1792 Small Batch
One of the results of the bourbon boom has been seeing certain brands and bottles getting hyped to the point of shortages. Once a bunch of bourbon lovers decide that a certain expression is particularly good, bottles fly off shelves and soon the product becomes allocated. This has happened with basically the entire Buffalo Trace lineup, starting with the Weller line, then Elmer T. Lee, along with things like Blanton’s and Rock Hill Farms, and now finally even the standard Buffalo Trace bourbon itself.
With Buffalo Trace being more difficult to get, many people have moved to other distilleries’ brands, and then started to gobble them up too. Suddenly Booker’s isn’t guaranteed to be on the shelf of every liquor store (still fairly easy to find, but not as easy as it once was). Since Henry McKenna was named best bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition earlier this year, it has apparently become a bit harder to find in some places (from what I’ve heard anyhow… it’s still easy to find around me, thank goodness). Which currently available and affordable brand is going to be the next big thing and then become impossible to find?
As some bottles become unavailable, bourbon lovers are often forced to look elsewhere for their daily tipple. Luckily there are still plenty of excellent bourbons sitting on the shelf of your local liquor store, and at reasonable prices too. The entire Four Roses line comes to mind. As does the aforementioned Henry McKenna (if you can still find it in your area). Another bottle that fits the bill is the subject of today’s review—1792 Small Batch from the Barton Distillery in Bardstown, KY.
The Barton Distillery is owned by Sazerac, the same company that owns Buffalo Trace. But unlike their sister distillery in Frankfort, Barton’s bourbon hasn’t seen quite the surge in popularity, at least not to the point where their core range products are heavily allocated. I get the feeling that a lot of whiskey fans, at least casual ones, aren’t terribly aware of the Barton Distillery. You hear people talk a lot about Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and the other big Kentucky outfits, but Barton doesn’t seem to come up in conversation much. They’ve been in the news recently as a result of the unfortunate warehouse collapse this summer, but really that seems like the only time I’ve ever heard much about them in news outlets, online forums, and social media. I bet that the vast majority of people who shared the story of the warehouse collapse on Facebook or Twitter probably couldn’t even name a single Barton product.
Barton has a number of different value whiskeys in its core range, such as Very Old Barton, Kentucky Gentleman, Kentucky Tavern, and a few others. Very Old Barton is the most notable of these, as it’s a solid bourbon at a very low price point. Quick personal aside—I’ve always found it funny that there are bourbon brands named both Old Grand-Dad (a Jim Beam product) and Very Old Barton, because my grandfather’s name was Barton. He was a complete teetotaler, so it always brought me a small amount of perverse joy to drink either of those bourbons and pretend that they were named after him.
1792 is Barton’s premium line of bourbon, although premium doesn’t necessarily mean high prices. 1792 Small Batch is very reasonably priced, usually under $30 a bottle. And, as we’ll see in the review below, it’s quite fantastic for that price.
Enough rambling, let’s get to some tasting notes.
1792 Small Batch Review
Type: Bourbon
Region: Kentucky
Age: NAS
ABV: 46.85%
Nose
Oak staves. Rye spice. Grassy and herbal. Spicy caramel. Vanilla. Sweet and fresh mint. Young leather, like a brand new leather chair. A bit of melon. Dried apples. A little astringent, but otherwise enjoyable.
Palate
Bright and fresh, which is something I don’t find in many bourbons. Minty, grassy, and floral. Toasted oak. Dark caramel. Dark chocolate. Rather fruity, with dried tropical fruits and fruit flavored hard candy (Jolly Ranchers). A touch of clove. Medium bodied, with a decently creamy and oily mouthfeel. Quite tasty stuff.
Finish
Fairly long. Andes chocolate mints. Stone fruits. Melon. Caramel. A rustic sort of vanilla.
Overall
Super solid, unique, and eminently drinkable. The flavor profile is distinctly 1792. Barton, like Buffalo Trace, doesn’t publish their mashbill, but it’s believed that they use about 15% rye in their standard bourbon recipe, which is pretty middle of the road rye content. But that 15% rye really shines. Lots of fresh rye notes, with the floral and minty aspects really working well here. In terms of profile, 1792 Small Batch most closely reminds me of Buffalo Trace bourbon, but better. Seriously better.
One of the absolute best values in the whiskey world right now, and it’s easy to find. Hopefully it stays that way. This makes for a terrific daily pour.
SCORE: 7/10
Final Thoughts
As I said in the opening, I get the feeling a lot of people ignore Barton and 1792, and I admit I’ve been one of those people in the past. It had been a while since I’d bought any Barton products before this summer, which is stupid. They make great bourbon and sell it for appropriate prices. Hopefully in the future people will recognize Barton as a maker of great bourbon rather than just being the distillery whose warehouse fell down.
Buying Advice: For $30… holy crap just buy this. One of the absolute best values in the bourbon world (I know, I’m repeating myself), and you won’t have to hunt for it.
Drink This Not That: Drink this. Also be on the lookout for 1792 Full Proof store picks, one of which I’ll be reviewing soon.
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
For more reviews, check out the Whisky Review Archive.
