Up next in 10
This week, Clifton digs into one of the biggest questions in whiskey: Is the bourbon boom finally over? After years of price hikes, expansions, and dwindling enthusiasm from younger drinkers, the numbers might finally be catching up. In this episode, he breaks down why the boom may be slowing — and why that might actually be good for bourbon fans. Then stick around for a Byte-Sized Review of a bottle he’s never tried before: the Ben Holladay 6-Year Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon. This Missouri-made BIB surprised him with dusty vintage notes, toasted sweetness, and a mash bill that might be one of the most exciting non-Kentucky profiles in years. Plus: new whiskey releases from Buffalo Trace, Barrell Craft Spirits, Blade & Bow, and more.
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0:00
Today on the Bourbon Bites podcast, Sazerac announces a new foolproof release
0:06
Buffalo Trace is getting into the holiday spirit with some exclusive experiences at their distillery
0:11
And I answer the often asked question, is the bourbon boom over
0:15
Then stick around because I have a bite-sized review of Ben Holiday Bottled and Bond Bourbon
0:30
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the Bourbon Bites podcast. I'm your host, Clifton, and this is the week of Thursday, November 20th, 2025
0:41
one week before Thanksgiving. I'll probably put out an episode on Thanksgiving just because I can record it in advance
0:47
I'm not sure what that theme will be, probably something turkey. It's hard not to do wild turkey around Thanksgiving
0:53
but maybe I'll find something a little bit special that I haven't done before next week
0:58
So not sure about that yet, but this week we do have some new bourbon and whiskey news to share with you, as well as a review of a whiskey that I've never yet had on the channel or the podcast
1:09
But before that, let's get into some news and a question that came in from the Bourbon Bites Discord community
1:15
We'll start with the news as always. I think the most exciting thing that hit my inbox this week was the release of the new foolproof Sazerac Rye whiskey
1:27
This is coming to us from Buffalo Trace. I've long been a fan of Sazerac Rai
1:32
They've been doing barrel picks of it more recently, but now I'm seeing they have a full proof release of it
1:38
Which is funny because earlier this year they bumped up the 90 proof version to 100 proof and now they're having a full proof version
1:46
So they are continuing to build out this Sazerac Rai lineup. I was a bit confused when I saw them go from the 90 to 100. I think I did a podcast episode about that
1:55
but going to full proof just makes sense to me. I think having a high proof rye whiskey option is
2:01
something that was kind of lacking in the Buffalo Trace lineup. I mean we see a lot of that with
2:07
their antique collection but in terms of their regular releases we really don't see a full proof
2:12
option when it comes to rye whiskey. I mean for bourbon at least we have benchmark full proof and
2:17
then of course stag if you can find it but there really wasn't a rye version as far as I'm aware
2:22
unless I'm completely forgetting something. The only thing I can think of, of course, was the E.H
2:26
Taylor barrel proof rye, but I don't think that was meant to be a normal addition to the lineup
2:31
I think that's going to be a very hard to find limited edition release. So this feels like
2:35
hopefully a solve for that. They say that this release was born from their 1.2 billion dollar
2:41
expansion. I don't think I've particularly talked about that on the podcast. I think that news broke
2:45
before I was doing season two of the podcast, but Buffalo Trace did a massive expansion over the
2:51
past couple years and that's kind of going to come up later in this podcast when I answer the
2:55
viewer question that came in but I will say they're attributing this release to that
3:01
They say that this foolproof delivers floral notes of vanilla and clove
3:05
hints of orange, and a lingering peppery finish but I think the best part of this release is the
3:10
suggested retail on it is only $39.99 and it's going to be available starting this month in
3:16
select markets. I'm really hoping this one has a widespread release. I will say I haven't seen any
3:22
of the 100 proof Sazerac Rise here in Southern California yet so they do take a while to get out
3:28
here. Unfortunately that's one of the downsides of living on the opposite coast of where bourbon
3:32
is made. I do get great prices on it but it takes a long time for new releases to show up. I'm
3:38
looking forward to doing a review or a live stream actually where I do the Sazerac 90, 100 proof
3:43
maybe a store pick and this new foolproof version so make sure to subscribe on youtube for that it'll
3:49
come eventually i just gotta get my hands on those bottles there is one additional piece of news
3:54
coming to us from buffalo trace they are starting their 27th annual holidays at the trace celebration
4:00
