1792 Bottled in Bond Single Barrel Select

1792 Series (3 of 10): Bottled in Bond Store Pick Did you know: Although the Bottled in Bond Act is typically presented as an “everyone wins” moment in the history of consumer protection, there was significant opposition. The most notable name I've found was Isaac Bernheim, founder of IW Harper, but given that only a fraction of American distilleries were producing what modern drinkers would consider bourbon, a large portion of this early bourbon market must have been controlled by rectifiers, blenders, and fraudsters. This opposition attempted to portray this act as monopolizing the whiskey market for distillers and as an attack on blenders and rectifiers, and ultimately, they failed. Although prohibition disrupted the subsequent events, I'd have to agree with Colonel Taylor on this one. 125 years later, we still have blenders, we still have a version of rectifiers, and when I purchase a bottle of bourbon, I've never once had to worry about consuming tobacco spit mixed with sulfuric acid. A victory.

1792 BIB Single Barrel Select (North Carolina 2021) AROMA: Dry tobacco, cinnamon, dry oak, brown sugar, candy apple, earthy barnyard notes, and a faint alcohol burn. NEAT: Decent mouthfeel with good cling. Flavors of vanilla, oak tannins, a strong hit of cinnamon heat, black pepper spice, rich fall spices, and orange peel. There's an underlying taste of young, dry corn that detracts slightly. The finish is spicy and slightly drying, with a warming sensation blooming in the chest and leaving a cinnamon coating on the palate. SPLASH: Slightly improves the drink. It becomes more tart and fruit-forward, with notes of orange and lemon peel, Granny Smith apple. The coating finish gains a bit of sweetness. CONCLUSION: Time has benefited this bottle. It's one of the better Bartons I've sampled (and the best 1792). The issue is the young corn flavor, which I believe would have been blended out in the regular BIB batching. This resulted in a quarter-point deduction. A small amount of water did help mask it and imparted an overall fruity character that I truly enjoyed. I will definitely try the standard BIB if I encounter it. The Barton flavor profile might be growing on me.

My particular barrel selection is from a local shop in Houston. It begins with a really pleasant aroma - solid vanilla with browned sugar and spicy rye notes with flavors of cooked fruit. The taste is classic bourbon with caramel and vanilla mingling, maybe a small amount of nuts? Then the rye emerges - spice and cooked fruit take over with ample pepper and a hint of mint along with some more robust oak. Very well executed. The $30-$40 price point is a tricky spot in bourbon. A little more money gets you excellent options like Rare Breed and 4R SiB, and Knob Creek barrel picks. A little less buys you Buffalo Trace, Knob Creek, and Elijah Craig. However, in the $30-$40 range, there aren't many respectable choices, aside from Maker's 46 and 4R SmB, and certainly some overpriced bottles like High West Prairie and Basil Hayden’s, and Heaven Hill 7 year BiB. This barrel selection definitely lands on the “respectable” side of that spectrum. This is excellent stuff. I will need to try another barrel selection in case I happened upon a phenomenal barrel, but I can confidently endorse this.

Served neat. First pour from the bottle. Gallenstein #11. Caramelized apples, chocolate, and graham crackers. Baking spices. A touch of overripe banana. Berries and cream. A very aromatic, intricate, pleasing nose. Syrupy texture with brown sugar, maple, and a subtle hint of bitter oak on the palate. It transforms into those caramelized apples. That caramel apple flavor is such a strong, complete note. The legs are short with a slight lingering taste of chocolate and oak. It's not as complex as I had anticipated, but the caramelized apple note is powerful and delicious. I can't recall a bourbon with such a distinct, complete flavor like that. Products from 1792 (non-barrel picks) usually disappoint me. I purchased this as a final attempt for the brand, and it met expectations. If I encounter a full proof barrel pick, I'll be more inclined to try it now.

RECOMMENDED: Oak Liquor Cabinet//Mystery Batch No. 8 NEAT AROMA - The aroma is rich and sweet, with notes of peaches and caramel. TASTE - The taste is not as smooth as the aroma suggests, due to a kick of rye spice. This doesn't mean it's not a good drink. The primary flavors detected are caramel and cinnamon. The peach note from the aroma is not present on the palate, but a fruity sensation is detected nonetheless. FINISH - Medium to Long SHOULD YOU BUY? - Yes. WOULD YOU BUY AGAIN?? - This is my initial experience with a barrel-proof store pick from 1792, and I have two more in my collection to explore. Based on this tasting, it will likely be on my "must-buy" list. Especially considering the price point around $35, it's hard to pass up. I plan to acquire every available pick, and I suggest you do the same.

Initially, the aroma was somewhat indistinct. I began to detect notes of burnt oak, banana, toasted marshmallow, and a hint of lemon peel. There's a substantial amount of spice present, and based on what I've read, my assumption of a high rye content seems correct. The spice continues throughout, including the finish. Beyond that, I'm noticing that banana flavor again, along with the burnt oak. There's also a vanilla wafer note. It has a noticeable warmth, not necessarily in a negative way, but it does have a kick. It presents a unique combination of flavors that actually works well. With slightly more balanced flavors, it would have received a higher score.