Boone County Eighteen 33 10 Year Sauternes Barrel Select

For the holidays this year, I plan to explore a new whiskey each day throughout December. A goal for life. December 18 To my knowledge, this was a special release in 2017, and it's no longer on the market. I spent $130, though it was initially on sale at the distillery for $85. You know how that goes. Based on their announcement, a limited quantity of ten-year-old "Eighteen 33"—a name that has always unsettled me for reasons I can't pinpoint—was selected by some unseen entities and finished in a Sauternes wine barrel. My knowledge of wine isn't extensive, so I understand it's a sweet white variety. Furthermore, I've never sampled Boone County spirits before and the "ghosts" concept is entirely lost on me. My only advantage here is considerable experience with barrel-finished bourbon. As someone who generally supports barrel finishes as supplementary offerings from a distillery (meaning, not their sole product, a point I emphasize regarding certain brands), I'm quite eager to sample this. Considering it's a white wine finish, the color of this spirit is surprisingly dark, resembling another brand in hue. The aroma is dominated by raisins, similar to a particular brand but with the sharpness of a higher-proof bourbon. Hints of vanilla and sugar are present, but the raisin scent is the most prominent and quite intriguing. I appreciate complexity in a spirit's character, irrespective of my personal feelings about the individual notes. This one is very layered. The dominant flavor is sweet wine, accompanied by a significant presence of dust, oak, and raisin. Cane sugar and citrus notes emerge intermittently amidst the stronger wine characteristics. It offers a balance of sweetness and dryness, and it's genuinely quite good. The finish features raisin, orange, and a touch of cinnamon. It has very minimal warmth, is quite dry, and retains its sweetness. This spirit makes me very curious about the base bourbon. Whatever the unseen entities are doing, I approve so far. My speculation is that the standard 1833 resembles a certain brand's product, with the Sauternes doing the rest. By that, I mean it could fit within a particular range of that brand's portfolio, not their premium line. As a dedicated fan of that brand, I offer this as a compliment. In a decade, this distillery has achieved characteristics I typically expect from spirits with 15+ years of aging, and those unseen entities deserve commendation. I remain intensely curious about the "ghosts" aspect. And yes, I do intend to initiate a movement to refer to this bourbon as "1833" henceforth. Applications for organizers will open in March 2020. Edit: I recently read an excellent review that clarified the "ghosts" concept. My previous confusion should now be replaced with significant admiration. Edit 2: I've since learned the explanation for the "ghosts" is detailed on the label. You might be questioning my attentiveness. To be fair, the bottle was located a short distance away. So, yes. It's the holiday season. I'm uncertain if I have 13 more new whiskeys lined up. If you're seeing this and know of something readily available that you'd like me to experience, positively or negatively, please suggest it in the comments. Please do not suggest a specific brand.

