Great video, I think I tend to agree with you over the last year or two. It’s not about the whiskey being so bad, it’s that it’s priced so high for what you get. There are so many great values out there, why charge so much for average whiskey .
I think I agree with you but the selection of Bourbon whiskey in my area is not very good compared to you guys in the us. I have a limited selection of bourbons available to me in my local liquor store including limited selections from Makers Mark, bullet bourbon, blanton's, 1792, Elijah craig, wild turkey, Jim beam, knob Creek, Buffalo Trace and Basil Hayden. I am envious of the selection you guys have in the US. That all being said, I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the above except blanton's because it is currently the most expensive in my area.
This is why I like your channel. You're not afraid to discuss what you don't like. That helps a lot when I am contemplating spending over $50 a bottle. Thanks guys!
Definitely need to see Trenton's list please, and appreciate ya'll allowing us a little peek into your world, love to see the two of you enjoying your passions.
Really appreciate these videos and do agree that price should enter into how you evaluate things. Maybe not when deciding if it’s really worth 25 or 35 but when you get up to $100+ I think it really does need to stand out. I’ve picked up a few 18 year versions of things and while I do think they are better it’s usually fairly subtle and not worth the 3x that they’ve cost.
@@johnbonner3350 it's all a price fixing scam and the government politicians being bought and paid for by big corporations are allowing it to happen. This is the same type of lax regulation garbage that caused the market crash and great depression. Then when the government had to start a ton of assistance programs and enter and win WW2 to pull out of it they took the shit seriously for about 40 years until Reagan. Since then it's been a complete downslide in protections and regulations. Another depression caused by the corruption is inevitable.
I just stumbled upon your page yesterday. Watched at least 20 videos and this is awesome. I just started out in the whiskey world the beginning of this past summer. Look forward to more videos guys!
Great stuff, love addressing overpriced bottles. 100% agree on C&K, my wife loves their gins, but we’ve both been underwhelmed by their bourbon and ryes. Best rye I’ve ever had - Vintage 21 rye, white wax, 2012-13ish. Better than WFE 20+ year ryes, better than VW ryes from 2010-2012, better than pre-tanked Saz IMO. Vintage 23 was also good, but a little too oak forward for me. Really wish I’d have chased down a backup…
I would like to see Trenton's list; I must say price makes a difference, what I enjoy is Elijah Criag single barrel, enjoyed this video thank you for sharing
Great job. I agree too about spending $400 for a bottle. It better knock your socks off at that price or you have to call it disappointing. I love that you guys can disagree but be very descriptive in your opinions. That really helps your audience determine if they want to purchase the products. Also illustrates that opinions are just that. If I like it but you don't doesn't matter, but going into the buying process knowing why some people don't while others do...that can really matter. Thanks guys, looking forward to the next video! Be well!
Thanks guys for talking about how the price paid impact enjoyment. My spends do not compare to the 400.00. However, I just purchased Old Forester 1910. 56.00 herein GA. It is a fine tasting bourbon but I prefer the taste of the 100 at 26.00. Although my favorite to date is Old Forester Single Barrel. I have only been able to acquire it once but wow!
Same here. Many times I'll just punch the name of the whiskey into Google just to see both price and local availability only to see it come up over my price limit. So it's immediately disregarded going forward.
I’ve learned so much watching these. You guys are awesome and make great quality content. You can really feel the passion through each video and it’s contagious. Got me going back and sipping some of my bourbons trying to pick out different flavors.
Thanks for the list- will anxiously await T’s list. 4 Roses LE 2019 and BBC Discovery 8 are the only $100+ bourbons purchased that I really love. Have a Little Book Ch 4 and Calumet 16 that are unopened- hopefully they don’t disappoint. Otherwise, I don’t chase the high $$ bourbons without trying them first- many I’ve tried, I would have been very disappointed if I purchased. Cheers!😊
@@HardHeadMilitary it’s pretty good but would recommend spending a little extra $$ and get Small Batch or single barrel. Small Batch Select is $50 in my area and my favorite around that range. Cheers!
A very common theme from various sources regarding most disappointing bottles is "Good Whiskey, but outrageous price". I am a middle shelf connoisseur out of principle, not because of budget.
For me it's fundage that keeps me on the middle shelf or lower. But my word!, there's some mighty good whisky on those shelves. I'm drinking Knob Creek tonight, and there's not a form thing wrong with it.
As always; love the video. I enjoy the information that is in your content. I've purchased several bottles that were suggested on your channel. Merry Christmas 🎄🥃
I personally have never tried Kentucky Owl or Little Book nor any Nulu. But I think I'm done spending $80 and up for no age statement whiskeys without trying them first. The market is just way to saturated right now to roll the dice on expensive distillate.
