[ad_1]
Classic bourbon — or “dusties” — are an enormous a part of the whiskey culture. Bottles from bygone eras supply a glimpse into the times of yore in American whiskey, usually with unimaginable whiskey hiding in cobwebbed cellars. A part of the attraction to vintage bourbons is for funding, after all. So long as persons are opening previous bottles, the sealed ones will go up in worth (normally).
One other a part of it — and the half I care about most — is definitely ingesting the stuff when the second is true. Opening up a bottle from the Nineteen Eighties has one thing to show us about that period, whereas additionally including context to the bourbons being distilled today.
See the place we’re headed right here? It’s time for an enormous, blind classic bourbon tasting. The kind that I by no means might have pulled off, had I not been invited to Justins’ House of Bourbon in Louisville, Kentucky, for a 10-pour, double-blind sampling of whiskeys bottled principally within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineteen Nineties. That’s a first-rate period for one enormous motive. Again then, the American whiskey trade was really on the ropes. Vodka’s increase within the Nineteen Seventies meant that by the mid-Nineteen Eighties and effectively into the Nineteen Nineties, bourbon producers have been principally pressured to place very previous whiskey into average-ish bottles as a result of they actually couldn’t give the stuff away. That signifies that a number of very normal stuff from that period was, effectively, fairly wonderful.
On the identical time, as a result of the warehouses have been brimming with long-aged bourbons, you additionally noticed a number of high-age assertion labeled bourbons that you just don’t actually see anymore. Generally seemingly random labels of bourbon can be “Aged 15 Years” and that might be the minimal age of the barrels used within the batch. Wild instances, proper?
Fortunately, we’re in an period the place a good few of those classic bourbon bottles are nonetheless kicking round. And locations like Justins’ — in each Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky — are nonetheless pouring them. It’s not simply in KY, both. There are whiskey bars throughout the nation that additionally concentrate on dusty pours. Jack Rose Dining Saloon in DC or The Ballard Cut in Seattle each come to thoughts. After which there are on-line retailers like The Whisky Exchange within the U.Ok. specializing in dusties from everywhere in the world.
All advised, anybody actually trying to get into these bygone bourbons will discover them pretty accessible in 2023. For a value.
WHY ARE DUSTIES SO INTERESTING?
So what makes a “dusty” or classic bourbon particular? Justin Thompson (one of many famed Justins and my tasting buddy on this double-blind journey) appears to be like at it like, “getting a two-for-one bourbon expertise.” I agree. First, you’re getting this sense of what bourbon was like 30, 40, and even 50 years in the past. The oldest bottle in our tasting was a 43-year-old bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle 11-Yr-Previous Kentucky Bourbon — that means we have been sampling one thing that was distilled and barrelled in 1969 (probably with a lot older barrels within the mix). A few of these grains have been most likely grown in 1968, or all through the Nineteen Sixties. The timber that the barrels have been made out of have been probably alive within the 1800s. That’s an schooling on your palate that you just can’t at present replicate. The second half is the truth that you’re attending to expertise a superb pour of whiskey normally. It’s a enjoyable combo.
It additionally dispels the parable that bourbon is “supposed” to taste a certain way and all the time has. The ten bourbons we blindly tasted had large variations in style. It’s good to do not forget that bourbon (rye, scotch, Irish whiskey, and so on. too) had simply as a lot vary throughout taste profiles 30, 50, or 100 years in the past as they do immediately (some would argue there was much more variation in taste the additional you return however that’s a chat for one more day).
WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY?
Okay, let’s deal with the elephant within the classic liquor retailer room earlier than we kick off. This is not a cheap hobby. I’m not itemizing bottle costs in my rating beneath as a result of discovering sealed bottles like these have such a malleable worth {that a} price ticket can be virtually a whole shot at nighttime. Simply know this — they’re not low cost.
I did, nonetheless, listing the pour costs for these whiskeys at Justins’ Home of Bourbon in Louisville. They’re fairly normal costs and similar to ones I’ve seen for very related bottles at classic whiskey bars across the nation/world. That value level on the very least gives you an concept of how a lot capital you’ll must get into the sort of whiskey ingesting (gathering these bottles is a complete totally different matter).
Okay, let’s simply dive in to get a way of what’s going with these bourbons (and one sneaky rye). I had no concept what was being poured and hadn’t seen any bottles beforehand. Nonetheless, I knew by the primary pour it was going to be enjoyable. Learn my tasting notes after which browse the rating to see which whiskeys dominated the day.
Additionally Learn: The High 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Final Six Months
VINTAGE BOURBONS, TASTED DOUBLE BLIND

