Zoom Tasting - 1792 Expressions and Rabbit Hole

This week was Dan's turn to host our bi-weekly Zoom tastings.  As usual, Mitch and I got our blind samples a few days beforehand and waited with anticipation to try them out.  As it happens, one of the selections was one we all had on our shelves, another one I had but hadn't opened yet, and the last one  neither of us had tried yet.

It's always an interesting experience to try different expressions of the same distillate.  The oak and the aging process has a remarkable impact on whiskey, and this tasting's first two examples demonstrated that, to be sure.

We ended the night by revisiting Jim Beam Devil's cut together, which is another clear demonstration of the impact of Oak on whiskey.

1792 and Rabbit Hole Tasting Notes

1792 Small Batch - Named for the year that Kentucky joined the Union, this bourbon is a fairly economical pour which can be had for less than $30 a bottle here in Maine.  This 93.7 proof product of the Sazerac Company is produced at the Barton Distillery and has an undisclosed mash bill that is believed to be approximately 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley.   

Nose: Ethanol comes through pretty strongly on this, and makes it seem higher proof than it is. Peppery spice, vanilla and wood. Some corn dust coming through.

Palate: Spice, vanilla and caramel.  Good mouth feel, but a little rough around the edges.

Finish: Peppery spice and a strong black licorice flavor on the finish.

1792 Bottled in Bond - As with all bottled in bond whiskies, we know this one was the product of a single season at a single distillery and aged in a bonded warehouse for a minimum of four years.  Of course it is also bottled it at 100 proof, which is all the more surprising when you find that the ethanol aromas and burn that were so strong in the small batch have faded into the background in this one.  There were of course similarities given the identical mash bills between these two bourbons, but the differences were more interesting.  

Nose: Very little of the ethanol from its younger sibling.  Caramel and vanilla are more forward in this one but there is still a powerful pepper aroma.  Some cut grass and citrus as well.

Palate: Caramel, spice and vanilla.  Good mouth feel and much smoother on the palate.

Finish: Peppery spice.  Cherry undertones with licorice on the tail.

Rabbit Hole - This brand was established in 2012 by Iranian born Kaveh Zamanian, who came to the USA from Iran as a child.  His wife, Heather introduced him to bourbon, and he followed it down a "rabbit hole" - haven't we all?  This bourbon is contract distilled at an undisclosed Kentucky distillery, bottled at 95 proof, and consists of a mash bill of 70% corn, 25% rye and 5% malted barley.  Mouth feel is a bit thinner than the 1792 bourbons and despite its high rye content I actually found it less spicy.

Nose: Caramel and vanilla, char, chocolate, and corn dust.

Palate: Caramel, peanuts, cherries and spice.

Finish:  The char and chocolate notes linger on with this one along with some cherry undertones.

Coming Back to Devil's Cut

As has become a tradition with us, we concluded the evening by each pouring from a bottle we all shared in common in our collections.  Dan and I had enjoyed a pleasant surprise when we discovered Devil's Cut during a Jim Beam tasting class the week before our tasting.  Interestingly it apparently "fell into Mitch's shopping cart" not soon after, but he hadn't cracked it yet, so we each poured a glass and talked about how the unique extraction practice Jim Beam uses for this product really makes the wood come through.  Learn more about Devil's Cut in our post about our earlier tasting.