KENTUCKY VINTAGE
KSBW
Kentucky Vintage
does not feature an age statement on its attractively retro-styled packaging
(don’t worry, no ersatz prohibition stylings or mountebank poster art, thank
God), save a vague reference to its having been in barrel ‘far longer than
other bourbons.’ The best I can find is
on the ever-reliable Wikipedia, where it is listed at a whopping 17 years
old. When you consider the price- south
of $40, less expensive than any other iteration in Buffalo Trace’s excellent
Kentucky Small Batch portfolio- it almost seems too good to be true… Then you
experience the juice itself, and, whatever the truth, you sure want to
believe. This is gorgeous bourbon, the
most thrilling American whiskey I’ve tasted in some time.
N: Textbook
bourbon aromas of lemon jolly ranchers, vanilla orchid, and cinnamon toast are
here shaded by pine needles, dried tarragon, whole white peppercorn, and a sort
of compelling, ashy tropicality. Looking
deeper, there are pencil shavings, banana peel, fresh-turned earth and lime
zest. Impeccably well-knit and
sophisticated.
P: A lithe, racy
entry, very like Blanton’s (cardamom and calvados), but with even more
suppleness and velvety texture; unbelievable smoothness for a product in this rice range. A helix
of bloody berryskins coils round sweet, salty, almost maritime flavors (a whole
‘nother iteration of such than one would find in, say, an Islay) that
smoulder into the long, delicate finish of raw almonds and roasted hazelnuts,
finally leaving just a touch of salt and cinnamon on the tongue. Dry, grown-up, and wonderful.
This whiskey has
an attractive, pale amber color that belies its (supposed) age- it’s a full
shade darker than its brasher cousin, Pure Kentucky. Yes, these names are repetitive and the packaging a little kitschy (although nothing like as kitschy as a Corsair, for instance- love y’all!),
but given the quality of the whiskey inside, and their provenance, I’m more
than happy to give them a pass for that.
Hell, at least they didn’t go with a pun. And, honestly, I love both labels.
Anecdotally, this tremendous Kentucky stopped my exclusively-scotch-loving
tasting partner in his supercilious tracks: the guy who normally pans all bourbon as hot and one-dimensional (total bullshit, by the way) raised his eyebrows and grinned at this one. This guy thinks it’s pretty damn great
too. Highest, highest recommendation
when the $37 price tag comes into play. Poor
man’s Pappy? You need this bottle on
your whisk(e)y shelf.
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