Style 1

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: This has a basic nostril with a touch of dried crimson chili and a literal sense of dustiness subsequent to gentle darkish pitted fruits, previous leather-based, and a touch of caramel that provides strategy to a fruity darkish pudding creaminess.
Palate: The physique is gentle and clean with a way of previous piles of cedar kindling subsequent to bitter crimson berries with a touch of cellar oak, dried crimson spices, and gentle vanilla caramel cream.
End: The tip is on the lighter finish, probably resulting from decrease ABVs, however delivers a touch of cedar and creamy darkish orchard fruit with a touch of previous vanilla husks.
Preliminary Ideas:
This was previous and felt it at first. Then as we went again to the pours after 5 and 10 minutes, it actually was a gentle and creamy lush pour of whiskey. It was a hell of a change.
Style 2

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: There’s a wealthy and vivid purple berry nostril that actually pops earlier than hitting on darkish but gentle winter spices and a touch of salted caramel that provides strategy to actually recent cedar bark braided with pipe tobacco.
Palate: There’s a way of an previous whiskey barrel on the palate with a twinge of tannic oak subsequent to darkish and wealthy caramel drizzled over a wild berry cobbler.
End: That berry vibe drives the end again towards the recent and vibrant cedar with a superb trace of clove and anise-spiked tobacco vanilla truffles.
Preliminary Ideas:
This had a bit of age to it however that dissipated because it opened up with a bit of air. The general vibe was berry-forward with a superb underbelly of basic bourbon sweetness simply kissed with salt and wooden.
Style 3

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: This can be a basic nostril — darkish cherry cola, salted caramel, vanilla pie, previous oakiness, and a light-weight sense of sharp darkish winter spice.
Palate: The caramel and vanilla clean out the opening of the palate towards a pointy and virtually reducing clove, allspice, and cinnamon spice matrix that dries out towards barks and dried buds with a counterbalance of burnt orange zest and dried orchard fruits.
End: The tip stays fairly sharp with a way of previous oak cellars and dry apple cider spiked with winter spice and darkish and leathery figs, prunes, and dates.
Preliminary Ideas:
This was a basic bourbon by and thru. Darkish fruit, candy and creamy, and loads of woody spice.
Style 4

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: The nostril opens with a face stuffed with previous cellar ground grime and a touch of fir bark subsequent to gentle white grits lower with buttercream vanilla sauce and brown sugar that’s simply kissed with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Palate: The style is an enormous bowl of these grits with a sharper sense of spice and a clean sense of toffee and vanilla cake that’s virtually like a modern-day craft bourbon.
End: A rush of dried orchard fruits — apricot, apple, pear, orange — come into play late and cling to the earthiness of the previous corn silos of sentimental grain and candy brown sugar syrups.
Preliminary Ideas:
This one threw me because it tasted so artful due to that candy graininess/porridge vibe. It was actually tasty, don’t get me incorrect.
Style 5