I bought my first bottle of spirits in over 30 years two months before the pandemic began. It was Buffalo Trace Bourbon, and I've enjoyed it, one of the few that I've repeated. I've only found one bottle that I ended up pouring out because it tasted so bad, and that was from a distillery in Oklahoma called Hochatown. It had a strong "funky" note that overpowered everything else in the bottle. At first, I thought I just needed to get used to it, but with a third of the bottle left (five or six weeks later), I fed it to the kitchen sink. It was their "Small Batch Select", 104 pf, Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Before I bought it, I was given a taste at the bar of the hotel I was staying at, and that was a good tasting bourbon. It wasn't the same taste as the bottle I bought at a local liquor store the next day (no reflection on the store). I don't know what happened, but I made sure to look at the bottle at the bar and even took a picture of the label to make sure I bought the same thing. I love the work you guys do. the info you provide is very useful. And yes, let's see Trenton's list.
SLB Drinks I’m so, glad you both said you would buy Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s at $50 all day because I’m in San Diego, Ca and picked up 4 bottles at $49 each. That price point sounds accurate!
Trenton and I have the same flavor profile. You guys have the best content on the tube. Haven't had a chance to try any of these so TY now I can buy something else lol.🤣
Hey Kurt & Trenton, Got a RUM question. I went to a cigar lounge and they had Ron Barcelo Imperial Rum, Ron Zacapa XO, & Flor de Cana 25. Can you tell me your opinion on these? HUGE Thanks! Happy New Year, keep up the Awesome Videos.
I think Tent’s hair is getting too long 😂 time to have him shave it again! Just kidding. Love the channel guys! Really looking forward to these lists. Went out and tried old forester because of your video on their line up and it was a great decision. As a new guy to all of this, it’s so interesting! Appreciate you guys putting so much time into these
In my very limited home bar I currently have three less than $30 bottles and one Blantons ($59). I will take any of the $25 bottles over Blantons but it is WT101 that reigns as my fav at under $30.
Absolutely. I’m getting to point in my journey that I’ve pretty much found my daily, weekend, and special occasion bottles. Most every time I try a new highly recommended bottled, I’m disappointed. WT 101, Rare Breed, Old Forester 1920, Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered and (I can’t believe I’m actually saying this) Jack Daniels Barrel Select Barrel Proof
@@marcg2823 interesting…..I like Rare Breed and gifted 1920 so tasted it and thought it was the best I have had. However, sticking to my under $30 budget for now. May treat myself occasionally to Rare B or better Forrester.
@@KneeAches right. @ $30 the WT 101 takes the cake. The others are definitely more $$. Four Roses is good for that price range but is under proof. We could throw in Even Williams Bolded in Bond also
I sat up in my chair when you brought out the Castle and Key Batch 2 and said "YES!!!!!". I would buy that bottle again at $10 just because the bottle is cool but the bourbon is so off-putting. I cant even describe what I am tasting in there and I cant seem to find anyone that digs it. And if they did, palates be damned, I am inclined to believe it is because they don't want to admit they spent $50+ on trash bourbon. LOL.
I will have to (unfortunately) try mine again with your thought of celery. LOL. I cannot figure out how to describe what it tastes like but when you say celery, it makes me feel like I agree.
Very interesting list. I remember when the Kentucky owl st Patrick’s release came out and not a lot of people liked it. I think Kentucky Owl is just over priced I wish it was around 75 then I’d probably pick one up
I really enjoyed the Kentucky Owl. I think it's because I love Irish Whiskey and I was able to grab this for $89. Those two things made me grab a second one. 🤔👍🥃
"Like chewing on a line needle for 20 min". I hope I am able to work that into a conversation someday. That was awesome. And he's. We want to hear Trenton's list! Merry Christmas guys!
I have a recommendation for something you may not have tried... Dragons Milk Origin Bourbon. 5 year, very small batches, just released in April. I think you'll really enjoy it! Good price point too!
I would like to see Trenton’s list as well. On the C&K, I have batch 5, and while it’s not my fav, it’s not bad. The restoration Rye is amazing and the wheated bourbon is also good. As for the Nulu Rye, I’m with Trenton on this one! I killed my first bottle of it pretty fast and need another one! It’s like $115 in Tx.!
Please show Trenton's list. Curious to hear what his thoughts are. I agree on all 4 with the exception of the Nulu Rye. Little Book for $125 is too much. Average age is 5 years. Pricing has been one of the main factors in my disappointing whiskeys for 2022.
I could watch that video just for the conversation on the last bottle. I also agree that Trenton’s list is a MUST DO! I’m very interested in hearing the tough love he’s got for his list.
The bourbon world needs more reviews like this. Industry growth and marketing are going unchecked, and the new to bourbon customer is paying the price by following the hype. Thank you for your honest reviews.
Lol, these are all brands I've generally avoided because the price seems to be much higher than the quality of what's in the bottle. I don't buy Bardstown very often because all of their stuff is too expensive for what it is. If I buy anything from them, it's usually a Discovery batch that has gotten great reviews, and I haven't really bought any of their blends that have Dickel in it. I've always been interested in Little Book, but I've never bought a bottle because I'm just not the biggest Beam fan. My understanding of Kentucky Owl is that their consistent or seasonal bottlings like Confiscated and the St. Paddy's Day release are pretty terrible, especially for the price, or at least that's what I've heard. Their batched bourbons and ryes were supposed to be really good while their master blender Dixon Dedman was there, but the brand overall has pretty much cratered now that he's left. It's just another Stoli cash grab now. I haven't tried anything from Kentucky Owl yet, but I do have a bottle of one of the last bourbons and ryes that Dedman had blended, just because I wanted to have something from him before he left. Now Dedman is blending for a new brand called 2XO, so that might be worth trying. I don't know enough about Castle and Key. It's like I hear whispers about it every now and then from bourbon friends, but I just don't know enough about it to make a purchase. Nulu is in a similar vein for me. All I know is that they source their whiskey, and there are a million other brands that do the same. I'm skeptical of the brand simply due to that alone. I'm open to trying it, but it's never the first thing on my list, so I just haven't had any.
My wife and I visited Castle and Key in September and it was our absolute favorite distillery to visit. That said, I tried both batches of their bourbon and was not impressed. However, I really liked their Restoration Rye and bought multiple bottles of that and left the bourbon on the shelf.
I actually picked up two little book bottles and saw a third that I passed on. I traded the first one for an EHT single barrel and sold the second to a friend in Baton Rouge. Hands down the most disappointed I was in a bottle this year was lucky 7 holiday toast. $93 for MGP that just didn’t taste like they did anything with it.
Hi Guy's love the channel, I know pricing is an issue and especially so here in Australia. When you guy's talk about a $30-$40 bottle you can at least double that price for us here, so what I was wondering ( because i'm new to Bourbon ) could you do a vid on worst tasting Bourbon's in your opinion. Now I know taste is subjective but if I can weed out what not to buy before I try, it could possibly save me $80 Aus on something that might just sit on the shelf and never get consumed. Cheers
Thanks for the video and the warning ;) As far as I know, only the Kentucky Owl is available in Germany (around € 140) and although I am often disappointed, that many good Bourbons don’t make their way to Europe, at least we didn’t miss anything here 😊
I have been debating picking up Castle and Key for a while. I'm so glad you guys talked about this one today. I'm going to wait to see if I can taste it before I commit to a $60 bottle.
Castle & Key is the only one on this list I've head, and I 100% agree with you and others. Love the bottle, love the story, love the resurrected distillery, but the juice disappoints. What a let down. It makes me sad.
How you described Castle and Key is exactly how I feel about any and all WT products. I just get a funky note I can't get past, so I hear what yer saying even though it's hard to put an exact pin on what flavor note yer not liking. Also agree on Bardstown Distillery, beautiful place, but for blends with a little of their juice (and from I was told on the Discovery series, a lot of WT) way, way, way overpriced. I wouldn't be surprised if the one yer trying isn't also blended with a WT juice being the Kentucky bourbon they reference. So glad I sampled their products before spending money on them.
I felt the same way about the Castle & Key. I tried batch 1 and batch 5 and both tasted like they needed to sit in a barrel longer. To me it tasted like it sat in a non-charred oak barrel. The raw oak taste was really strong in my opinion. I ended up giving the batch 5 bottle away.
I will say, I respect the comments regarding the Kentucky Owl. But oddly enough that has been one of my favorite bottles this year and have paid the bill for 4 bottles. It is currently 129.99 around me and I will be purchasing more before they become harder to find.
Happy new year. Kentucky Owl has unfortunately become more about profit than whiskey. I did enjoy the green bottle, but just too expensive for me. Just not interested in the owl since Dixon Deadman left. Agreed on the Castle and Key. Haven't had the others. And to comment from another video about Trenton and what i thought before he got in front of the camera. I thought he was your brother. Then i saw the first video with him and thought , crap i don't like this change. But for some reason i keep coming back to hear you two talk about whiskey over all of the other channels. Now i'm wondering when the real talent will be next. Of course i'm talking about your honey and his Mom! Can't wait to see what you have in store for 2023. I hope it turns out great for you. And to put a bow on it can i just say how pleasant ya'll are to follow and listen to. Thank you
I having trying to find ingredients for the Fall Old Fashioned you made last Christmas. Lairds, calvados and Benedictine do not seem to exist in Alabama. At least not Montgomery. I found an ABC store on their app that has Lairds but it’s 100 miles away and one of the stores in Birmingham ham had one of the others. Any suggestions on alternatives?