Rating: 16/23 I don't recall ever trying a bourbon finished with Sauternes before. In fact, I might have only sampled one Sauternes-finished dram in my life prior to this. Appearance: This has a slightly darker hue than the Boon County Oloroso Finish. While Oloroso isn't a dark sherry, I'm still surprised by the color. Nose: Exceptionally sweet, yet still recognizably bourbon. A touch of somewhat rough, youthful meatiness mingles with vegetal and herbal undertones. Then, a strong citrus aroma with sugar and caramel emerges. It's like lemon and caramel, I suppose. There's a bit of nutty richness, as expected from this type of finishing. A noticeable minerality is present, along with dry barrel spices that show some complexity. I think I detect a hint of orange as well, possibly a touch of anise. Palate: A bold oakiness with significant tannins is present. It almost tastes over-oaked, but not to the point of being a major issue. Beyond that, I find a spicy kick that lacks depth and a somewhat watery minerality. However, it then develops into peanuts, and the strong flavors begin to blend together, revealing rich, decadent sultanas. Furthermore, the tannins aren't entirely unpleasant. While they don't impart a pure leather flavor, they move beyond the realm of over-steeped teabags and settle somewhere in between. I also gradually begin to perceive more spicy nuances, with ginger and cinnamon being the most apparent, though clove is definitely present too. Finish: The sultanas from the palate become the dominant flavor, leading to a decadent finish. Elements of wood, spice, and faint herbs surround them, but the sultanas are truly the star here. - Conclusion - This doesn't quite achieve perfection, but the peanut and sultana flavors, along with the well-integrated finish, strongly suggest that Sauternes is a perfectly viable finishing option for bourbon. The more I drink this, the more I appreciate it. It's somewhat unconventional and has its flaws, but it's quite enjoyable overall. I find this to be comparable to, or slightly better than, Russell's Reserve 10 (rated 15-16/23). I'm leaning towards a 16, but it could potentially be a 17. An 18 would likely be pushing it. Considering the present, but not excessive, teabag character in the tannins, I believe this is most likely a 16. It could be a 17, however. Revisiting this, I can't imagine it scoring below a 15, but a 17 seems a bit of a stretch. It's not impossible, but if it is a 17, it would be on the lower end. Thank you to a friend for sharing this fascinating whiskey! It was a lot of fun to try and possessed some really pleasant decadence.

The winner gets the rewards. This contest featured Boone County 1833 10 year Sauternes barrel select versus Jefferson’s grand selection (Sauternes). This is the victor, my preferred Sauternes cask finished bourbon, surpassing Amador Double Barrel and Hillrock (Sauternes). There was no purpose in conducting this comparison blindly. It would have required doing so in the dark, because after observing this Boone County's appearance in a glass, it's distinctly darker. Both also possess a characteristic flavor, so I know what to anticipate. Furthermore, I've already reviewed these extensively on distiller, so this is merely a brief update. For the aroma, I favor BC. To quickly summarize each, BC offers raisin/cherry, while Jefferson’s presents gummy bears/jelly. The body of BC is truly remarkable. It wins decisively. BC = sangria, Jefferson’s = more of those gummy bears/grape jelly. The finishes are comparable. Both conclude with a dry raisin note, which I attribute to the Sauternes influence. Jefferson’s is noticeably smoother, but BC includes additional warmth and cinnamon, which I appreciate. I would award this to BC, though with slightly less certainty than in the other two aspects. Key takeaway 1: Folks, this Boone County finish is exceptionally good. As a devoted bourbon enthusiast, I can't imagine many bottles I'd be more eager to acquire again. To the best of my knowledge, only 61 bottles of this were produced. Its phenomenal quality makes this scarcity unfortunate. If you happen to discover one of these in the wild, you owe it to yourself to secure it. I paid $130 for this bottle. I would gladly pay $250 for another. Seriously, I'd consider trading a Stagg for another bottle of this. It is genuinely exceptional. Key takeaway 2: I don't quite understand Jefferson’s. They certainly have a distinctive flavor profile, but I question their choice to pursue it. It's definitely not to my taste, but if you appreciate Jefferson’s flavor profile, you should consider this bottle. The Sauternes finish accentuates that signature Jefferson’s character, which might be appealing to some, but in my opinion, when compared to something as outstanding as this BC, its shortcomings become much more apparent. —— Current standings: Sherry Champion - WT Revival Sauternes Champion - BC 1833 10 year I believe I will conclude the port category next.

Aroma: Vanilla, a touch of cherry, and pineapple Body: Is this cherry cola? Also smells like raisin, blackberry, and red licorice. The sweet wine flavor is definitely present but not excessively so. This is a remarkably easy drink. It has absolutely no burn on the way down. None whatsoever. Finish: This is odd. I'm genuinely uncertain about the taste. The Sauternes comes through more here, presenting as a bit too white wine-like, with juicy fruitiness. The pineapple reappears here, which I caught a hint of in the aroma. This is the only slight drawback for me, and it's minor. This is amazing! Cheers to Milliardo!

Silky and intricate. Fruit flavors with a nice aftertaste. Superb bourbon.