J.T.S. Brown Bottled In Bond

I'm quite sure I wasn't aware this product existed until a few weeks ago when I saw it specifically mentioned as the spirit in a cocktail. The name itself was intriguing enough that I had to inquire about it, leading me to learn about this Heaven Hill product with an interesting connection to film history. A few days later, while shopping at a liquor store, I stumbled upon this, largely because the label didn't match my mental image of it at all. It's plain, unexciting, unappealing, and simply bad, which made me think it was why it was on the bottom shelf. The extremely low price almost deterred me (you get what you pay for), but I recalled the bartender mentioning it as one of the best bonded bourbons for the price, so here we are. Interestingly, the cashier at the store offered the same recommendation, so I'm anticipating a treat. The color is plain and quite light, as expected for 4 years of aging; given the low price and widespread availability, I would be astonished if it were aged any longer than 4 years. From a distance, the alcohol aroma is strong, smelling raw with a hint of young corn. Closer inspection amplifies this scent and makes it slightly unpleasant, with a touch of mid-aged rye behind it. The oak is present in several ways: buttery and sweet initially, but eventually becoming dry and bitter. Very little alcohol burn; it hits the nose more like a 90 proof spirit. The initial body is light and dry, with a bitterness reminiscent of charcoal filtering. The body warms slightly, with tasted notes of slightly spicy and grassy rye as a distinct component. This same rye strongly impacts the front of the gums but lingers primarily as heat, not necessarily flavor. The finish is a bit less intense, becoming dry and more easily approachable and discernible the longer it sits. This is also when a nutty flavor emerges, another common characteristic of charcoal filtering. I'm certainly not very knowledgeable about why American whiskey is filtered at all, especially through charcoal as a common method. I understand charcoal's filtering capabilities, so that's not entirely unusual, but with so many unfiltered or less intrusive filtering methods and products achieving remarkable success, why is this method still so widely employed? Tennessee whiskey is one thing, but other American whiskeys with this charcoal flavor often seem to be associated with inexpensive and mass-produced major brands, and I question who purchases enough of these products to sustain their production. Unfortunately, with the extreme price increases in the whiskey market currently, it's logical that the incredibly low prices of this and similar whiskies might attract buyers solely due to affordability, with a compromise on taste just to save a little money. This is all speculation, of course, but it seems a product that prompts such questions might not be the best choice for those with this perspective.

Reviewing based on cost. I realize this is an inexpensive bourbon, but I've seen positive comparisons and, given it's bottled-in-bond from Kentucky (not a cold climate), I have expectations. Nose: Ugh. Light and thin with mineral notes and sweetened water. Faint corn sweetness. Possibly a hint of banana. An odd bitter note too, but the alcohol isn't very noticeable. Palate: Ugh again. The alcohol hits immediately and burns, mixed with sweetened water and strong barrel spices. I detect hints of grass and banana, and maybe a touch of cherry. Perhaps a faint caramel note. Finish: Some sweetness persists, and the sweetened water aspect is less pronounced. There are also spices. I taste heat, but it's not as harsh as I anticipated. Hints of floral vanilla. To be honest, this is the best part of this drink by a wide margin. Overall: This spirit is intense and difficult to enjoy. It lacks balance and maturity, although it does possess some complexity. It's challenging and unpleasant, but not the worst bourbon I've experienced. King's Creek 4 (rated 9/23) surpasses this significantly with its maturity, floral fruitiness, complexity, and refinement. This is tough going. As a point of comparison, Early Settler (rated 10/23) is much richer, fuller, tastier, and less fiery than this. It's no competition. This will likely get a maximum rating of 7. I think a 4 would be too severe, but this is not good. I'm leaning towards a 6. Revisiting this a few days later, a 6 seems appropriate. A 4 still feels a bit harsh, but I can understand it. It's definitely not an 8 because of the significant burn.

On the nose, this bourbon is light with a hint of honey and candied cherry. For a 100 proof, the nose is incredibly mild. Upon your first sip, there is a light sweetness that matches the nose of honey and continues with the hard candied cherry. All of which are somewhat thin. The cherry note reminds me of sweet cherry cough drops I used to eat when I was a kid because I could get away with it by my mom. Not fantastic but not bad either. That fades quickly and a little spice shows up but just hints at its existence. While others have mentioned "plenty of Kentucky hug" I think the finish seems longer than it is just because of the heat but when it fades it makes you feel like you need another sip to make sure. There is the rub. So easy you keep pouring the next one. This drink is an easy bottled in bond to drink neat and could make an easy stealthy cocktail but it's nothing to write home about. Solid, priced right, easy to drink, and bottled in bond. Can't knock it. Won't knock it. This is a bottle that is worth the money that's charged for it and I will be able to easily convince myself to keep a bottle on the shelf for fun.

Lately, I've developed quite an appreciation for Heaven Hill. Not just for their flavor profiles, but also for their many quality budget-friendly options that are often ignored. After hearing about some expressions primarily available in Kentucky, like this one, I set out to find it. Now that I have it, let's take a look! The nose is sweet with confectioners' sugar, corn, cooked plums, and baking spices, along with a touch of rye that brings out gingerbread, chocolate, and light leather notes. A very pleasant and sweet aroma with spices, reminiscent of other Heaven Hill products, yet still distinct. The palate is sweet and slightly coating with baking spices, a hint of rye, some mint, a little cut grass, corn, cooked plums, and vanilla frosting. The finish is medium in length, with the front of your palate tingling, followed by lingering sweet vanilla, spices, and nutty barrel char. Wow, this is a very good bourbon and an exceptional value! It's one of my preferred Heaven Hill expressions; it's unfortunate you can hardly find it outside of Kentucky.

JTS Brown BIB (New to NC ABC's) NOSE: A little heat initially. Then typical Heaven Hill notes of peanut, vanilla, oak, and clove. Perhaps a hint of cocoa. NEAT: Echoes the nose. Starts sweet with vanilla, maple, and clove, along with slightly tannic oak. The roasted peanut appears in the slightly hot finish, with the peanut and vanilla coating and lingering on the palate. A nice Kentucky warmth. SPLASH: Not much change to the nose, but the peanut flavor dominates the palate from start to finish. Maybe just a touch of bitterness at the end? VERDICT: I was looking for MM101 (found two!) and happened to spot this. It's not widely available, just arriving here in NC. I didn't have any to compare directly, but I suspect this is very similar to EW White Label BIB. However, it's about $5 cheaper (costing $13.27 total). Perhaps this includes some lower-rated barrels? Regardless, it's a solid option to keep on hand for mixing with Coke/Ginger Ale, making a cheap Old Fashioned, or drinking neat in a pinch.

Another lovely, no-frills, old-school bottle. Priced right and widely available, this is worth a try at least once. It pours a light golden color with medium legs, not unexpected for the age and proof of a bottom shelf BiB. The nose is not robust per se but there are very pleasant notes of cherry, oak, pecans and faint ethanol. It comes across the palate feeling thin but again pleasant with balanced cinnamon, pear, banana, vanilla and bubble gum. The finish is gone in an instant but not unpleasant. This hangs below some other popular bourbons and whiskeys and for a few more dollars it's comparable to a well-regarded small batch offering (but definitely above the likes of some cheaper options and light years beyond others). If you are rotating mixers and appreciate the likes of other popular BiB and higher proof options I would highly recommend bringing this home at least once.