval produces organic whiskey, liqueurs and spirits.

The founders Robert and Sonat Birnecker is living their whiskey dream. They left their respective careers in favour of distilling organic spirits from scratch.



Koval has on a grain-to-bottle philosophy. It beginning with grain from local farmers, to on-site milling and mashing, to finally distilling, bottling, and packaging. Koval means “blacksmith,” in numerous Eastern European languages, but the word in Yiddish also refers to a “black sheep”.

All the Koval whiskies are “single barrel” expressions and aged in 30-gallon charred barrels. They have released a few unusual expressions such as the 100% oats, 100% millet and four grain (oats, malted barley, rye and wheat) expressions.

The small-batch Koval single barrel bourbon that I am tasting this week has a mash bill of at least 51% corn, but instead of the rye or wheat, Koval bourbon included millet. Millet is a gluten-free ancient grain that grows extensively in Africa and India and Asia.

Also Read: Evan Williams Bourbon

Koval Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Review

Review and tasting notes for the Koval single barrel bourbon whiskey with glass
I have a bottle from Barrel #1206.

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 47%

COLOUR: Dark gold with hints of copper-red.

NOSE: Bready, vanilla, lightly toasted oak with hints of alcohol. Not very complex and quite subtle. If you let it breathe a bit, more vanilla and oak notes appear with hints of sugary sweetness.

PALATE: Pepper, vanilla, sun ripe oranges and hints of warming wood spice. When you add a few drops of water, more sweet fruit and caramel notes appear. The water also softens the raw alcohol edges and makes it more drinkable. However, the addition of water also tones down the complexity of the Koval bourbon.

FINISH: Long with pepper and orange

RATING: VERY GOOD

Perhaps I was expecting too much. I was intrigued by the innovative mash bill and the unusual grains Koval used. I like the farm to bottle philosophy and that two people are following their dream. But sadly, this bottle feels unfinished.

The Koval single barrel has lots of raw edges, and it tastes like the elements don’t quite go together. Perhaps it is the barrel it is from, maybe my taste buds just like a sweeter dram. Should I try to get my hands on some of their other releases?

Also Read: Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon



Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey & Woodford Reserve Bourbon

Jack Daniel's function header
The invite said Bar Ber Black Sheep… My first thought … spelling error? The song is BaBa black sheep. But Google quickly corrected me and directed me to Rosebanks’ new hip and happening spot. Park Corner, a new development on the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Bolton Road in Johannesburg.

A barber and a bar combined.  A place to meet up with some friends and get a haircut. All in 1 afternoon. Quirky, but quite cool. The function was the American whiskey tasting and food pairing experience with Brown Forman’s American Whiskey ambassador Cam Dawson together with Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Woodford Reserve.

Cam Dawsom Jack Daniel's function
Cam is a Scottish bartender who won the Jack Daniel’s Birthday Cocktail Competition in 2009 with his serve Jasper’s Jam. Today he is the Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 Ambassador. Cam was not there to make us cocktails, he flew in to chat to a few selected whisky friends about the Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve brands. 

He also brought with him 2 new and unique bottles for us to taste. More on that later. Walking in, I was thrilled to see my beautiful friend Emily from  Whizzky and also a few of the guys from Wild about Whisky. They drove down from Dullstroom for the function.

Cam Dawsom Jack Daniel's fuction

First up Cam chatted about the process at the Jack Daniel’s distillery. All Jack Daniel’s whiskey is filtered through 3 meters (10 feet) sugar maple charcoal. This process, known as the Lincoln County (LC) process removes impurities. Cam had a spirit sample before and after filtering and it is incredible how big the impact of the LC process is. You could clearly smell the difference.  After chatting about the distillery and the founder Jasper “Jack” Daniel, we got to taste some whiskey.




The Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Range

Jack Daniel's Range
First up was the standard Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey. Known worldwide and the mainstay of the brand. If you have not tried it, read my tasting notes here.

Next up was Gentleman Jack. Double mellowed and very smooth. This delicious whiskey pairs well with Snickers as well. You can read my tasting notes on this release here.

Then came Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel whiskey. Charcoal mellowed through the sugar maple, then matured in toasted and charred new white American oak barrels and stored in the uppermost part of the warehouse. What a delicious experience! Robust and complex with caramel, toasted oak, hints of coffee, pepper and vanilla notes and fruit. O my word! It is the first time that I taste the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel and I LOVE it. It was warm and rich and just lovely!

Last of the Jack Daniel’s range was the Sinatra Select. Named after old Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra was a long time fan of Jack Daniel’s and was often seen sipping a glass on stage. This premier release is sugar maple charcoal mellowed and then matured in new white oak barrels that have been toasted and charred. The Sinatra barrels have deep grooves on the inside of the staves to expose the whiskey to extra layers of oak. Creamy oak, with hints of smoke, sweet honey, apples and butterscotch with spicy vanilla and smooth, soft oak. Really delicious.

Jack Daniels function Whizzky Emily

Woodford Reserve Range 

The Woodford Reserve is one of my favourite bourbons. It has a high percentage of rye and is triple distilled.It is crafted in small batches. Rich in dried fruits, apricots and oranges, bits of condensed milk and vanilla spice. I have paired this great bourbon with a fruity Hawaiian pizza.

