Down Home 12 Year Batch 2

I'll consume something I spent $120 on and don't know much about. I suspect it's MGP. Barrel count? No idea. Bottle count? No idea. All I know is I hunted for it for a year. The color is an orange-amber. The aroma begins with vanilla frosting, then reminds me of the scent from my grandfather's pipe bowl - wood, smoke, tobacco. A hint of banana, a touch of cola. A bit of ethanol. A whisper of anise or caraway. A medium, silky body arrives slowly with heat that builds but doesn't intrude. A wave of sweet, woody vanilla washes over the tongue. The anise and caraway are nicely balanced by rich sweetness, and then as it fades, the spice and sweetness merge again with earthy tobacco. For what it's worth: 1) this is right after opening, 2) I just finished 4 assorted street tacos, 3) my kids are making noise playing and college basketball is on TV. Do I enjoy this? Yes, a lot. I'd choose this over many other things. That said, it's comparable to Remus Reserve III (also 12yr MGP but slightly lower proof), Bardstown Discovery 3 (similar proof, $10-20 more), WT Rare Breed, or a Larceny BP (neither MGP and both around $50-60) in my opinion. This offers more earth and vanilla frosting, less aggressive spice than Remus or LBP, less powdered sugar than Bardstown, and less fruit than Rare Breed. If you're seeking this but can't find it, you'll be satisfied with the aforementioned options. If you have more money or an insatiable desire for bourbon, seek this out. Cheers, everyone. I'm off to separate my children before they harm each other. ----- Visit 2 - that well-seasoned pipe on the nose is lovely. Earthy tobacco, wood, perhaps a bit of amaretto. The palate, with tobacco and earth upfront, arrives with gentle warmth, a hint of dill, wood, and then a chalky, tannic finish. So much tobacco. It lacks the sweetness I prefer (thinking of the strong vanilla hit from ECBP). Still, it's well worth the cost for my tastes. I'm a sucker for pipe tobacco and MGP.

Sample 3 in my blind series, generously shared by a friend. The aroma is robust with strong notes of vanilla cream cheese frosting, pancakes cooked in bacon drippings, and fresh pipe tobacco, followed by dark chocolate covered toasted marshmallow, pecans, and honeysuckle. This then moves to caramelized bananas, poached pears, and mandarin orange, leading into anise, spearmint, and polished mahogany, accompanied by a significant ethanol burn. The palate offers a medium to full body, starting sweet with fried banana, vanilla crème brûlée, and fresh pipe tobacco, then a moderate spice that gradually yields to dark chocolate covered candied pecans, toasted marshmallow, and honeysuckle. Next come sautéed apples, maraschino cherries, and charred orange peel, transitioning to anise, spearmint, and polished mahogany, with a high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length, featuring caramelized apples, orange zest, sweet pipe tobacco, anise, spearmint, leather, and polished mahogany. This is likely a high-proof bourbon where the flavors are rich and decadent, showcasing traditional notes with creamy sweetness and well-aged oak that provides polished oak and tobacco throughout the experience, along with light florals and mild rye spice. So, what is this tasty mystery bourbon? It's Down Home 12-year Batch 2. Well, that's a new brand I've never encountered, but they appear to know their craft, and I'll need to watch for their future offerings. Thanks so much for sharing this one, my friend, as I doubt I would have known about this brand otherwise, and I look forward to discovering the next surprise.

Surprised to be the first reviewer for batch 1 and now batch 2, with no reviews for the younger batches. So....this review will be quite something. Just prepare yourselves. Nose - intense! A lot of alcohol on this massive cask strength bourbon. It's sweet, fruity, rich, dark, with some hints of chocolate. Taste - Rich and intense, drying, a true flavor explosion. You get an amazing and layered caramel and fruits. Some dark chocolate. Some bitter oak, then some spice, then back to fruity characters. The finish is medium to long with an overwhelming amount of flavors. Yet, there are smooth and subtle flavors; it's like you get a stream of sugary sweet notes under all the powerful alcohol and other notes. So, I feel obligated to dilute this one to see what I get. My glass now smells like watered-down Buffalo Trace, almost; I added a lot of water. So there are some bitter notes here. It's now giving me a bit of a nutty flavor. It has many good bourbon characteristics. Clearly, don't do this to your bourbon; 30% bourbon is ridiculous, but I wanted to see what was there after diluting. It loses the sweetness, which is funny, but now it's just filled with all kinds of cool bourbon elements. Anyway, I'm rating it 3.75 and will revisit this as I bought 3 bottles. This has serious Bourbon of the Year potential if King of Kentucky doesn't completely blow me away again. A bit more harsh and unrefined than a BTAC, but it possesses as much flavor and complexity.

I really enjoy tasting samples blind. It allows you to rate things without preconceived notions. The last blind sample I had was an incredible Brora, likely the best pour of the year for me. A friend provided this blind sample, sending a generous amount. All that was noted on the vial was 133%, so knowing that, I added a teaspoon of water. The color is mahogany, with hints of oak and vanilla on the nose. Clearly a bourbon…and a substantial one. Taste is classic bourbon…vanilla, oak, spice. Orange slices. It’s as classic as it gets. It doesn’t have the body of a Cowboy, Balcones, or Booker’s. I’m guessing ECBP or a high-quality MGP with a bold craft label like “Young Guns” or “45mm”…something very masculine. It also has a strong elegance. This suggests at least 8 years of age. So, that rules out Booker’s, Cowboy, or Balcones. My guess is ECBP. I’m really enjoying this—Okay…revealing the sample contents… Down Home 12. I’d never heard of it…but it’s really good quality if you appreciate classic flavors. Thanks for the pour, my friend!!

Aroma of peanut shells. Flamed banana, honey, and vanilla. The taste is considerably richer than the smell leads me to believe. Closer to peanut brittle. Flamed banana with caramel. Orange peel, then cherry. Some pleasant woody notes on the finish. Tobacco. Thanks again to a friend for the sample.

Five stars for enjoyment!