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At a certain stage in life, bourbon fans have to decide what they prefer: a sweet whiskey? Silky smoothness? A rough, high-octane, throat-tickling sensation? Or a complexity of flavors that changes mid-sip?
To some degree, the 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon, not to be confused with their Ridgewood Reserve, has it all. The first thing you'll taste is sweet (vanilla and caramel), followed by hints of leather and dried fruits (raisin, prune), and ending with a somewhat dry finish -- just when you sense that spiciness on the back of the throat -- that shows signs of mint and even cinnamon.
Barton Brands achieves this unique flavor profile -- the fancy way of saying "the way it tastes" -- by blending dent corn (also known as field corn) with rye and malted barley, and then aging the small-batch bourbon for no less than eight years in white oak. It is really remarkably smooth and silky, considering it's 94 proof (47% alcohol by volume). And it's packaged attractively in a great short, wide, flat bottle that broadcasts 1792 (the year Kentucky became a state) across the front. At around $25 it's a super value and the perfect bourbon for people who don't like extremes -- or who don't want to decide what flavor they like best.
-- James Oliver Cury
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