Next up was the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. This expression begins life being aged in the same way as the classic Woodford Reserve, but following this, it is further matured in barrels which have been heavily toasted and lightly charred.

It has notes of malva pudding with fresh cream custard and dark cherries bursting with juice. Caramel, honey and chocolate with hints of toasted oak.

New to South Africa, this full-bodied bourbon is the perfect after-dinner drink. This will be marvellous in winter, sipping it next to a campfire. I fell in love. This is the next bottle I am buying!

Also ReadMy Top 5 Whisky Food pairings

Other Jack Daniel’s Surprises

Jack Daniel's single barrel rye
Cam surprised us with 2 special bottlings that he brought along for us to taste. First up was the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye. This historic creation marries the smoothness of Jack Daniel’s with a unique 70% rye grain bill.

Complex flavours of ripe fruit combine with lightly toasted oak to create a taste rich with spice and a pleasant lingering finish. This is a big, bold rye that does not overpower. What a delicious whiskey. Sadly, not available outside of the USA.

Jack Daniel's Single barrel barrel proof

Last but not least was the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof. Bottled at 130.9 proof, this is whiskey as nature intended it. Bottled straight from the barrel at its full strength. Intense, smooth, and remarkably varied, Barrel Proof is bottled at anywhere from 125 to 140-proof, taking Jack’s trademark vanilla and toasted oak flavours to bold new levels.

I have done a more in-depth comparison between the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel vs the Woodford Reserve to look at which are their key strengths.
This will put hair on your chest if you are not careful. Even though it has a very high ABV and a bit of an alcohol bite, it does not overwhelm your taste buds and it is surprisingly smooth.
This afternoon was a fantastic experience. It was interesting to hear about some of the small things that go into making this golden liquid. Also to hear about the philosophies that started this great company.

Now I need to get to the shop to get the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.

Also Read: Woodford Reserve Rye vs Jack Daniel’s Rye Whiskey

Photos courtesy of Jack Daniel’s. Please enjoy responsibly. Not for sale to persons under 18.


Jim Beam Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Jim Beam White Label Bourbon Whiskey header
Today, we’re delving into Jim Beam Kentucky Straight bourbon whiskey’s rich history and flavours. This brand has left an indelible mark on whiskey. While 1795 saw a whirlwind of historical events like wars, treaties, and remarkable achievements, it also marked the birth of something truly iconic: Jim Beam.

In this pivotal year, a group of German farming immigrants led by Jacob Beam recognized the bountiful potential of Kentucky’s fertile soil for cereal farming. Jacob began cultivating corn and grains, which would later become essential ingredients in his whiskey.

The initial incarnation of this liquid gold was known as “Old Jake Beam.” In 1820, his son David took the reins of the distillery at a tender 18 years old, setting the stage for an incredible legacy.

From these humble beginnings, the Beam family transitioned from immigrant farmers to key players in a global company. In 2014, Suntory Holdings acquired Jim Beam, resulting in the creation of Beam Suntory.




This conglomerate includes renowned brands such as Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek bourbon. The Jim Beam portfolio offers releases like Jim Beam Devil’s Cut and the much-celebrated Jim Beam Black.

Beyond bourbon, Beam Suntory boasts a diverse whisky portfolio featuring brands like Yamazaki, DYC, Laphroaig, Bowmore, and Auchentoshan whisky.

Jim Beam, a name synonymous with bourbon, has garnered a worldwide following. Among its most recognizable expressions is the Jim Beam White Label bourbon whiskey. Crafted through distillation at lower temperatures and aged for four years in oak barrels, this bourbon stands out with its relatively high percentage of rye in the mash bill.

It’s a wallet-friendly choice that offers accessibility without compromising on quality. While Jim Beam White Label may not aim to rival its older sibling, Jim Beam Black Label, it is a budget-friendly bourbon, typically retailing around $20. Let’s dive into its tasting profile:

Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Golden mahogany

NOSE: Aromas of subtle vanilla, spice, pine forests, toasted oak, and hints of lemon zest greet your senses, complemented by underlying notes of toffee, sweet sticky pudding, and caramelized fruit. It’s a toasty and inviting bouquet.

PALATE: On the palate, you’ll experience an interplay of spiciness and toasted oak and a minty freshness. Hints of dry paper and pepper make their presence felt, with a faint background note of vanilla. Adding water reveals more citrus and pepper, removing the last vestiges of sweetness. It maintains a light body and an uncomplicated profile.

FINISH: Long and dry with citrus and pepper

RATING: VERY GOOD

While it may not steal the spotlight with complexity, it surpasses many budget bourbons, such as Evan Williams and Heaven Hill. It serves its purpose well, especially in cocktails, making it a practical choice for many occasions.

If you’re curious about how Jim Beam Straight bourbon whiskey compares to other iconic brands like Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, I’ve conducted a side-by-side comparison in a separate blog post. Additionally, I’ve explored the Jim Beam Double Oak bourbon and pitted Evan Williams against Jim Beam bourbon whiskey in another intriguing face-off.

For more insights, check out the respective links. So, whether you’re a seasoned bourbon enthusiast or just beginning your whiskey journey, Jim Beam remains a name worth exploring.

Also Read: Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon



Page 4 of 7

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén