Blue Note Premium Small Batch 9 Year Bourbon - Review

Stats

Blue Note - Premium Small Batch

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Aged a minimum of 9 Years

B.R. Distilling Company - Crafted in Memphis, TN

93 Proof, Unfiltered

Mash Bill: A proprietary blend of two mash bills:

84% Corn / 8% Rye / 8% Malted Barley

70% Corn / 22% Rye / 8% Malted Barley

Retail Price: $48

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Caramel

Nose: Vanilla and a great oak scent. There is a wonderful candy-like sweetness that I can only describe as marzipan.

Palate: Maple syrup deliciousness. I'm talking about the top-shelf maple syrup with absolutely no disrespect to the store brands. This pour has a sweet, viscous feel and a slight touch of toasted graham cracker.

Finish: The finish is long, oily and thick with a lasting linger.

Overall: I purchased this bottle on a whim and I couldn't be more impressed when I dove into it. There is a great deal of complexity which I really wasn't expecting. An age statement of 9 years at this retail price is almost a steal in my opinion. My rule-of-thumb is generally $10 for each year stated on the label. Obviously there are a few exceptions, but it's good to have a benchmark. I'm a fan and I look forward to trying and enjoying more of their expressions.

Library Rating: 8.1 / 10

C. Dully Select Heaven Hill 11 Year - Review

Stats

Christian Dully Cask Select - Heaven Hill

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Aged in Kentucky and Scotland

11 Years

135 Proof

Heaven Hill Distillery

Retail Price: $150

Mash Bill: Undisclosed - Said to be >90% Corn

Barreled 8.17.09

Bottled 8.26.20

Bottle 178 of 246

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Golden Amber

Nose: Straight from the cork pop, I pulled an oaky vanilla scent. As I poured this and started to nose it more, I picked up on a few earthy undertones and one very particular scent which filled the glass...Angel Food Cake!

Palate: The oaky vanilla flavors hit first with a touch of malt and a beautiful char tone. Those flavors push way to exactly what I picked up on the nose: a buttery Angel Food Cake. Now try to imagine the "bottom crust" of the cake. That is exactly the flavor I take away overall. As a big fan of butter and sweetness, this is speaking to me more than you can imagine. The high-proof has no burning sensation in my mouth and appears to drink more as a 115-120 proofer.

Finish: An oily coating mixed with a warm linger creates an experience that makes you want to reach for another sip very quickly.

Overall: What can I add that I didn't already touch on? This is a very unique and phenomenal pour. From the heat to the buttery crispness to the soft Angel Food Cake, this pour is in my wheelhouse.

Library Rating: 9.4 / 10

Backstory: The short amount of research I did before pulling the trigger on this bottle (actually 3 bottles), had me a little skeptical. But how often does a chance to grab something as unique as this present itself? I saw many posts about the "Archives" bottles (also from Heaven Hill) and this follows suit with a similar process. Please see below directly from the C. Dully website:

A Bourbon for Single Malt Lovers :)

This Heaven Hill aged for several years in the heat of Kentucky, before being moved in its own cask to the cooler climate of Scotland, to slowly gain complexity and maturity. We decided to bottle this now, as it still showed the vigor and power of a teenage bourbon without being overly woody and bitter. We strongly recommend the use of pipette of water when enjoying this bourbon, as it unlocks its sweetness and complexity. We were even tempted to reduce and bottle it around 58%, but ultimately wanted to leave it as the cask intended it, as we know that there are many people who like their bourbon at full power.

One Year Later

It's now been a year since our normal is no longer our normal. Although so much has happened in this past year, there has also been so much to be grateful for. The Whiskey Community has been a major crutch for a lot of us. Groups were formed, friendships made and many many late nights enjoying pours via Zoom, Instagram, Discord, etc. So many of us have come together through this common hobby (turned obsession) and it just goes to show, people as a whole can find the good in even the hardest times. The Community rallies around one another on a daily basis and it really warms my heart.

Here's to this incredible Community and to the real folks who keep it moving in the right direction!