🥃Review #50: 1792 Small batch Bourbon

1792 Small Batch bourbon in front of some plants and wood

Known formerly by the name "1792 Ridgemont Reserve", 1792 Small Batch Bourbon is produced by Barton 1792 and is the entry point to the 1792 brand, being a slight step up from their Very Old Barton (VOB) product line. The namesake is the year that Kentucky became a state. The 1792 lineup is filled out by Full proof, Bottled-in-Bond, Sweet wheat, High Rye, Port Finish and "Aged 12 Years". Most of the higher proof 1792 offerings were hunted to extinction during the and after COVID, but I am seeing them with some regularity now. Barton, owned by Sazerac, is known to make the Kirkland and Wolcott series of store label whiskies which taste and feel very much like 1792. While big Sazerac has been fixated on Buffalo Trace expansion, Barton feels relatively neglected though supposedly they are aligning some of their production processes with their much awarded sister brand.

🛒Sourced: Commonly $29.99 for 750ml

A gift from my brother's Girlfriend, thanks for contributing to my hobby!

🧪Proof: 93.7 proof, 46.85% ABV - Very Precise and a bit funny, 94 and 92 proof were too pedestrian I suppose.

🎨Color: R3 - A pale yellow-orange sun

🥔Mash Bill & Production: Allegedly 74% corn, 18% Rye, and 8% malted barley - Note that this is conjecture and is not disclosed by Barton. It is considered to be around the entry point to the "high rye" classification of bourbons. There has been some gossip over the years that the Very Old Barton recipe is actually 75/15/10. After tasting it, I think that this second mash bill seems more likely.

Other bottle Statistics:

Char - #3.5 barrel char
Age - No Age statement - We know it's at least four years and it drinks closer to that than the 8-year age statement that the Ridgemont Reserve label once had. My personal belief is that the small batch series sits somewhere around 4-5 years depending on demand (if they're not selling that age probably creeps up but it's likely they dump more into private labels) while the single barrel and full proof iterations taste a couple years older.
Barrel Entry Proof - 125
Batch Size - Could be anything, small batch is not a regulated term. Supposedly all 1792 iterations are made from select barrels that meet quality standards above those required for the VOB lines.
Chill Filtered: Yes

The bottle design itself is great! I appreciate the refined, decanter-adjacent styling, and it is equipped with a weighty topper astride a quality cork. Guests think it is fancier than it is which I'm not complaining about.

👃Nose: Plenty of vanilla, mild mannered, and with some chocolate complements to host.

😜Palate: Old wood, perhaps slightly dusty, compliments with some malt extract. A medium body has more heft than I would have expected and firmly shakes your palate. I get two distinct phases on the tongue, first the oak vanilla and then a sweet cooked mash. With some oxidation, I can pick out some licorice and plum in the second-half slurry. The rye influence is muted and mostly in a slight pepperiness to the finish.

💦Finish: Not overly short and with a pleasant amount of heat. Enough that some may not deem it smooth, but it is actually quite comforting. The sweet mash transitions into Queen Anne's cherries.

🏆 Overall: 6.25/10 - Very Good, I'm Surprised - My first and only 1792 experience to this point was a couple rocks double pours on a cruise ship, far from the ideal tasting conditions and not leaving much of an impression. I've had mixed results with the Kirkland and Wolcott bottlings also from Barton, but I am quite pleased with this 1792 flagship. It converts on a balanced drinking experience with fruit, warmth, and poise. I had passed over the BIB and Single Barrel editions just because they have been so hard to find, but now I am quite motivated to seek them out.

💵Would buy again? Sure, it's perhaps a tad more expensive than some of my other go-to bottles, but I could see it in the rotation.

⚖️Rating Scale:

🍺🍷🥃 Beer, Wine, and Spirits Rebate Website Master List

If there is anything I love more than a good drink, it's saving money buying that good drink! The rules for providing discounts on alcohol differ substantially between states with some allowing outright discounts or coupons and others entirely disallowing any sort of purchase incentive. Thankfully though, in my native Georgia as well as most states, a simple reimbursement approach is permissible. Last Updated & Validated 2/4/2026 . Alcohol Rebate Site Master List The following sites are relatively stable for each manufacturer. New offers usually come out every few months. None of these are affiliate links and I provide no assurance as to the process. I have saved so much money using rebates and hope you have similar success. Best practices and general process advice will be presented at the bottom. New sites will be added as I uncover them. Beer Rebates Boston Beer Company Brands - Angry Orchard, Dogfish head, Hard Mountain Dew, Samuel Adams, Sun Crusher, Truly, and Twis...

