Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/674905
may 2016 / the tasting panel / 101 DRESSED TO THE NINES: BIB & TUCKER SMALL BATCH BOURBON WHISKEY Who is the best dressed guest at the party? Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey (SRP $55) steps onto the red carpet sporting a smooth and distinctive style all its own. "Bib and tucker" once described one's finest clothing, attire reserved for special occasions, and this smooth, nutty bourbon fits the bill. Expertly aged and blended, Bib & Tucker is double distilled in a column still, then in an old-fashioned pot still. The mash of 70 percent corn and 30 percent small grains (rye and malt) is chill-filtered and aged in No. 1 charred American white oak barrels, yielding a 92-proof whiskey. The handcrafted bourbon is aged six years, expressing notes of vanilla and toasted chestnuts on the nose, with a crisp note of freshly cut sweet grass. A spicy flavor of black peppercorn warm oak leads to a complex, balanced finish with lingering notes of honey. —B. T. 3 BADGE BEVERAGE CORP. MAKING A MASTERPIECE: MASTERSON'S 10-YEAR-OLD STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY American newspaper legend William "Bat" Masterson would have readily reached for a whiskey this smooth after a day of hunting buffalo, gambling and building his name as a sports columnist. This limited-release Masterson's 10-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey (SRP $79) is distilled in an old-fashioned pot still, and then aged in charred white-oak casks for more than 10 years. Every bottle is hand-numbered, a testament to the amount of care dedicated to the production process from start to finish. The 100% rye base is sourced from plump, fragrant grains grown in the Pacific Northwest, which are carefully distilled with pure glacial water from the northern Rockies and dry yeast, yielding a smooth and delicious spirit with a distinct flavor profile. A golden amber color shines through the distinctive bottle wrapped in Bat newspaper clippings, while on the palate, pepper, spice and a tingling sweetness linger. 90 proof. —B. T. 3 BADGE BEVERAGE CORP.