Fighting Cock Kentucky Straight Bourbon (NAS)

I grabbed this on a whim for $18.99. I didn't know the distillery (Heaven Hill) or its background (a rival to Wild Turkey 101). I just liked the bottle and it was cheap enough not to worry if it was... bad. I've had a few glasses, but today I compared this directly with WT101. Both tasted neat from nice shot glasses. After resting a bit, the FC offered some sweet caramel, a little ethanol, damp wood, and a touch of dark honey. There was a slight bitterness and a note of old banana peel. In comparison, the WT101 had a sweeter nose, equally sweet but different. It was brighter with notes of caramelized sugar, vanilla, baking spice, and cherries that were overripe and starting to turn. The WT smelled like a "stronger" drink despite being slightly lower in proof. On the palate, the Fighting Cock was a bit creamy with a good mouthfeel. It started with nougat and caramel, then dried out, turning bitter with a young barrel note, and finished with a confident black pepper and ginger. Overall, a great performance for a budget bourbon. The WT101 had frosting-like sweetness, vanilla, and sugar notes, some fruit and rye mid-palate, and finished with a nice ginger and pepper with a smooth, slightly bittersweet end. It was very close. Extremely close. I love WT101 and always keep a handle of it. But this Fighting Cock has its own appeal and costs about 15% less than a 750ml of WT. In my area, I'm not sure if it's as easy to find as WT because I've never looked or noticed. I will look in the future. It's a great change of pace and as good as the competitor on the tongue while costing less. I'm adding a quarter point bonus for value since this really balances a 2.75 for taste with a 3 for price. By the way, I tried this neat, on the rocks, and in a Manhattan. In a Manhattan, it was excellent with Cocchi di Torino sweet vermouth and a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters. It makes a very good mixing bourbon.

After finding some hidden gems on the bottom shelf from other Heaven Hill products, I decided to try this one. I haven't been let down by Heaven Hill's budget options, especially their 100 proofers and above. The nose is sweet and a little floral with notes of vanilla custard, sweet corn, pear juice, light raisins, toasted almonds, and a hint of freshly baked ginger snap cookies. There's a slight sting of alcohol vapors if I get too close to the glass when smelling, but it's not too bothersome. The palate is medium-bodied and slightly creamy. It's a bit sweeter than bitter, though both are present. There's sweet corn, pear, vanilla, black pepper, a little nuttiness, a floral note that stands out, and a bit of ethanol, but it's not excessive. The finish is medium long, slightly bitter with lingering vanilla and corn, and a faint nutty barrel char note. Once again, I'm pleasantly surprised by Heaven Hill. I've often been put off by its plain label and bottom shelf price. But I've been reminded again of how many very decent and great bourbons are available at that price point. I'll say this one has the most noticeable alcohol notes of the Heaven Hill products I've tried around this proof, but it's still good.

Tasting this after letting it sit in the glass for about 10 minutes. The best aspect of this is the mouthfeel, which is unexpectedly thick. Almost like a liqueur instead of a whiskey. Flavor-wise, this brings to mind a less intricate Elijah Craig barrel proof diluted with a little honey milk tea. I'm detecting hints of orange peel, clove, and cinnamon. There's a peanut character I usually associate with Jim Beam products, but also to a lesser extent with Elijah Craig. It has almost no burn, which is surprising. What it lacks in complexity, it compensates for with drinkability and value. I'm not sure a better $20 bottle exists. Glad I purchased this on impulse.

A rather pleasant bourbon aroma once you get past the alcohol. Then you are hit in the mouth by an oak 2x4; after the oak fades, sweet vanilla and spice appear. A nice, long, warm finish with oak and a little spice. A few drops of water mellow the oak a bit. The most oak-forward whiskey of any kind I have ever encountered, though not in a negative way. My preferred daily drinker. Very nice and an excellent value.

Nose - quite faint. Smells like acetone mixed with baked dessert notes. Taste - there are some harsh tannins at the start, but it's fairly decent afterward. It's very nutty, with dry oak and a subtle syrupy sweetness. I generally really enjoy the nuttiness found in most High West products, but the sharpness of this one is hard to overlook. It's respectable for $18, but I would still choose Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond over this.

Incredible… I am shocked that this is a bottle under $20. The aroma is sweet, possibly with some maple. The taste has a touch of maple and honey, followed by oak and a slight burn. It stings the nostrils a bit. It lacks depth but is quite enjoyable. I think I’ve found a new bourbon for mixing (that I can’t drink neat if I just want a bourbon but can’t decide which one 😂)