this is going to go on from december 4th through december 31st and they say that guests can enjoy
4:05
festive holiday lights and decor shop for brand new retail holiday offerings and experience the
4:11
excitement of the distillery's signature events, Spirited Nights. So Spirited Nights is actually
4:16
broken into two unique experiences, one of which is the Light Trail Experience, which is a
4:22
complimentary 12-night family-friendly event inviting guests to explore the Buffalo Trace Distillery after hours. Visitors will stroll through thousands of twinkling lights, including
4:32
a 60-foot long light tunnel and dozens of themed light scenes. Now they say there are going to be
4:38
seasonal beverages and food on site, including the Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream Hot Chocolate Bar
4:45
Oh, that sounds delicious. I love a bourbon hot chocolate. It's something that I didn't really
4:49
think of combining until I think I went to like a winter event somewhere in South Carolina and they
4:55
did a hot chocolate bourbon. I was like, wow, I think of like, you know, adding rum and things
5:00
like that to hot chocolate. But bourbon just really, really works really well. Actually
5:05
funny enough, I went to Disneyland and California Adventure this past weekend and I tried a bourbon
5:11
blueberry apple cider and it was fantastic. I love a hot drink, especially a hot cocktail around the
5:19
holidays. Plus this past weekend in Los Angeles, it's been wet, it's been rainy, it's been gloomy
5:24
it's been chilly. So that bourbon blueberry apple cider blew me away. It's going to be a regular
5:29
by when I'm in the park. So I'm here for dessert bourbon cocktails. Now the second part of their
5:35
Spirited Night Celebration includes the Cocktail and Cheer. It's a premium upgrade that's available
5:41
to the Spirited Night's Light Trail during which guests that are 21 and up receive three winter
5:47
cocktails featuring Buffalo Trace brands along with take-home gifts including a Spirited Night's
5:52
tote bag, a Buffalo Trace souvenir cup, and Buffalo Trace bourbon cream minis. And these upgrades are
5:58
available for $25 per person. I absolutely would upgrade if I was there. I would love a chance to
6:05
visit this. So you guys go check it out. And while I won't be at Buffalo Trace for this event, I will
6:10
be heading to Kentucky this weekend. The folks over at its Bourbonite, Chad and Chad, as well as
6:17
Sarah, who's also participating in the event, they are putting on a Friendsgiving, Whiskey-giving
6:23
event. And I reached out kind of last minute and asked if there was any space available, and turns
6:28
thought there was. So I'm looking forward to joining them on those adventures. I'll be updating
6:32
my Instagram story throughout the weekend. So if you're not yet following me on Instagram, it's
6:36
at bourbon bites. Check it out. Also make sure to follow it's bourbon night. Great channel. I've
6:41
been following them for several, several years and have always been a fan of what they're doing. So shout out to them. And I'm looking forward to a great weekend. Now a couple other new releases
6:51
coming out. I see that Barrel Craft Spirits is releasing a toasted barrel version of Dovetail
6:58
Now Dovetail is one of their premium bottlings that they do year-round. It's typically finished
7:03
in California Cabernet, Port, and Rum Cask, but this time they are further refining it with 33
7:09
months of a secondary maturation in toasted American oak. They say that this helps deepen
7:14
Dovetail character layering vanilla bean honeycomb and caramelized sugar over its hallmark notes of dark cherry fig and cocoa I have been a fan of Dovetail in the past It kind of their core
7:26
lineup is just really solid. I mean, I think Seagrass is my favorite, but Dovetail is a close
7:30
second, and I would love a chance to try a toasted version of this. Now, regular Dovetail retails for
7:36
about $80. I'm not seeing any pricing information of this. It hasn't gone on sale yet at time of
7:42
recording this podcast. It looks like it goes on sale the 19th of November. So at that point
7:47
I will be traveling to Kentucky. So won't have a chance to update you there. But check out their
7:51
website. They say it's available online on the 19th at 10 a.m. Eastern time. So check it out
7:57
See if it's something that you are interested in. Hopefully it can reach, you know, beyond just
8:01
their website. I would love a chance to see it in the store. But yeah, Toasted Dovetail. That
8:06
It sounds like a delicious pour. Now one news article caught my eye not just because it is a
8:12
30 year old bourbon but it was distilled in the spring of my birth year. So I got very very excited
8:19
until I saw where it was being made and likely what the price will be. But check this out. This
8:25
was featured on fredminnick.com. It is a blade and bow 30 year old bourbon. It was laid to rest at
8:32
the Stitzel Weller Distillery in the spring of 93. It is a blend of bourbon pulled from just 42
8:38