I 100% agree with Kentucky owl. Almost all their whiskey is decent and not bad to drink but most of them are not worth their price point. That being said, they just came out with a Takumi edition...... And I would pay 150 MSRP every time for that bottle, it's so delicious and complex and smooth.
I am very impressed with this video. If we keep paying the high prices the prices will continue to increase. It is always up to the one purchasing that sets the ultimate price point.
I understand Curt’s response because talking IPA beers, totally off subject, but the hops taste is bitter and taste like grapefruit rind and I love it. Others find it off putting. I’m watching this because my hubby is the bourbon drinker and Father’s Day is coming and looking for a new one for him. Thanks guys
I got the Castle & Key Batch 1. Beautiful bottle, but it tastes very immature and fades fast with nothing on the back end of the sip. Been letting it sit to see if it just needs more air like a Starlight.
11:56 I couldn’t agree more on the castle and key and I also get a very strong solvent-y, acetone/fingernail-polish-remover note that I cannot get past. Super disappointing given the beautiful packaging and cool story. I may revisit their bourbon when they release something in the 6-8year range but I won’t be buying another any time soon.
Love the show guys! Thanks for putting out great content each week! Totally agree on most of these. The Castle & Key especially has a very off-putting note it in that tastes like a salty playdough or something along those lines. Wondering if you guys have had the Cream of Kentucky bonded rye? That’s definitely on my list of most disappointing bottles this year. Would love to hear your thoughts on it!
For me, 2022 has been experiencing new bourbon because my standards (EH Taylor, Buffalo Trace, Weller) have been out of stock most of the year. So Dickel, and Mitchner's are on my shelf and are quite tasty.
I have a bottle of Castle & Key Batch #4 and I had the exact same reaction as you. There is a flavor there that I just don't like and turns me off of the bourbon. I can't put my finger on what it is but it will keep me from buying another bottle of a different Batch.
I'm not a Rye enthusiast, maybe I do t like toasted rye or burnt rye but my nephew bought me a Castle & Key Restoration rye whiskey that I enjoy, it almost reminds me of a gin or juniper flavor i think Trent would enjoy.
We want to see Trenton’s list
Since he prefers ryes, I ageee
I agree! I'd love to see his opinion on this!
Me too
Yup. Give it up Trenton. Let's see the list.
Yes!!
Thanks for standing up and talking about overpricing in the whiskey world.
Absolutely agree!
Great video, I think I tend to agree with you over the last year or two. It’s not about the whiskey being so bad, it’s that it’s priced so high for what you get. There are so many great values out there, why charge so much for average whiskey .
Only need to fool one million people once to make a killing
I think I agree with you but the selection of Bourbon whiskey in my area is not very good compared to you guys in the us. I have a limited selection of bourbons available to me in my local liquor store including limited selections from Makers Mark, bullet bourbon, blanton's, 1792, Elijah craig, wild turkey, Jim beam, knob Creek, Buffalo Trace and Basil Hayden. I am envious of the selection you guys have in the US. That all being said, I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the above except blanton's because it is currently the most expensive in my area.
Price matters! Thank you for your honesty in calling out overpriced whiskeys!
This is why I like your channel. You're not afraid to discuss what you don't like. That helps a lot when I am contemplating spending over $50 a bottle.
Thanks guys!
Definitely need to see Trenton's list please, and appreciate ya'll allowing us a little peek into your world, love to see the two of you enjoying your passions.
Really appreciate these videos and do agree that price should enter into how you evaluate things. Maybe not when deciding if it’s really worth 25 or 35 but when you get up to $100+ I think it really does need to stand out. I’ve picked up a few 18 year versions of things and while I do think they are better it’s usually fairly subtle and not worth the 3x that they’ve cost.
I’m really starting to get tired with these companies thinking “inflation” is a good reason to rip off their customers shame on them
Increased profits is the inflation they're referring to
@@shamanschlong exactly. Interesting how during "inflation" the big companies reported record profits.
@@johnbonner3350 it's all a price fixing scam and the government politicians being bought and paid for by big corporations are allowing it to happen. This is the same type of lax regulation garbage that caused the market crash and great depression. Then when the government had to start a ton of assistance programs and enter and win WW2 to pull out of it they took the shit seriously for about 40 years until Reagan. Since then it's been a complete downslide in protections and regulations. Another depression caused by the corruption is inevitable.
I just stumbled upon your page yesterday. Watched at least 20 videos and this is awesome. I just started out in the whiskey world the beginning of this past summer. Look forward to more videos guys!
Great stuff, love addressing overpriced bottles. 100% agree on C&K, my wife loves their gins, but we’ve both been underwhelmed by their bourbon and ryes.
