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      Four Gate Whiskey Announces Release 15.1, 15.2, & 15.3: The Bluegrass Trilogy

      By BillNovember 30, 20210
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    Bottled-in-Bond

    Budget Bourbon Battle Royale Round 4

    BillBy BillJune 4, 2014Updated:October 20, 20151 Comment3 Mins Read

    This post marks the fourth installment of the Budget Bourbon Battle Royale.  (Follow the rest of the Battle Royale action here.)  If you’re not familiar with this series, we’re reviewing bottles that can be had for $20 or less in most areas.  In Round 1, Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond took on Old Grand Dad Bottled-in-Bond and laid down a heavy dose of smack on the challenger from Jim Beam Brands, with the VOB scoring a solid 83 points.   In Round 2, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond battled VOB100 to a near standstill, winning on a technical tie breaker.  In Round 3, we took a departure from the Bottled-in-Bond bourbons and see a lower proof challenger in Old Crow.  Still, the wheater from Heaven Hill plowed on, retaining its crown as the top budget bourbon thus far.  Now, in Round 4, we face yet another venerable bourbon name in Old Taylor.

    Round 4: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond vs. Old Taylor

    To paraphrase the great Michael Buffer:

    For the thousands on twitter and the millions of readers around the world, ladies and gentlemen, LLLET’S GET READY TO RUUUUMMMBBBLLLLLLLLEEEE!

     The Next Challenger: Old Taylor

    Old taylor 80 bottle

    There was a time that Old Taylor was amongst the best bourbon in the world, and its distillery was the showpiece for the entire bourbon industry.  That time is long past.  Today, the Old Taylor brand is owned by Buffalo Trace after it was recently (2009) purchased from Jim Beam.   It is 6 years old, and 80 Proof.

    • Appearance: Very pale.
    • Nose: Leather. Very little wood or oak, but some bitter tannins.
    • Taste: Corn, more corn, and then follows up with corn.  There isn’t much depth to this.  Some new wood flavors hint on the back of the tongue.
    • Finish: Short finish, with lots of acrid wood and alcohol bite for an 80 proof bourbon.  Bitter.
    • Score: 69/100.  Avoid.

    The Reigning King of the Ring: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond  (recap)

    Old Fitzgerald Bonded
    Old Fitzgerald Bonded

    Old Fitzgerald is another venerable bourbon label.  It is currently produced by Heaven Hill at the new Bernheim facility in Louisville.  It’s a Wheated Bourbon, and shares its mash with Larceny and Old Fitzgerald 12 year.  It can be found in 90 proof, or Bottled-in-Bond at 100 Proof.  This review covers the Bottled-in-Bond version.

    • Appearance: Deep gold.
    • Nose: Bakery goods (wedding cake) and corn sweetness.
    • Taste: Wheat tingle on the tip of the tongue, more white cake, mint, wheat, and maple syrup on the back with cinnamon showing its head on the end.
    • Finish: Medium finish with the sweetness and wheat tingle remaining through the end.
    • Score: 83/100. Recommended.

    Synopsis:

    I expected it to be much harder to pick a winner in these head-to-head matchups.  To a large degree, I expected most $12-$18 bourbons to be similarly young and unappetizing.  Aside from the dead-heat in round 2, that hasn’t been the case.  Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-bond is just a vastly superior bourbon compared to Old Taylor.  There isn’t much competition here.  Old Taylor is rightfully near the bottom of our bottom-shelf rankings.

    Budget Bourbon Battle Royale Current Standings:

    1. Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond          83
    2. Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond       83
    3. Old Grand Dad Bottled-in-Bond         76
    4. Old Crow                                        72
    5. Old Taylor                                       69

    The ModernThirst.com scoring system is a standard 100 point system based on 4 categories, taken in order.

    1. Appearance: 15 points
    2. Nose: 25 Points
    3. Palate/Taste: 35 Points
    4. Finish: 25 points
    • 95+        Epic
    • 90-94     Excellent, Good representative of its style
    • 85-89     Solid sipper
    • 80-84     Drinkable, but potentially flawed.
    • 75-79     Low quality, flawed, use as a mixer only
    • <75        Rot Gut, avoid
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    Bill
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    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 Bill@ModernThirst.com.

    Related Posts

    Four Gate Whiskey Announces Release 15.1, 15.2, & 15.3: The Bluegrass Trilogy

    November 30, 2021

    Old Forester 21st Release of Annual Birthday Bourbon

    August 24, 2021

    Press Release: Old Forester’s Next Release in the 117 Series Features a Blend of Barrels Aged Solely in Warehouse K 

    August 20, 2021

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