barrels and bottled at 54.5% ABV. And this project has been kind of taken on by Nicole Austin, who is
8:46
Diageo's Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development and Capabilities, and she hand-selected
8:52
these barrels for this limited edition offering. She said that her vision for this project was to
8:56
create a bourbon that captured decades of time, complexity, and nuance. Something that would stand
9:02
as a milestone in Bladembo's portfolio. They say the expectation of a bourbon at this age is often
9:08
that it will be over-oaked, harsh, or simple. But what I discovered was truly surprising
9:13
Many barrels revealed incredible depth, vanilla, and layered fruit character. That was my first
9:19
thought when I saw this 30-year-old bourbon. I mean, I've heard mixed things of some of the higher
9:23
in Pappy Van Winkle releases, especially the 23-year-old being extremely over-oaked, very
9:28
lacking in complexity and flavor. But it sounds like they're pretty confident in this release
9:34
especially when they're bottling at 54.5%. They're not trying to squeeze every last drop out of that
9:39
To me, that kind of solidifies the fact that they at least have some faith in this product
9:43
Now, this is going to be a nationwide release beginning this month and at the Visitor Center
9:47
at the Stitzel Weller Distillery. And they're going to be selling individual pours of it for
9:52
$225 at the Garden and Gun Club. Now, you know, before you, you know, shun that, each tasting
9:59
will be presented on a custom gold tray, and it includes a premium glassware and keepsake item
10:04
that come with it. Now, the bottle itself, get ready, the retail is $1,200 per 750 milliliter
10:11
bottle. Of course, that just depends on the market. Of course, this is probably going to go crazy on
10:15
secondary, but I think something like this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to try something like
10:21
this. And I think, you know, not to be biased, but because this was distilled right around when I was
10:27
born, I'd probably pay up that $2.25 if I was at the Stitzelweller Distillery. Definitely not
10:33
something I would normally buy for myself, but just because of the significance of this pour
10:38
and when it was made, I would probably, at least I would save it for a birthday. How about that
10:44
All right, well, before we get into our bite-sized review of this episode, I did ask on our Discord
10:49
community for any questions from the community about anything. I always like to get viewer
10:55
feedback and thoughts with these episodes. Of course, I also have a hotline you guys can reach
10:59
out to me and leave a voicemail or text if you ever have a question to submit. You can reach me
11:04
at 916-642-9837 or 916-64-BYTE. But this question actually came from two different people and they
11:14
posted it almost exactly at the same time. So Brandon, who has been on my channel several times
11:18
for live streams. And Zopher, or Alfonso, if you may know him personally, asked a great question
11:24
that I haven't discussed on this podcast ever. And I don't know if it's because I just didn't
11:30
want to get into it, or if I just feel like maybe I didn't have a valid opinion on it. But since
11:35
people are asking, I'm going to answer this truthfully. The question is, if you saw the
11:39
title of this podcast, I probably put it in there, but no guarantees. Is the bourbon boom over? And
11:46
this is a topic that's been discussed widely. If you're not familiar, the bourbon boom is what
11:51
we've been calling this modern era of whiskey resurgence, where it's become so popular, so trendy
11:56
everyone's seeking out all the allocated bottles, prices are going up, available whiskey's going
12:01
down, but the fans of bourbon have been growing stronger and stronger year over year. Until these
12:07
past couple years. So last year and this year, the number of bourbon buyers in the U.S. has actually
12:13
shrunk and this hasn't happened since 2002 it's always increased and I think this is due to a lot
12:19
of factors I think with the pandemic a lot of people were drinking more at home versus going
12:23
out to bars and I was one of those people I mean I started my channel quite a while ago but with
12:28
the bourbon bites brand I started that in 2019 so basically at the year before the pandemic's when
12:33
I started and I really the channel kind of blew up during the pandemic so I was definitely one of
12:38
those people that was spending way more than usual I was seeking out the allocated bottles I was
12:42
entering lotteries, you know, trying to get my hands on the best of the best. But as time went on
12:50
things have changed. And, you know, for the first time ever, younger people aren't drinking as much
12:55
They're turning to alternative substances that are legal in my state, but may not be legal in
12:59
your state. I just see a lot more of that than drinking socially in younger age groups. And I
13:05
think another reason that people are saying that the bourbon boom is over is we saw a lot of
13:10