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: The nostril opens with an previous sense of oak subsequent to dried black cherry and apple chips soaked in cinnamon tea with a touch of creamy eggnog custard lower with loads of vanilla and possibly even some salted darkish chocolate.
Palate: The palate leans into spiced black cherry pipe tobacco with a touch of clove and allspice over gingerbread cookies, worn boot leather-based, and an previous household room decked out for Christmas with recent fir, loads of decorations, and a touch of winter spice bundles hanging out within the corners.
End: The tip leans into the darkish cherry and spice with a light-weight sense of spice barks and virtually cherry cream lower with darkish chocolate and vanilla sauces which might be simply touched by rose water and marzipan.
Preliminary Ideas:
Properly, that is nice. It tastes fairly wonderful. It’s additionally tremendous nostalgic and pulls off that magic trick the place you’re transported to your grandparent’s place on Christmas Day.
Style 6

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: Massive luggage of buttery and salted popcorn lead on the nostril with a touch of Milk Duds beneath that transfer towards cherry-soaked oak staves.
Palate: Cherry Coke and corn husks drive the palate as gentle caramel and previous dried apricot with a touch of leathery Fruit Roll-Ups mingle with a way of powdered winter spices.
End: The tip actually leans into that dry corn with a whisper of the salty popcorn talking again in towards the caramel and milk chocolate with a touch of cherry spice on the very finish.
Preliminary Ideas:
This was such a radical departure from the remaining that I’m not likely certain what to make of it. Going again after 5 and 10 minutes, the corn stays however extra tart fruitiness arrives, solely confounding me additional.
Style 7

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: Darkish cherry and deep winter spice mingle with tremendous lush and creamy vanilla and date with a touch of leathery saddle cleaning soap, a twist of orange, and a flutter of smudging sage.
Palate: The palate leans into a brilliant silky model of basic spiced cherry Kentucky bourbon vibes with a deep sense of vanilla malts and cherry pipe tobacco subsequent to sharp and woody winter spices that run deep towards virtually leathery tobacco leaves.
End: The tip holds onto the spiced cherry vibe whereas layering in spiced apple cider and possibly even a touch of crimson mulled wine with a splash of spiced walnut bread on the facet.
Preliminary Ideas:
This can be a nice pour of whiskey.
Style 8

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: Tart berries and dry sweetgrass and smudging sage drive the nostril towards a light-weight sense of previous oak staves and herb gardens.
Palate: These tart berries get a tad creamy with the vanilla on the entrance finish of the palate earlier than giving strategy to a light-weight yard in the summertime vibe with a way of previous wicker.
End: The tip holds onto the now creamy tart berries earlier than veering into dry sage and tobacco territory with a touch of cedar and a faint whisper of dry malts that just about begins to really feel like an previous dry scotch.
Preliminary Ideas:
That is so fully totally different. It’s grassy and dry and actually tasty.
Style 9

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: The nostril is pure buttercream vanilla that results in a wealthy layering of spiced vacation truffles, rum raisin, black-tea-soaked dates, black walnuts, and dried cherries dipped in salted toffee and rolled in darkish cacao powder.
Palate: The mouthfeel is silky and luxurious with a way of that wealthy buttercream main towards extra of the darkish cherry that attaches to winter-spiced tobacco packed into an previous cedar humidor after which wrapped in previous bike jacket leather-based.
End: The end takes that previous leather-wrapped humidor and locations it in a mattress of sweetgrass braided with cedar bark and smudging sage earlier than the luscious creaminess returns with a way of previous vanilla husks and cherry pits.
Preliminary Ideas:
That is simply scrumptious and so deep.
Style 10

Tasting Notes:
Nostril: The nostril opens with a deep sense of vanilla and cherry earlier than veering right into a dank earthiness that’s half white moss and half previous fir bark with a touch of black soil and dusty previous cellars.
Palate: The palate dances between darkish dried crimson berries and stewed apples and pears towards creamy and salted toffees with a touch of almond and chocolate that then mingles with spicy woody barks and tobacco.
End: The stability of fruit, spice, and buttery sweetness comes into crystal clear focus on the finish as all of these notes are baked into a vacation cake with a way of deeply salted caramel swirled by the richest vanilla ice cream and topped with the spiciest stewed cherry actually brings this sip residence.
Preliminary Ideas:
If somebody requested me for a quintessential Kentucky bourbon, that is the path I’d level them.
Half 2 — The Classic Bourbon Rating

