Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star This truncated review was originally posted in Round 10 of the Budget Bourbon Battle Royale. For the complete series, including Round 10, click here. Aged a minimum of 36 months, but otherwise not age-stated, this 90 proof whiskey comes from Buffalo Trace, made using Mash Bill #2, which it shares with the rest of the Ancient Age lineup along with Blanton’s, Hancock’s Presidential reserve, and Elmer T. Lee, among others. Appearance: Medium Russet, somewhat dark for a 3 year old whiskey. Nose: Vanilla, Orange Peel, slight Oak, Citrus and Lemon Zest, Mild Cloves. Taste: There are only a few hints…
Author: Bill
Bill
Bill is the Co-Founder, Editor-in Chief, and official Bourbon-o-Phile for ModernThirst.com, and Founder and Chief Blending Officer for Four Gate Whiskey Company. He is a native of Louisville, KY in the heart of Bourbon Country. He attended the University of Kentucky in the mid to late 1990s. He has also been published on Liquor.com. He has conducted various bourbon and whiskey tastings in cities across the country, and consulted for multiple national labels. He is married with two daughters, and lives in east Louisville. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter @BillStraub and email him at [email protected].
We’re going to try something new this month. For the first time, we’re introducing a Bourbon of the Month. We’ll feature a bourbon that is either freshly released, or easily attainable, and ask that our readers give it a try, if possible sometime during the month and share their impressions with us. (And no, we’re not being paid/sponsored/compensated for this in any way, and bourbons will be chosen spontaneously – by me- from bourbons I’ve reviewed or enjoyed.) What does that mean? Anything you like! First off, send us you own photos of that month’s bourbon and we’ll post them…
Happy Holidays, thirsty readers! I don’t know about you, but I probably look forward to the holidays more each year for one reason more than any other: Eggnog. It’s terrible for my health, it’s loaded with sugar, and it does a number on my stomach, but OH BOY do I love it! What is eggnog? According to the roughly 3 million search results I got when Googling “origin of Eggnog,” it rose up on both sides of the Atlantic around the 17th century, but there is some debate as to where the name itself comes from. It may be from an…
Let’s face it, wheaters are en vogue right now. And there’s one simple, overarching reason for that: “Pappy Van Winkle.” Pappy uses a wheated mash bill, so everyone has gone wheat-crazy. What is a “wheater,” you ask? Have you been living under a bourbon rock? No worries. Simply put, the standard mash bill (or recipe) for bourbon is at least 51% corn , with the rest being a portion of rye and a portion of barley malt. “Wheaters” substitute wheat for the rye. That secondary grain is usually referred to as the flavoring grain of the bourbon. Rye bourbons tend…
It’s a little mind boggling to think that it was less than 90 years ago that prohibition ended. In fact, there are plenty of people alive tpday who actually remember that joyous December 5th in 1933 when prohibition’s death knell was sounded. Let us never forget. Here’s to liquor! Here’s to beer! Here’s to wine and here’s to cheer! Here’s to parties and good times! Here’s to drinking all damn night! Cheers, and Happy Repeal Day!
Quick Stats: Producer: Orphan Barrel Distilling Co. (Diageo) Distiller: George T. Stagg Distillery, Frankfort, KY (now Buffalo Trace) Aging Location: Stitzel-Weller Distillery, Shively, KY Age: 22 Years (Distilled in 1991)ABV: 40.05% ABV (90.1 Proof) Product: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Mash Bill: 75-78% corn, 7-10% barley, 15% rye Availability: Not Yet Released Price: $120 MSRP Disclaimer: A sample of Lost Prophet was provided to Modern Thirst by Diageo. We were not paid, nor did Diageo attempt to influence our review and opinions of this Whiskey. What it is: Lost Prophet is the latest release from Orphan Barrel Distilling,…
If there is a perk to maintaining a bourbon blog and site, it’s that on rare occasions, I am invited to participate in some fun events that are not always open to the general public. It’s sort of like sports writers who get to cover World Series games from the press box. One of those occasions was last night. I was invited to attend a dinner at the historic Stitzel-Weller distillery in Shively, KY to sample the brand new release from Orphan Barrel Distilling, Lost Prophet. Now, Orphan Barrel Distilling has been covered ad nauseam on this and other sites, so…
If there is a perk to maintaining a bourbon blog and site, it’s that on rare occasions, I am invited to participate in some fun events that are not always open to the general public. It’s sort of like sports writers who get to cover World Series games from the press box. One of those occasions was last night. I was invited to attend a dinner at the historic Stitzel-Weller distillery in Shively, KY to sample the brand new release from Orphan Barrel Distilling, Lost Prophet. Now, Orphan Barrel Distilling has been covered ad nauseam on this and other sites, so…
Quick Stats: Age: 20 Years Producer: Orphan Barrel Distilling Co. (Diageo) Distiller: New Bernheim Distillery, Louisville, KY Aging Location: Stitzel-Weller Distillery, Shively, KY Product: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Mash Bill: 86% Corn, 6% Rye, 8% Malted Barley ABV: 45.1% ABV (90.2 Proof) Availability: Somewhat available Price Paid: $90 This review was originally posted in our recap of a preview dinner at Stitzel-Weller. The full post can be found here. What it is: Barterhouse was the first Orphan Barrel release. It is a 90 proof whiskey distilled at the New Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, KY. The Mash Bill is 86%…
Stats: Age: No Age Statement (NAS), likely 4-5 years ABV: 56.6% (113.2 Proof) Produced By: Maker’s Mark Distillery; Loretto, KY Availability: Gift Shop and select liquor stores only Format: 375 mL bottles Price Paid: $32.99/375mL *Update 04-08-2015, 750 ML bottles are now available for around $62.99 What it is: Wait a minute what’s that you say? Wasn’t Maker’s Mark the producer who, just a short time ago, was causing an uproar in the bourbon community by announcing plans to lower the proof of their whiskey from 90 to 84 in order to meet production demands? Yes. Yes they were. Thankfully,…