Best rye I’ve ever had - Vintage 21 rye, white wax, 2012-13ish. Better than WFE 20+ year ryes, better than VW ryes from 2010-2012, better than pre-tanked Saz IMO. Vintage 23 was also good, but a little too oak forward for me. Really wish I’d have chased down a backup…
I would like to see Trenton's list; I must say price makes a difference, what I enjoy is Elijah Criag single barrel, enjoyed this video thank you for sharing
Great job. I agree too about spending $400 for a bottle. It better knock your socks off at that price or you have to call it disappointing. I love that you guys can disagree but be very descriptive in your opinions. That really helps your audience determine if they want to purchase the products. Also illustrates that opinions are just that. If I like it but you don't doesn't matter, but going into the buying process knowing why some people don't while others do...that can really matter. Thanks guys, looking forward to the next video! Be well!
Yeah it better be life changing at 400. I havent had anything id spend 200 on yet.
I feel that's the road I'll be taking too Aidan.
Thanks guys for talking about how the price paid impact enjoyment. My spends do not compare to the 400.00. However, I just purchased Old Forester 1910. 56.00 herein GA. It is a fine tasting bourbon but I prefer the taste of the 100 at 26.00. Although my favorite to date is Old Forester Single Barrel. I have only been able to acquire it once but wow!
I really like your videos on what not to buy, there is so much out there and I’m over getting bottles that I don’t enjoy.
Love the honesty. I’ve only been drinking seriously for about 3 years and I’m already sick of every “new” product coming out at $100 + and more!
Same here. Many times I'll just punch the name of the whiskey into Google just to see both price and local availability only to see it come up over my price limit. So it's immediately disregarded going forward.
I’ve learned so much watching these. You guys are awesome and make great quality content. You can really feel the passion through each video and it’s contagious. Got me going back and sipping some of my bourbons trying to pick out different flavors.
don’t let trenton off the hook! we need his list 😂
now, u know what u do NOT want . . . everyone knows what they WANT. . . great episode ! Happy Holidays 2022 & a new 2023 !
Thanks for the list- will anxiously await T’s list. 4 Roses LE 2019 and BBC Discovery 8 are the only $100+ bourbons purchased that I really love. Have a Little Book Ch 4 and Calumet 16 that are unopened- hopefully they don’t disappoint. Otherwise, I don’t chase the high $$ bourbons without trying them first- many I’ve tried, I would have been very disappointed if I purchased. Cheers!😊
Is the cheap bottle of 4 roses good? They have it at my local store for 19.99, or do I need to go up to a special batch to enjoy it
@@HardHeadMilitary it’s pretty good but would recommend spending a little extra $$ and get Small Batch or single barrel. Small Batch Select is $50 in my area and my favorite around that range. Cheers!
@@geralddvorak6570 thank you. Ill give it a shot
Great vid guys, like always and of course we wanna see Trenton's list too ;-)
A very common theme from various sources regarding most disappointing bottles is "Good Whiskey, but outrageous price". I am a middle shelf connoisseur out of principle, not because of budget.
For me it's fundage that keeps me on the middle shelf or lower. But my word!, there's some mighty good whisky on those shelves. I'm drinking Knob Creek tonight, and there's not a form thing wrong with it.
It’s great that you guys have slightly different taste preferences… makes for a more interesting show!
I absolutely agree. I have a hard time taking any bourbon channel where all parties agree throughout seriously.
As always; love the video. I enjoy the information that is in your content. I've purchased several bottles that were suggested on your channel. Merry Christmas 🎄🥃
I personally have never tried Kentucky Owl or Little Book nor any Nulu. But I think I'm done spending $80 and up for no age statement whiskeys without trying them first. The market is just way to saturated right now to roll the dice on expensive distillate.
Absolutely. That's a big red flag for me.
The Nulu Barrel Proof toasted and finished in Apple Brandy barrels is one of my top bottles of the year.
I bought my first bottle of spirits in over 30 years two months before the pandemic began. It was Buffalo Trace Bourbon, and I've enjoyed it, one of the few that I've repeated. I've only found one bottle that I ended up pouring out because it tasted so bad, and that was from a distillery in Oklahoma called Hochatown. It had a strong "funky" note that overpowered everything else in the bottle. At first, I thought I just needed to get used to it, but with a third of the bottle left (five or six weeks later), I fed it to the kitchen sink. It was their "Small Batch Select", 104 pf, Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Before I bought it, I was given a taste at the bar of the hotel I was staying at, and that was a good tasting bourbon. It wasn't the same taste as the bottle I bought at a local liquor store the next day (no reflection on the store). I don't know what happened, but I made sure to look at the bottle at the bar and even took a picture of the label to make sure I bought the same thing.
I love the work you guys do. the info you provide is very useful. And yes, let's see Trenton's list.
SLB Drinks I’m so, glad you both said you would buy Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s at $50 all day because I’m in San Diego, Ca and picked up 4 bottles at $49 each. That price point sounds accurate!