10. Willett Classic Bourbon Handmade in Kentucky Aged 17 Years (2009) — Style 6

ABV: 49.5%
Common Worth: $200, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
This whiskey comes from the minds at Willett Distillery. That signifies that it’s going to be some extraordinarily uncommon juice from the Bardstown space that the staff at Willett took custody of and acted as steward over because it aged. Past that, Willett doesn’t say a lot moreover buzzy advertising and marketing phrases like “Handmade” and such.
Backside Line:
That is the one one I actually didn’t look after. It was tremendous earthy and grainy and the candy and spiced fruit sort of obtained misplaced.
I do know folks lose their shit over these bottles as a result of they’re kinda/sorta secret Willett releases. However I’d most likely skip this one until you’re a Willett acolyte.
9. Previous Rip Handmade Kentucky Straight Bourbon 4 Years Previous (1988) — Style 1

ABV: 43%
Common Worth: $100, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
That is Pappy (a wheated bourbon) when it was in a transition interval between the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville (Shively), the Hoffman Distillery in Lawrenceburg which was renamed Previous Commonwealth, and the eventual transfer to the Buffalo Hint Distillery in Frankfort. Within the Nineteen Eighties, Julian Van Winkle III was bottling at Hoffman from the Stitzel-Weller-made whiskey and launched it as a form of entry-point age assertion to the heritage model. In essence, that makes this the true poor man’s Pappy from the Nineteen Eighties.
Backside Line:
This was good things. It felt like basic and grassy Kentucky bourbon with some actual depth. That deepness didn’t run too deep because the proofing was fairly excessive however nonetheless delivered a strong general profile/expertise.
8. Previous Bardstown Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 12 Years Previous (2002) — Style 2

ABV: 43%
Common Worth: $20, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
Right this moment, Previous Bardstown 90-Proof is Willett’s backside shelf normal bearer that’s really fairly good. 20 years in the past, that was additionally very true of this model from the famed Bardstown distillery/bottler. Besides again then, there have been a lot older barrels going into this combine earlier than mixing, proofing, and bottling, therefore that they had an enormous age assertion with a finances value level.
Backside Line:
First, Willett must carry again that black label ASAP. It’s significantly better than this beige wall nonsense they’ve now.
General, this can be a rattling high-quality whiskey with a pleasant stability. It’s a superb and simple pour (that almost all of us can afford) that’ll provide you with a glimpse into actually good low cost whiskey from 20 years in the past. That stated, that is fairly rattling good whiskey for what was as soon as a bottom-shelf pour.
7. Austin Nichols Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (2011) — Style 8

ABV: 50.5%
Common Worth: $40, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
That is the earlier iteration of Wild Turkey branding again when “Austin Nichols” was nonetheless entrance and middle on the model. The whiskey within the bottle is the Russell household recipe that was made by Eddie and Jimmie Russell simply over 10 years in the past.
Backside Line:
That is actually good and it nonetheless is. In comparison with a 2023 pour of the identical bottle (basically), it actually does come throughout as extra refined however solely barely so.
6. Previous Rip Van Winkle Very Particular Inventory Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 11 Years (1980) — Style 4

ABV: 45.2%
Common Worth: $140, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
This personal bottle of Pappy is from the Previous Commonwealth period when Julian Van Winkle III was nonetheless utilizing Stitzel-Weller whiskey barrels to fill batches. These bottlings have been for particular shoppers, accounts, and pals of the model and have been distributed as yearly thank yous principally, therefore the title on the label. Nonetheless, there’s an 11-year-old Pappy wheated bourbon from the previous distillery on this bottle, making it extremely sought-after.
Backside Line:
Yeah, this can be a good bourbon. It lives as much as the hype. In actual fact, that is higher than a few of the trendy Pappy on the shelf proper now (taking a look at you, 23).
In the long run, that is a necessary pour to know the place the model got here from and why folks adore it so rattling a lot.
5. Anderson Membership Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 15 Years (1996) –Style 3

