Fighting Cock 6 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Here's another bottle of inexpensive bourbon I got for drinking with neighbors or discreetly in a travel coffee mug while on stage to avoid bar prices. Fighting Cock is made by Heaven Hill and is their response to Wild Turkey 101. It's bottled at 51.5% ABV, or 103 proof, making it 2 points higher than WT, lol. It used to have a 6-year age statement, but that was removed around 2015 and it now has no age statement. HH still claims it mostly contains 6-year-old stock. It has a natural dark copper color, and despite its high ABV, I believe it's chill-filtered since I've had it with water and ice, and it never became cloudy. The mash bill is 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. The nose begins with mint, followed by heavily charred oak, wood smoke, and strong rye spice. Toffee, caramel, and butterscotch lead to vanilla cream, buttery corn, and black pepper. Hints of cinnamon, light bananas, beeswax, and a mineral note (limestone?). It becomes quite herbal after resting, with tobacco, walnuts, and peanuts. Adding water brings out brown sugar, a bit more banana, and a chalky note. The palate features peppery heat, oak, and plenty of rye with cinnamon and fennel. It has walnuts, but similar to when you bite into a bad one. Bitter orange oil and astringency are present. Water reveals corn, vanilla, and toffee. At this stage, it strongly resembles Evan Williams Black Label. It has a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, slightly oily, mouthwatering, and quite hot. The finish is medium in length with oak, rye, and mint. It's dry. For a bourbon under $20 (I paid $18), this is quite good. The nose offers decent complexity with almost nothing off-putting or unpleasant. The palate isn't quite as good, with noticeable flaws, but to be fair, I think this was intended for mixing or at least drinking over ice. I was surprised by how much rye spice came through, even though it's only 13% of the mash bill. I probably won't buy it again, as I feel EW White Label offers better flavors for the same price. A solid 3 out of 5. Cheers.

I stumbled upon this bourbon while browsing the nearest liquor store and it was priced very well. I anticipated a standard whiskey for this price, but my curiosity led me to purchase it, and I wasn't disappointed. It exceeded my expectations, especially considering the rather gaudy and flashy cartoonish label. The scent is similar to Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, with abundant caramel, nuts, sweet spices, figs, and butterscotch. While the aroma presents decent, standard notes, the taste offers a fantastic experience. Fighting Cock is among the sweetest bourbons I've encountered. The flavor is intensely sweet with numerous fruity notes—peaches, apricots, even mangos. There's also caramel, honey, nuts, along with woody and rye characteristics. This sweetness persists for a considerable time, reflecting the bourbon's rich and appealing nature. Adding a bit of water reveals a distinct bubble gum flavor. Wonderful. The finish is long, with sweet spice again. I enjoyed it greatly and would certainly buy it again if I found it at the same price.

This is the non-age statement version. Nose: It's sweet, with notes of brown sugar and Vanilla Coke, and some oak in the background. Drinking it neat, it starts off excessively sweet, almost like a liqueur. The palate has vanilla, peanut butter, and oak. There's a spicy tingle on the mid-palate, followed by a surprisingly smooth finish given its higher proof. Although the mouthfeel is relatively thin, it leaves a pleasant coating of vanilla, mild cinnamon, and oak. This was far too sweet for me. A little dilution helped slightly, but there are too many other good options in this price range for me to buy it again. My issue is that it's so sweet, I'm not sure what to mix it with to make it enjoyable.

I've experienced both the 6-year expression and the more recent age-stated-free version. Personally, I'm quite fond of the 6-year; it's a straightforward pour that excels at what it does. It surprisingly offers a pleasant mix of upfront rye spice, followed by some oak, and a nice conclusion. For the 6-year, I'd rate it 85-88 out of 100. The NAS version, however, is more assertive and ethanol-forward, requiring an extra 5-10 minutes to open up. The finish is also noticeably shorter on the newer one. It's not terrible; I'd still pick up a bottle when it's on sale for about $17, but I wouldn't actively seek it out. Rating: 79-82 out of 100.

This definitely makes a statement! For $12.49 for a 750ml bottle, it was worth exploring new bourbon territory. It's much better with ice than a bit of water. You get all the heat you'd expect at 103 proof, without any reduction in its rough character. It's like a working man's drink after a hard day. Very interesting to sample, but not for the timid. I'll pair it with a beer next time.:-)

I acquired this spirit on discount at the local state-run liquor store. I was informed the 93 proof was intended to rival Wild Turkey....Although I enjoy WT...this bourbon possesses its own mild bite that IS acceptable and merits the low price. I DO endorse Fighting Cock as an alternative to other non-BNB bourbons. The outlandish name alone sparks amusing conversation, and it's a good bourbon for mixing drinks... "FIGHTING COCKTAILS'! CHEERS!