distilleries including Buffalo Trace which I taught a little bit earlier in the podcast doing these massive massive expansions. Apparently Buffalo Trace makes three times more whiskey than
13:19
they sell at this point in time which you know is great for those of us that are fans of Buffalo
13:24
Trace but it does kind of make you wonder what they're anticipating the future to be especially
13:29
with this noticeable decline in you know bourbon sales. So I'm not going to go over all the facts
13:34
and everything I think that's kind of been well discussed on other channels but I will give my
13:38
opinion on this. Is the bourbon boom over? And my answer is pretty straightforward. Yes, I think the
13:46
bourbon boom is over. I think we've been building to that point for a while. So let me explain. You
13:52
know, not just the pandemic, but just, you know, all these craft distilleries coming out, people
13:56
seeking out allocated bottles. I hear stories of people who were able to buy bottles of Pappy Van
14:00
Winkle on the shelves of their local liquor store for under a hundred bucks. Now that was probably
14:05
you know way before my time definitely maybe even before I was born I don't know but those days are
14:11
long gone so I think from that point to where we were two or three years ago it was increasing and
14:17
increasing and I don't think anyone thought it was ever going to stop but it's really unfortunate
14:21
because I think a lot of these brands really thought this was going to keep going so they invested heavily in new rick houses new distilleries all together I think you know with the total number
14:32
of customers going down I think we going to see a surplus of bourbon that not necessarily is a bad thing So that was kind of going to be it was going to be a caveat to my point but it still stands to my point that yes I do think the bourbon boom is over But do I think this is totally a bad thing No And I just saying that as a consumer look
14:49
I get this is a business, you know, people are out to make money. But as a consumer, I think the
14:54
bourbon boom being over means that I actually have a chance at getting some dang good bourbon
14:59
when it's more available and available for a lower price. So here's where I foresee the bourbon
15:04
industry going in the next five years or so. And again, I'm not a professional in the industry. I'm
15:09
just a reviewer. I'm a consumer just like you. But I do think that we're going to start seeing less
15:14
limited releases from these major distilleries and more just general availability of their products
15:20
I mean, even with things like Buffalo Trace releasing the foolproof Sazerac rye at only $40
15:25
I think that's a sign that they're going to want to put out more products for the general consumer
15:29
and maybe less products for the hyper enthusiast like some of us that, you know, seek out all the
15:34
antique collection and things like that. I hope ultimately the goal would be to increase the
15:39
allocation of things like the antique collection or the Pappy Van Winkle line. I would love for
15:44
you know, even a twice amount of chance to getting the bottle versus what it is now. I think that
15:48
would be a huge win for us enthusiasts. But I think we're a bit away from that. I think Buffalo
15:54
Trace is still going to hold on to that and make it really limited and really allocated. And I'm
15:58
not just limiting this to Buffalo Trace. I'm only mentioning them because they were the one that came up during this podcast. I do unfortunately feel like some smaller brands may not make it
16:06
through this bubble bursting. You know, I think a lot of people were opening distilleries and
16:11
expanding their operations, really tapping into that craft bourbon market. Honestly, I hate to
16:17
say this, but I could see a lot of those not making it through unless they've used this time
16:21
wisely and have developed such an incredible fan base already. I don't really see anything beyond
16:26
just local consumers going out and seeking new craft brands unless they're bringing something
16:30
completely innovative that's never been done before, which is really hard to find these days
16:35
honestly. And I think we're also starting to see a side effect of this by seeing more age-stated
16:39
older products being put out in the market. I mean, Knob Creek just released their 21-year-old
16:43
bourbon. Of course, their 12-year-old, which was one of my absolute favorites, is readily available
16:48
on the shelves. And just, you know, four years ago, finding a 12-year-old bourbon was relatively
16:52
hard. I mean, a Logitrag Barrel Proof was sort of available, but, you know, it just depended
16:57
you know, where you got it. But having a regularly available 12 year old bourbon on the shelf is a
17:01
big win for those of us that do prefer an older aged bourbon. And I think we're going to see more
17:07
of that. I think distilleries are going to realize they don't need to put out, you know, just things as soon as they turn, you know, legally bottle and bond or legally bourbon in general. They're
