Battle of The Whiskey Blendery 18 Year old Barton releases

 

Battle of The Whiskey Blendery 18 Year old Barton releases

On the docket for today is an epic head to head battle of three of the very sought after Barton releases from The Whiskey Blendery in Oak Point, TX. I just can't say enough good things about The Whiskey Blendery. Thanks to his intrinsic passion for all things whiskey, Tim has taken this brand to incredible heights. I couldn't be more thrilled to be reviewing such a great offering from him. I will be putting Barely Legal(BL) vs BUCKS, BETTER, BARTON, BUREAU(BBBB) vs Very Very Old Barton(VVOB). Let's go!!!

Note: Given that these releases ain't cheap, I had purchased the BBBB and traded out samples for the other two. I will be taking my time nosing these as they tend to evolve in the glass. So I will put a ### to indicate that I'm pausing on this one and nosing the next. 

BL 126.4

N: Ethanol and caramel pop out at first. There's a faint hint of burnt vanilla deeper in the glass. ###

Upon second examination, It has opened up to reveal a chocolate/cola character. It's also a bit nuttier. Like the tannins on almond skin. It has a bit of a southern twang to it. ### 

Third time's the charm. Let's see if anything changed. Oh yeah, Caramel and sweet pipe tobacco for sure. I also pick up an earthiness. Like the kind you find in some mezcal and sotol. I could do this all day but I must be moving along. (9)

P: Astringent, fruity, Juicy fruit bubble gum, and spray paint. (7)

F: Medium to long finish. Bright apples, oak, tannins paired with honeydew rind, and at the very end, slightly herbal. After it has completely gone away, I still have a sweet taste in my throat(5min later). (8)

O: Wow. What an honor to be trying any of these. My point system here is to show how they stack up against each other and not other whiskies. These would smash pretty much everything on the market. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this pick by The Whiskey Blendery Bottle of the Month Club I highly recommend signing up if you aren't. (24)

BBBB 121.8

N: Not much ethanol and a lot of cola. Also smells a little of sweet leather. It smells very sweet. Reminds me a little of powdered sugar. ###

Coming back to this, I'm honestly picking up more of the same. It makes sense since this was the open bottle and has a month to open up. I'm maybe picking up a hint of mahogany and spray paint and an intensification of the sweetness. I'll revisit once more just in case. ### 

This one's the outlier that didn't change much. This third go around, I do notice a marked difference. It's a little more sour and fruity. Gala apples with the skin and all. Still a little leathery but it's shifted from sweet to toasted. (9)

P: Caramel and cola. Slightly tannic (8)

F: Medium finish. Cola and baked goods with a hint of bittersweet earthiness. The finish dissipates quicker with a very clean soft tannin character. (7)

O: I love this flavor, but compared to the other's it's a little one note. A great note to be frank. Hard to say which I would pick from these first two. Overall, If I'm being honest, It would be BBBB over BL. (24)

VVOB 128.4

N: Soft nose right away. Hard to put your finger on. I'm thinking there's a faint hint of marshmallow(the kind you find in lucky charms) with toasted caramelized sugar. It is also a slight bit floral. ###

Oke. Second go around. Much more floral than before. Smells like cologne. Reminds me of an autumn day at a farm that grows sunflowers. I just can't get over the number of different smells in here that I think I recognize but can't name. ###

Ok. Last one to nose. So far I've liked this one the most but I don't know why. Maybe it's the complexity, maybe it's Maybeline. It's probably not Maybeline but it does kind of remind me of what you would smell in a makeup bag. That sweet powdery smell IYKYK. This third round, It has gained a ton of sweetness. Caramel and root beer. It also has a bit of that sweet, rubbery taste you find in older, high-proofed rums. I feel like I'm getting closer. (10)

P: Oh my! So soft on the palate. Tons of complexity that is balanced by what i can only describe as, "attention to detail at every turn". It tastes like what a Ferrari looks like. It feels handmade and bespoke. I pick up a ton of caramel, some tropical fruits, melon and pineapple rind, and luxury. Wow wow wow!!! (9)

F: The finish is stunning also. This bourbon comes together in such a deliberate way. The finish itself is long lasting. It swells up right away with caramel smores and continues to take you on a ride around the Italian country side in your supercar; without subsiding for several minutes.(10)

O: Alright I know I do this a lot but holy cow! WTF just happened? I suppose I'm just a fan of good whiskey and only chase/review the best I can access. Just amazing bourbon.  (29)

Well. There you have it. Thank you for reading and happy hunting. My rankings are VVOB/BBBB/BL