T.W. Samuels Bottled in Bond Bourbon

The T.W. Samuels Bottled In Bond bourbon, a product of Heaven Hill, is exclusively found in Kentucky. It comes in a 1.75L plastic bottle and costs around $24. While I'm not fond of plastic bottles either, don't let that deter you from this one. Years ago, Heaven Hill also offered it in a 750ml glass bottle but stopped. Be cautious if you spot this at your store, as an 80 proof version exists and looks identical, just without the 'Bottled In Bond 100 proof' designation. The color is brown to dark red. It has thin legs that start quickly then slow, with streaks of alcohol clinging to the glass. The aroma features vanilla, caramel, buttered popcorn, and oak. The flavor profile includes vanilla, brown sugar, peanuts, caramel, and oak. It offers a medium finish with prominent vanilla and caramel notes. The texture feels very creamy on your tongue, with lingering nuttiness, sweetness, and oak. This doesn't taste like a 100 proof spirit.

Lately, I've been exploring Heaven Hill bottom-shelf options, so I decided to try this one. It is only available in a plastic 1.75L bottle, complete with a built-in pourer. All of that for $22 does not exactly suggest high quality, but Heaven Hill has surprised me before. Let's find out. The nose is sweet with vanilla custard, light gingerbread, plum, barrel char ash, and sweet corn. The palate is sweet and somewhat oily with gingerbread, barrel char, sweet corn, slight cardboard/nuttiness, and a hint of rye. The finish is of medium length with lingering sweet corn, vanilla, and very light gingerbread. After a while, there is a residue of barrel char. Heaven Hill delivers once again! These limited distribution/Kentucky-only releases are all quite good (T.W. Samuels, J.T.S. Brown, and J.W. Dant, all Bottled-in-Bond, of course). They invest nothing in marketing for these products, so it is up to us to discover them. Do not be deceived by the large plastic bottle. It is quality bourbon, especially for the cost!

Living in KY, I'm fortunate to access Heaven Hill's more affordable bottled-in-bond products. Years ago, the white label HH 6-year was commonly available and better than many mid-tier $30-$40 bottles. However, its popularity grew. A brand ambassador once mentioned it was HH's contribution to KY. Samuels is still around, but only in 1.75L bottles at large retailers. It's not the HH white 100 proof, but it's very good. The nose has good oak with plenty of sweet popcorn and vanilla in the initial taste. It changes slightly in the glass, moving toward a hint of caramel. It delivers everything you'd want from a mid-priced bourbon, except for the price. It makes an excellent Manhattan or Old Fashioned. I'm holding back on excessive praise to avoid drawing too much attention.

Acquired this Kentucky-only handle on our Bourbon Trail trip based on a recommendation at Total Wine. For $20.99, this is an absolute winner. Not overly complex but has a sweet vanilla nose with a hint of caramel and oak. Sweet on the palate with a medium mouthfeel gives way to barrel char and corn. Fairly short finish with a tiny bit of lingering spice. Usually, bargain bourbon comes with a significant ethanol kick on the back end, but this glides smoothly and ends nicely. What a great bourbon for the money. If I could get this in Ohio, it would easily be an everyday sipper. On my next trip, I'm getting several of these.

Grainy and grassy neat on both the nose and taste (reminds me of Suntory, which is a good thing), and a couple drops of water or on the rocks brings out a light charred strong oak smell and taste. I love this for how inexpensive it is; Evan Williams has competition in my collection for a cheap bottle to drink a lot of.

I acquired this for $7 in Louisiana after reading the reviews here and was not let down. I would definitely repurchase this as it surpasses some bourbons that cost triple (or more) the price.