17:16
not going to rush to put them out. They're going to actually let these barrels develop to be, you
17:20
know, unique products and products worth buying. At least that's my hope. You know, I hope that
17:24
They're not going to just try to release this stuff as easily as possible, as cheap as possible. I want them to actually refine and really extend the aging on some of these bottles
17:33
Because I know there's a lot of bourbons out there that are good at 4, 5, 6 years old
17:37
but would probably be incredible at 9, 10, 11, 12 years old
17:41
So I'm hoping that more time is spent aging in the barrels now that we have so much stock available
17:47
They can pull what they need to for their cheap offerings, but keep some barrels aging. And not saying that these necessarily even need to be limited additional releases
17:54
is why can't we have a 15-year-old standard on the shelf knob creek
17:58
You know, I think I'd like to see more older age statements across the board
18:02
And I think that's going to be possible now that the bourbon boom or the bourbon bubble
18:05
has busted. So ultimately, I think it's going to benefit the consumer
18:10
It is going to hurt the industry. I hear stories all the time about layoffs across the bourbon industry, and I hate that
18:16
people are being affected by that. But I think that's just the economy in general right now
18:20
I mean, as I mentioned last podcast, I was laid off from my job, you know, just a couple weeks ago
18:25
So layoffs are happening across the entire job world, at least here in America
18:31
So I unfortunately see a lot of bad before the good shows up
18:34
But I think that the bourbon boom being over doesn't mean that I'm giving up on bourbon
18:40
I think bourbon's only going to get better, more available, and hopefully older along the way
18:45
So I have a hopeful outlook on it. But I do want to know what you guys think
18:49
Listen, I know everyone has a different opinion on this and I love the conversation
18:53
So if you want to chime in on this, either leave a comment on this podcast episode on
18:57
YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts or visit our Discord community. I love to have a conversation about this amongst whiskey loving friends
19:05
I think we all have a different viewpoint and perspective on it. And it's what inspires me to dive deeper into these conversations is getting feedback, getting
19:13
what you guys want to hear, what topics you want to really dive into. So thank you both Brandon and Zofar for that question. I love it. Hopefully that at least gives you a little insight into my thoughts on the bourbon industry as a whole. I'm just giving my impression as a whiskey reviewer, but in general, a bourbon consumer just like you. So with that, let's go in and get into our bite-sized review
19:35
all right well like i said earlier this bourbon is one that i've seen for a long time and
19:48
for some reason haven't really picked it up but when i saw it on sale from k&l wine and spirits
19:54
i had to give it a shot because for the price i couldn't pass it up so this is ben holiday
20:00
a six-year-old bottled and bond bourbon. Normally retail on this is around $55 but K&L had it on sale
20:08
for only $41. So I thought $41 for a bottled and bond six-year bourbon is pretty incredible. So I
20:16
finally picked it up and decided to review it for you guys. And in doing so I have learned to respect
20:23
the hell out of this brand. So just a quick look at their website. They give you so much information
20:29
Listen, I'm a bourbon connoisseur. I love information. The more transparent you can be, the more I appreciate you as a brand
20:36
And what they're doing at Ben Holiday or HolidayBourbon.com, which is their website, they are just giving you everything
20:43
Like more than the normal consumer would ever want. But for those of us that are enthusiasts, we are getting all the facts
20:49
So I'm going to share some of these with you guys today. Like I said, it's a six-year-old bottled in a bond bourbon
20:54
so of course it's bottled at 100 proof. Mashbill is 73% corn, 15% rye, and 12% malted barley
21:02
And this is actually a brand based out of Missouri. I don't think I've had a bourbon out of Missouri or
21:07
even a whiskey out of Missouri to this point, but they are using locally grown grain in this release
21:13
and they've been basically making whiskey since 1856. Now of course the distillery has gone
21:19
through several owners and different closures and things like that. They most recently started
21:23
distilling their own product in 2015 and their whiskey is finally coming of age and they're
21:29
finally starting to roll it out. So I'm very very excited to try this. This is the July 2024 release
21:36
so I went to their website to see what this one is all about and trust me they tell you everything
21:42
So not only do you know that this barrel selection was from Rickhouse C and floors 4 and 5
21:46
but you can see things like the number of barrels, the distill date which is spring 2017
21:51