🥃 Review #34: ASW Fiddler Toasted Wheat Cask Strength Bourbon

Founded by University of Georgia graduates Jim Chasteen and Charlie Thompson, American Spirit Whiskey Distillery ("ASW") is a craft producer out of Atlanta, GA with the plant registry DSP-GA-20014. As Southern Pot-Still Pioneers, they are one of the few producers to distill in the ancient Scottish Tradition of small, grain-in batches (where grain solids are left in for the remainder of the distillation process) though they also partner with Midwest Grain Products to source distillate for further aging, finishing and blending before bottling as is the case here. This bottle is from the June 2023 batch which is a blend of two principal spirits. ASW's master distiller, Justin Maglitz, is accomplished old-time string music fiddler and he often experiments with various factors between batches. As such, the "Fiddler" brand name fits perfectly. No two batches are truly the same, but all of the ones I've had so far have been to my liking. This bottle shares the same...

🔌Review - QuickTrip Energy - Ultra

QuickTrip has a solid history of being in the energy drink business with it's "Rooster Booster" brand, most often in a Big Q from the fountain. Around 2022, they rolled out a 16oz canned line simply titled "QT Energy" to capitalize on continued growth in the energy drink segment, particularly with gen-z. The cans feature a digital camouflage design, in this case gray pixels, and seem to be primarily marketed at young men. In the store, they're usually about knee level on the left hand side of the main energy drink cooler, somewhat hard to spot compared to blocks of larger numbers of SKUs for other brands. 🛒 Price: $2.39 (often 2/$4 or with a BOGO coupon in the app). This one was a BOGO for me ✨Calories: 10 , 16oz. can 🍵 Caffeine: 160mg, slightly less than a cup of coffee 👅 Flavor: Whereas the red original flavor was very much a Red Bull clone, this one tastes very much like the original Monster Energy, almost exactly the same as their Zero Sugar of...

🎮 Call of Duty Warzone - The Drinking Game

Fairly self explanatory per the graphic below. What could be more fun than tossing back a few cold ones with your closest buds while rampaging through one of your favorite video games? Call of Duty Warzone might not have as much nostalgia as it did in the Verdansk days, but it still has some charm. The best part: you'll already be at home when you're done so there's no need to worry about a designated driver! Obligatory plug to know your limits, be legal, and drink responsibly, we don't respawn IRL (yes I know that's a cringe statement - that's the joke). Call of Duty Warzone Drinking Game Prep To play the game, you'll need the following in addition to an internet connection, gaming device, and Call of Duty: A Party Sipper of your Choice - I recommend something relatively low ABV. We balanced the rules for a player of moderate ability and a sipper of 4-8% alcohol. Light beer is my go-to here since it has enough lovely hydrating water to soak up any shots. ...

🥃 Review #40: Kirkland Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2024)

Like Costco's other Scotches, the Kirkland Signature Islay Single Malt is bottled for Alexander Murray and imported by MISA Imports after being distilled and aged in Scotland (TTB.gov plant registry TX-I-1277). The isle of Islay is one of the southern most islands in Scotland and is one of the five whisky regions ensconced in law. There are only nine active distilleries on the island, and the Islay style is typified by strong peat or smoky flavors. As a single malt, we know that the juice in this bottle comes entirely from one of those nine! All of the distilleries are significantly smaller than Glenlivet and many of the mainland producers. Taste testing has people split between Caol Illa, Bruichladdich (Port Charlotte), and Bunnahabhain as being the source. Caol Illa and Laphroig both have done deals for private brand scotch without rights to name the source distillery, but Laphroig does not match the flavor profile for this bottle. Realistically, Caol Illa is the most likely cand...

Castle and Cairn

Search This Blog