I showed a good buddy of mine the channel. The next day they brought me a bottle of eagle rare as a early winter solstice gift!
Wow! It’s amazing!
I think your being very objective with your list, especially the Bardstown. Kudos for transparency and thank you.
Trenton and I have the same flavor profile. You guys have the best content on the tube. Haven't had a chance to try any of these so TY now I can buy something else lol.🤣
Hey Kurt & Trenton, Got a RUM question. I went to a cigar lounge and they had Ron Barcelo Imperial Rum, Ron Zacapa XO, & Flor de Cana 25. Can you tell me your opinion on these? HUGE Thanks! Happy New Year, keep up the Awesome Videos.
I think Tent’s hair is getting too long 😂 time to have him shave it again! Just kidding. Love the channel guys! Really looking forward to these lists. Went out and tried old forester because of your video on their line up and it was a great decision. As a new guy to all of this, it’s so interesting! Appreciate you guys putting so much time into these
In my very limited home bar I currently have three less than $30 bottles and one Blantons ($59). I will take any of the $25 bottles over Blantons but it is WT101 that reigns as my fav at under $30.
Absolutely. I’m getting to point in my journey that I’ve pretty much found my daily, weekend, and special occasion bottles. Most every time I try a new highly recommended bottled, I’m disappointed.
WT 101, Rare Breed, Old Forester 1920, Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered and (I can’t believe I’m actually saying this) Jack Daniels Barrel Select Barrel Proof
@@marcg2823 interesting…..I like Rare Breed and gifted 1920 so tasted it and thought it was the best I have had. However, sticking to my under $30 budget for now. May treat myself occasionally to Rare B or better Forrester.
@@KneeAches right. @ $30 the WT 101 takes the cake. The others are definitely more $$.
Four Roses is good for that price range but is under proof. We could throw in Even Williams Bolded in Bond also
@@marcg2823 thanks for suggestions!
Let’s see Trenton’s list! As always…great video boys!
I sat up in my chair when you brought out the Castle and Key Batch 2 and said "YES!!!!!". I would buy that bottle again at $10 just because the bottle is cool but the bourbon is so off-putting. I cant even describe what I am tasting in there and I cant seem to find anyone that digs it. And if they did, palates be damned, I am inclined to believe it is because they don't want to admit they spent $50+ on trash bourbon. LOL.
I tried Castle & Key recently. I described that funky note as "celery".
I will have to (unfortunately) try mine again with your thought of celery. LOL. I cannot figure out how to describe what it tastes like but when you say celery, it makes me feel like I agree.
Very interesting list. I remember when the Kentucky owl st Patrick’s release came out and not a lot of people liked it. I think Kentucky Owl is just over priced I wish it was around 75 then I’d probably pick one up
Agree. In my area Kentucky Owl goes from $140-$400, depending on the bottling. I nearly sprung for the St. Pat's, but now I'm glad I didn't.
Love that you ship your merchandise to the UK. Will you get more glasses and coins back in?
Picked up a Batch 2 C&K last week. I completely agree. Tastes super young and has a sour milk funk
Great video! Keep up the great work. Would love to see Trenton’s list.
I really enjoyed the Kentucky Owl. I think it's because I love Irish Whiskey and I was able to grab this for $89. Those two things made me grab a second one. 🤔👍🥃
I like that Kentucky Owl. I'm on my second bottle from costco for $80. Maybe it showed up there after this video..... keep up the good work!
"Like chewing on a line needle for 20 min". I hope I am able to work that into a conversation someday. That was awesome. And he's. We want to hear Trenton's list!
Merry Christmas guys!
Just picked up a Castle & Key single barrel rye, which is a store pick, and it is fantastic. $40 and it would be in my top 5 best ryes of the year.
I have never tried any of these but love the videpo. thanks yall
I have a recommendation for something you may not have tried...
Dragons Milk Origin Bourbon. 5 year, very small batches, just released in April. I think you'll really enjoy it! Good price point too!
I would like to see Trenton’s list as well. On the C&K, I have batch 5, and while it’s not my fav, it’s not bad. The restoration Rye is amazing and the wheated bourbon is also good. As for the Nulu Rye, I’m with Trenton on this one! I killed my first bottle of it pretty fast and need another one! It’s like $115 in Tx.!
Please show Trenton's list. Curious to hear what his thoughts are. I agree on all 4 with the exception of the Nulu Rye. Little Book for $125 is too much. Average age is 5 years. Pricing has been one of the main factors in my disappointing whiskeys for 2022.
I could watch that video just for the conversation on the last bottle.
I also agree that Trenton’s list is a MUST DO! I’m very interested in hearing the tough love he’s got for his list.