The Rickhouse Proof which was 123.3 proof. And some notes from the distillers themselves Now I mention the Rickhouse Proof because it interesting to see the proof that these came out of the barrel at and it sounds like at the distillery they had a release of this at cast strength so that can officially be called a
22:10
bottle and bond. Of course, bottle and bond has to be 100 proof, but they say that they were really
22:14
proud of this, especially the Rickhouse proof version. They say all the barrels were on the
22:19
old side of six years, and with the high floors, it came together nicely. They go on to say that
22:24
if someone has not yet tried Ben Holiday before, these two bottlings, meaning the Rickhouse Proof
22:29
version and the Bottle and Bond Proof, really reflect in my mind what the core of that mash
22:34
bill will taste like. So these notes are coming to us from Kyle Merclain, who is their master
22:39
distiller over at Holiday Bourbon. And it's nice to see that my first time trying it is what they
22:45
say is the core of what their flavor profile should taste like. So I think I picked a good
22:49
one to start with. It is crafted using Missouri grown corn aged in level three charred Missouri
22:55
white oak and released non-chill filtered and full flavor in every sip. So I'll stop nerding
23:02
out about these facts and I'll get into the whiskey itself. Let's go ahead and give this
23:06
Ben Holiday six-year bottle and bond bourbon a nose. Oh interesting. That's a nose that I don't
23:13
think I've gotten on a recently released whiskey in a long time. It almost has a character of it
23:18
that I've experienced with some older vintage pours. I mean, it kind of on the nose reminds me of some 70s or 80s wild turkey products
23:28
It has a bit of a metallic minerality to it that I've associated with those older vintage releases
23:33
I'm not sure what's causing that, but that really entices me. As someone who is a fan of vintage bourbon, this stands out as a great nose
23:42
It's a bit dusty, but in all the best ways. It kind of reminds me of an old library or an old bookstore
23:48
Just really that kind of vintage quality to it, which I'm assuming is coming from the Mashbill and the oak that they used
23:55
Again, it's all local. So that kind of explains why it's a bit different than what I'm used to
24:00
Once you get beyond that, you get a bit of sweetness, a little bit of a younger oak note there as well
24:06
But it's really complementary to the darker, richer vintage notes of this on the nose
24:12
There's just a hint of what I sometimes call a craft whiskey note that I get from some smaller distilleries
24:17
usually with their younger products. but it's it's really very hard to detect I mean I think that's going to be the only thing that's
24:23
going to make me think that this isn't a traditional bourbon it has a hint of that
24:27
grain quality that you don't really see on a lot of Kentucky bourbons but again that's not knocking
24:31
it in any way shape or form that's just kind of a note that I have noticed that I get on a lot of
24:36
these distilleries outside of Kentucky and Tennessee and Indiana all right I've smelled
24:41
this enough I'm very very excited let's go ahead and give it a taste cheers hmm oh yeah that's nice wow lots of um sweeter flavor profiles up front it's kind of funny
24:55
because the notes that i thought were a little more muted on the nose are coming more across
24:59
on the palate so it's like that sweeter younger oat kind of note there as well but overall it
25:04
feels well rounded and feels nicely balanced and i think that's coming from the age this is a six
25:09
year old product which we don't see very often coming from new young distilleries so that's
25:15
really exciting to see and it's like they waited till the perfect time to bottle this based on
25:19
flavor rather than just hitting that four-year minimum age statement for bottle and bond they
25:23
really took their time on this one and it shows now this doesn't necessarily taste like an older
25:29
bourbon than six years old the oak kind of expresses itself in a bit of a different way it's almost
25:33
like a toasted barrel it's like it's kind of covering up for some of the fact that this whiskey
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has a bit of a youthful note to it but you're getting some of that vanilla sweetness that you
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would get on something that I would consider from a toasted barrel so I can't wait to see what this
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mash bill will do at some higher age statements because I think what's going on here is a beautiful
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bouquet of flavors you're getting a lot of sweetness like a bit of a caramel dessert
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you're getting some floral elements there too the dusty elements are a little bit lost on the palate
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it's more so on the nose but there's a bit of fruitiness there's a bit of just everything I'm
