Sometimes it’s been a hell of a week so you decide – fuck it, let’s splurge and buy an over 80 dollar bourbon just to feel things. However while for the most part Scotches are fairly stable at that price range, with bourbon you really are making a shot in the dark. All to often everything is priced wildly with some things being far less or too much with no barometer to help you. What then of this expression with it’s barrel shaped bottle and Wegmans pedigree? (Yes because of the single barrel labeling this actually says Wegmans on it which is hilarious) Oh right, the result – well it’s mixed.
On the one hand – you can’t escape that this costs more than it should. Full stop if you are a thrifty person, check out now because this isn’t worth your time. That’s not to say there aren’t some good points here – especially for an overproof whiskey this brings a hell of a lot more flavor and character than other spirits with an over 80 proof warning would (hell this thing is 112.3 proof which is actually nuts). Excuses aside it’s fair to agree there’s very few peers for this whiskey, but sadly that lone price tag makes it challenging to buy outside of a time when you are a review site editor having a rough week.
What they Say: “Non-chill filtered | Strictly sweet mash | Barrel proof | No water added.
This single barrel of PEERLESS BOURBON WHISKEY stands alone among peers with its depth and unique profile. Distilled, bottled, and aged on the banks of the Ohio River, this bourbon is the definition of Kentucky.”
Taste: 7.5 – Starts with a sort of cinnamony sweetness at the front. It’s actually rather nice, and you can sort of picture where this would find a welcome home in some niche cocktails.
Aftertaste: 6.0 – On the backend you still get that initial flavor, but there’s more wood, however you also taste the proofing here just as much as anything else.
Burn/Smooth: 6.0 – Not to re-state a point, but yes you certainly get a sense of what you are getting into here. However when you compare it to other whiskies at this high a proof it actually isn’t that bad. Oh sure you are not going to sip this like a champ unless you’ve long killed any feeling in your mouth, but it could be far worse.
Aroma: 6.5 – You can certainly tell it’s overproof, but not so badly that it causes painful memories. There’s a nice sort of fruity sweetness that cuts the harshness well.
Honesty: 8.0 – There’s simple no fault there in the text. It’s descriptive, nothing too wanky, nor is it lying in some way. Combine that with the very distinctive look mocking a barrel and everything is really on point here.
Mixability: 7.167
W/ Rocks: 6.5 – It’s suggested to really let that marinate in the ice; however it’s not like it will completely change everything. At best it microplanes the sharp edges off, but it’s still some real sharp cheddar.
Whiskey and Coke: 8.0 – Much like the old fashioned below – try to get the ratio right – because the result is delicious as hell. It’s like a nice spiced coke with just an undercurrent of the whiskies proof, and daresay – a dangerous cocktail for how much you could easily put away.
Bourbon Old Fashioned: 7.0 – Don’t go too hard on the syrup like we did for this at first, but once you get the ratio right (as we’ve always maintained every whiskey’s old fashioned measurements are different and the mark of a great bartender is knowing this) the effect is something nice and spiced – the heat and the sugar melded together. It’s weird because taste-wise you almost wish this was mulled hot instead of iced.
Value: 3.0 – Now we come to the singular failing. If this was say – half the price at a $43 dollars – we’d be quite pleased with that. Single barrels can be a bit pricey, but something that’s actually pretty damn good being under 50? Well that would’ve been swell, however; we are not in that range. We are shooting at the 90 dollar brackets and it’s tough to say this has truly earned that. Thankfully there are no other red marks here so we’ll be a bit kind, but it’s unlikely to ever be bought again.
Google Shop Average: $86
Website: https://kentuckypeerless.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 6.5
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Metric Score: 44.17/70 |+| Metric Average: 6.31 |+| Reviewer Average: 6.5
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Final Thoughts: We talked above about the skill of a bartender using this to great affect, and we truly mean that. This is one of those whiskies that a great bartender would love to have in their back pocket. Whether it’s some unique cocktail making usage of the flavors this brings or just because you can make something so damn boozy and delicious while charging an arm and a leg as your patron only gets drunker far faster than they expected – it works. However this isn’t a review site catering to them, so what about you dear reader? Well the short answer is – it costs too much. You can get better results for cheaper for most things and it’s not like it does something so novel to make it worth trying.