Awesome video... We definitely wanna hear Trents 5 next...I'm so interested
I'm a newbie and videos have been lot of help, thank you
Very enjoyable and interesting presentation. Happy Holidays to you guys and keep up the fine work.
The bourbon world needs more reviews like this. Industry growth and marketing are going unchecked, and the new to bourbon customer is paying the price by following the hype. Thank you for your honest reviews.
Lol, these are all brands I've generally avoided because the price seems to be much higher than the quality of what's in the bottle. I don't buy Bardstown very often because all of their stuff is too expensive for what it is. If I buy anything from them, it's usually a Discovery batch that has gotten great reviews, and I haven't really bought any of their blends that have Dickel in it.
I've always been interested in Little Book, but I've never bought a bottle because I'm just not the biggest Beam fan.
My understanding of Kentucky Owl is that their consistent or seasonal bottlings like Confiscated and the St. Paddy's Day release are pretty terrible, especially for the price, or at least that's what I've heard. Their batched bourbons and ryes were supposed to be really good while their master blender Dixon Dedman was there, but the brand overall has pretty much cratered now that he's left. It's just another Stoli cash grab now. I haven't tried anything from Kentucky Owl yet, but I do have a bottle of one of the last bourbons and ryes that Dedman had blended, just because I wanted to have something from him before he left. Now Dedman is blending for a new brand called 2XO, so that might be worth trying.
I don't know enough about Castle and Key. It's like I hear whispers about it every now and then from bourbon friends, but I just don't know enough about it to make a purchase. Nulu is in a similar vein for me. All I know is that they source their whiskey, and there are a million other brands that do the same. I'm skeptical of the brand simply due to that alone. I'm open to trying it, but it's never the first thing on my list, so I just haven't had any.
My wife and I visited Castle and Key in September and it was our absolute favorite distillery to visit. That said, I tried both batches of their bourbon and was not impressed. However, I really liked their Restoration Rye and bought multiple bottles of that and left the bourbon on the shelf.
I actually picked up two little book bottles and saw a third that I passed on. I traded the first one for an EHT single barrel and sold the second to a friend in Baton Rouge. Hands down the most disappointed I was in a bottle this year was lucky 7 holiday toast. $93 for MGP that just didn’t taste like they did anything with it.
Hi Guy's love the channel, I know pricing is an issue and especially so here in Australia. When you guy's talk about a $30-$40 bottle you can at least double that price for us here, so what I was wondering ( because i'm new to Bourbon ) could you do a vid on worst tasting Bourbon's in your opinion. Now I know taste is subjective but if I can weed out what not to buy before I try, it could possibly save me $80 Aus on something that might just sit on the shelf and never get consumed. Cheers
Thanks for the video and the warning ;) As far as I know, only the Kentucky Owl is available in Germany (around € 140) and although I am often disappointed, that many good Bourbons don’t make their way to Europe, at least we didn’t miss anything here 😊
I have been debating picking up Castle and Key for a while. I'm so glad you guys talked about this one today. I'm going to wait to see if I can taste it before I commit to a $60 bottle.
Castle & Key is the only one on this list I've head, and I 100% agree with you and others. Love the bottle, love the story, love the resurrected distillery, but the juice disappoints. What a let down. It makes me sad.
How you described Castle and Key is exactly how I feel about any and all WT products. I just get a funky note I can't get past, so I hear what yer saying even though it's hard to put an exact pin on what flavor note yer not liking.
Also agree on Bardstown Distillery, beautiful place, but for blends with a little of their juice (and from I was told on the Discovery series, a lot of WT) way, way, way overpriced. I wouldn't be surprised if the one yer trying isn't also blended with a WT juice being the Kentucky bourbon they reference. So glad I sampled their products before spending money on them.
Great video! Of course we want to Trenton’s list
I was excited about Castle & Key and tried it when I was up in Kentucky last year and yes, there is a funky/pungent flavor.
I felt the same way about the Castle & Key. I tried batch 1 and batch 5 and both tasted like they needed to sit in a barrel longer. To me it tasted like it sat in a non-charred oak barrel. The raw oak taste was really strong in my opinion. I ended up giving the batch 5 bottle away.
Don't remember what batch I had...probably 2...but I didn't like it at all. I'll never buy another batch. Blended into my legacy bottle
@@TheMarcopix completely agree. I've got batch 6, it's horrible
I will say, I respect the comments regarding the Kentucky Owl. But oddly enough that has been one of my favorite bottles this year and have paid the bill for 4 bottles. It is currently 129.99 around me and I will be purchasing more before they become harder to find.
Mine was smoke wagon small batch.. it tastes so young, green, and spikey.