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looking for in a good bourbon whiskey is here. I just feel like there's just something that makes
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this feel a bit youthful. It could actually just have something to do with the Missouri climate
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in terms of aging compared to things like Texas or Tennessee or Kentucky. You know, the climate
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really affects how whiskey interacts with the barrel. So even though we're talking about the
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higher floors, you know, the fourth and fifth floor of the rickhouse, it doesn't mean that that heat
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is interacting the same way as it would as in a state like Texas where it's extremely, extremely
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hot. So I'm almost wondering if Missouri just may not be the standard ideal location for aging
26:40
bourbon. I think the oak is just having less of an influence on this bourbon than it would in some
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other states which is making it seem a bit young but I don't think that necessarily holds it back
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at all. Honestly this is just one of those whiskeys that I find it hard to pull out specific
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tasting notes because it is so well-rounded and balanced. Finish wise I'll say about medium I think
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The only thing that really lingers is a bit of like that sweet caramel cream kind of note and the oak
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They kind of linger on the back of the palette. Nothing too crazy. Doesn't feel like super long, which is kind of why I wish I had a chance to try the Rickhouse proof version
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I would love to try this at cast strength, but we're limited to 100 proof with the bottle and bond offering
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So I think maybe that's holding the finish back just a little bit. So what is my score for Ben Holiday six year bottle and bond
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This is a little tough because there are other products in this price range and in this age that I can compare this directly to
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I mean, I'm thinking first and foremost of the Heaven Hill Bottled and Bond 7-Year Bourbon
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Of course, the traditional Kentucky bourbon aged for one additional year, but bottled at the same proof and same standards that this one follows
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Unfortunately, I don't have the 7-Year in front of me, but I did recently finish a bottle of it, so I'm still vaguely familiar with the flavor profile
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I think this holds its own. I think it's unique. I think it brings something that we don't see from
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a lot of craft distilleries. So my score for this Ben Holiday six-year bottle in Bond Bourbon
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is actually a 7.5 out of 10. I think this whiskey is great for what it is. I think that they are on
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the right track. This mash bill is so delicious and the fact that the master distillery even says
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that he thinks that this is what the core flavor profile should be for Ben Holiday makes me really
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excited for the future. I would love to see more age on this whiskey. I think if you age this like
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three, four, five more years, this could be a contender to beat out some of my favorite Kentucky
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bourbon. I think it's worth your money for sure, especially if you want to try a bottle and bond
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bourbon outside of where we normally see it. You know, we see it a lot in Kentucky and Tennessee
28:43
and Indiana. So it's so fun to see that coming out of another state. I think it is a massive
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achievement and I can't wait to see what Ben Holiday does next. So that's my thoughts on this
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bottle. If you guys have had a chance to try this or any of their other releases, let me know how they are. Thank you all so much for listening. This has been the Bourbon Bites podcast, a whiskey
29:00
podcast with a gaming twist. Cheers and I will talk to you guys next episode
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