A Tale of Two Bourbons

L-R: Noah's Mill and Blanton's Whiskey

Today is another milestone for Singaporewhisky as it once again writes an inaugural review for another world whisk(e)y. Arguably another world giant in the world of whiskies, American Whiskey (spelt with the E as that is the Americant way of spelling) is also very well known by whisky drinkers the world over. Many people of course recognise brands like Jim Beam and Jack Daniels, both of which are examples of globrally renowned whiskey brands. In my search for what people define as a 'standard' bourbon whiskey, I, however, took the route less travelled and chose slightly lesser known but well-received whiskies: Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon and Noah's Mill Small Batch Cask Strength Bourbon.

Just a little bit about American Whiskies before I start though. American whiskey making regulations and techniques are very much different from that of Scotch. Americans use different bases to produce their spirits, the more famous ones being rye, unmalted barley and corn. American regulations also stipulate very strict rules in terms of production techniques that one must adhere to in order to term their whiskey Bourbon. Hence if you look closely at a Jack Daniels bottling, the word 'Bourbon' is never on the label, because their charcoal filtering process is an additional process not recognized by the authorities, and hence they cannot call themselves a Bourbon. In the interest of not making this post a long essay, I won't mention the exact stipulations that are required for a whiskey to be called Bourbon.

Flavour profile wise, American whiskies tend to have a unique and dominant sweetness if they use rye as a base. On top of that, the production laws stipulate that they can only use new oak barrels for their maturation (unlike Scotch whiskies, which mature their whiskies mostly in ex-Bourbon casks or Sherry casks) and hence one tends to get the influences of the wood more in their whiskey when they drink it. So without further ado, here goes!

Name: Blanton's Original Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Blanton's
Origin: USA
Age Statement: Nil
Type: Single Rye Bourbon
Alc/Vol: 46.5%
The Blanton's Original Single Barrel Bourbon has garnered praise for arguably being one of the 'standard' Bourbons, with the typical flavours of sweetness, spice and vanilla that one would expect from a good Bourbon. Due to the fact that it is a Single Barrel release, which means that any bottling is taken from one single barrel, the flavour profiles of each different barrel may differ. In my opinion, this Blanton's is a good introduction to the world of Bourbon, as it is pleasant to drink and does contain those unique Bourbon characteristics.

Nose:  Very sweet and fruity. Peaches dominate the nose, with honey, light spices, orange like citrus notes and that unmistakable hint of vanilla (22)

Taste/Palate: The sweet rye is dominant with strong liquorice and spicy notes of anise and cinnamon. A woody and dry mouthfeel is brought up from the rear. (21)

Finish: The rye sweetness continues to the end along with a slight liquorice and vanilla note (20)

Overall: A nice enough Bourbon but it seems to be lacking in a punch that makes it truly flavourful, nevertheless it is still a very pleasant drinking experience, and is decently well balanced. (20) 83/100

Found at: The Auld Alliance, La Maison Du Whisky

Name: Noah's Mill Small Batch Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Noah's Mill
Origin: USA
Age Statement: 15 Years
Type: Single Rye
Alc/Vol: 57.15%

On to the second whiskey of the night, Noah's Mill Small Batch whiskey. Small batch is different from single barrel as it does contain more whiskey than a single barrel, but proponents of the small batch whiskey contend that it is a hallmark of the blender's skill as it brings with it the added challenge of creating a whole batch of whiskey at a certain level, whereas single barrels could, according to The Whisky Exchange, be just due to a force of nature providing a good barrel. That is not discounting of course that single barrels themselves do need a lot of expertise to produce a good whiskey.

Noah's Mill is a lesser known Bourbon compared to Blanton's, but bottled at cask strength, one is able to have a better understanding of the impact of wood on a bourbon's maturation without any filtering, dilution or colouring. All in all, this was a very flavourful Bourbon!

Nose: Lovely strong notes of vanilla and toasted wood. Light fruits and a slight honey tone too. (22)


Taste/Palate: Strong sweetness of honey and liquroice, but it is the influence of the wood that once again shines through with notes of vanilla, spiciness and that lovely bourbon sweetness that runs along the side of the mouth. Slight acidity in the centre of the tongue though, interesting. (23)


Finish: Long and sweet, with pleasant vanilla notes again. (21)


Overall: A textbook example of what the wood does to a whiskey. The influences of the wood are pervasive without overpowering the spirit's own unique sweetness. Great stuff (22) 88/100


Found at: The Auld Alliance