Happy new year. Kentucky Owl has unfortunately become more about profit than whiskey. I did enjoy the green bottle, but just too expensive for me. Just not interested in the owl since Dixon Deadman left. Agreed on the Castle and Key. Haven't had the others. And to comment from another video about Trenton and what i thought before he got in front of the camera. I thought he was your brother. Then i saw the first video with him and thought , crap i don't like this change. But for some reason i keep coming back to hear you two talk about whiskey over all of the other channels. Now i'm wondering when the real talent will be next. Of course i'm talking about your honey and his Mom! Can't wait to see what you have in store for 2023. I hope it turns out great for you. And to put a bow on it can i just say how pleasant ya'll are to follow and listen to. Thank you
I having trying to find ingredients for the Fall Old Fashioned you made last Christmas. Lairds, calvados and Benedictine do not seem to exist in Alabama. At least not Montgomery. I found an ABC store on their app that has Lairds but it’s 100 miles away and one of the stores in Birmingham ham had one of the others. Any suggestions on alternatives?
Merry Christmas Kirk
I 100% agree with Kentucky owl. Almost all their whiskey is decent and not bad to drink but most of them are not worth their price point. That being said, they just came out with a Takumi edition...... And I would pay 150 MSRP every time for that bottle, it's so delicious and complex and smooth.
Totally agree on the Castle & Key. I gave it a number of chances...ended up being a drain pour. Just not enjoyable.
I love that Nulu Trent! Got a 6yr on the shelf.
Do a review of Johnnie Walker 48 year. I saw a bottle at the store today and was wondering if I should pick one up 😂
It's the price of many new cars today. You love to see it. 😆
Nahhhh,
Put a down payment on a house instead LOL
I am very impressed with this video. If we keep paying the high prices the prices will continue to increase. It is always up to the one purchasing that sets the ultimate price point.
Yes, we want to see Trenton's list!!! TonyB
Love your show guys. Keep it going.
Just wondering if you have tried the Von Payne I really like the bottle
2 weeks into my bourbon journey and so far my favorite is "Angels Envy" Loving it. I am a $50 and below kinda guy.
Great episode, I love peated whisky
I understand Curt’s response because talking IPA beers, totally off subject, but the hops taste is bitter and taste like grapefruit rind and I love it. Others find it off putting. I’m watching this because my hubby is the bourbon drinker and Father’s Day is coming and looking for a new one for him. Thanks guys
I got the Castle & Key Batch 1. Beautiful bottle, but it tastes very immature and fades fast with nothing on the back end of the sip. Been letting it sit to see if it just needs more air like a Starlight.
Absolutely want to see Trenton’s list!!! Please make that video!
I would love to see Trenton’s list!!!
11:56 I couldn’t agree more on the castle and key and I also get a very strong solvent-y, acetone/fingernail-polish-remover note that I cannot get past. Super disappointing given the beautiful packaging and cool story. I may revisit their bourbon when they release something in the 6-8year range but I won’t be buying another any time soon.
Yes - we want Trenton's list 👍
Great list, agree with all of these especially the castle. Thought it had a great nose but wow the taste was off.
Amazing video as always guys …. Let’s see Trenton list next
I was ‘out’ on Kentucky Owl until the TAKUMI edition came out this year = absolutely FANTASTIC juice!
Love the show guys! Thanks for putting out great content each week! Totally agree on most of these. The Castle & Key especially has a very off-putting note it in that tastes like a salty playdough or something along those lines.
Wondering if you guys have had the Cream of Kentucky bonded rye? That’s definitely on my list of most disappointing bottles this year. Would love to hear your thoughts on it!
I have the Restoration Rye from Castle and Key, and I have to agree it’s also got a pungent note. That’s a good way to describe it.
For me, 2022 has been experiencing new bourbon because my standards (EH Taylor, Buffalo Trace, Weller) have been out of stock most of the year. So Dickel, and Mitchner's are on my shelf and are quite tasty.
Never heard of mitchners. Where did you see it?
Nulu toasted rye is fantastic. One of my favorites
Is it too early for a pour?
Couldn't agree more with the Castle and Key. I had it on my worst whiskies of 2022, too.
@anita baaath I have the cask strength and I need to see how that holds up.
Yes we need to see Trenton's
I have a bottle of Castle & Key Batch #4 and I had the exact same reaction as you. There is a flavor there that I just don't like and turns me off of the bourbon. I can't put my finger on what it is but it will keep me from buying another bottle of a different Batch.
Same
C&k batch #4 the same taste notes. I have a batch #1 and haven't opened it. Was on a shelf at a local store for msrp a month ago.
I'm not a Rye enthusiast, maybe I do t like toasted rye or burnt rye but my nephew bought me a Castle & Key Restoration rye whiskey that I enjoy, it almost reminds me of a gin or juniper flavor i think Trent would enjoy.
I'd like to see a top 5 for both of you on each list.
There are so many enjoyable bourbons for $60 or less. I don't understand the need to spend more. Thanks for another good show!