ABV: 43%
Common Worth: $20, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
So there’s loads occurring with this bottle. One, it’s pre-fire Heaven Hill (quick story, Heaven Hill had a huge fire in 1996 that destroyed a number of inventory and services and created a bifurcation level within the desirability of the whiskey from there). Two, this was a Japan-only launch. Three, it’s an previous whiskey from a very long time in the past that really tastes like a time that’s really misplaced due to that aforementioned hearth.
That’s the pitch anyway.
Backside Line:
Yeah, this can be a good goddamn whiskey. It does style like one thing that’s actually well-aged whereas additionally feeling like a basic profile that so many different distillers/producers are consistently chasing proper now in 2023.
4. Joshua Brooks Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged Over 15 Years (1990) — Style 10

ABV: 57.5%
Common Worth: $200, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
This can be a pre-fire Heaven Hill whiskey. The whiskey was distilled and aged in Bardstown after which despatched to a bottler out in California to be bottled and distributed (sure, this can be a sourced bourbon). The model petered out and now these bottles are all that’s left.
Backside Line:
Primarily, you’re getting whiskey made at Heaven Hill within the early Nineteen Seventies with this one. That’s dope. Furthermore, that is one other instance of that pre-fire Heaven Hill whiskey being fairly spectacular stuff. It feels prefer it must be a fable that it’d make that a lot distinction however this whisky is a number of proof that the whiskey was simply higher from again then.
3. Yellowstone Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 7 Years (1994) — Style 5

ABV: 45.5%
Common Worth: $25, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is from the previous J.B. Dant Distillery which was shuttered over the past bourbon downturn within the Nineteen Nineties after working for over 150 years in Gethsemane, Kentucky (although the Dant household has since reopened it). The whiskey on this bottle is from that previous distillery and a direct line to an virtually misplaced heritage of bourbon making from one of many largest names in all of Kentucky bourbon.
Backside Line:
Yellowstone is a part of Limestone Distilling now and is essentially sourced by way of Lux Row (although it’s nonetheless made by a Dant descendant). This model is so drastically totally different in that it reaches into the model’s origins and has a depth that’s unimaginable. This can be a nice pour of whiskey that’ll educate you on a whiskey that was sort of misplaced to time due to vodka taking on within the Nineteen Seventies.
2. Austin Nichols Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 12 Years (1991) — Style 7

ABV: 50.5%
Common Worth: $100, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is a throwback to the late Nineteen Eighties/early Nineteen Nineties of Wild Turkey’s historical past. The discharge was lovingly nicknamed “Tacky Gold Foil” by the model (at the least they’ve a humorousness about themselves). The whiskey within the bottle is basic Turkey 101 that was left to age for 12 years (at the least) earlier than batching, proofing, and bottling.
Backside Line:
That is principally certainly one of Wild Turkey’s first forays into increased age statements throughout a time after they had a ton of previous barrels and couldn’t promote them. It was a real disaster meets alternative second. In the long run, we obtained a incredible model of Wild Turkey that reaches again into the Nineteen Seventies. It additionally foreshadowed the large success of Russell’s Reserve 13-Year which has been a whiskey nerd favourite for the final two years.
On and that is f*cking scrumptious. Purchase a bottle if you happen to can.
1. Previous Grand Dad 114 Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (1989) — Style 9

ABV: 57%
Common Worth: $100, 1-ounce pour
The Whiskey:
Nationwide Distillers was one of many first behemoths of Kentucky bourbon due to being allowed to remain open throughout Prohibition (whereby it began shopping for a number of distilleries throughout Kentucky, together with the unique Previous Grand-dad Distillery at Hobbs Station). Finally, Nationwide Distillers (which made Previous Grand Dad at The Previous Taylor Distillery, which is now Fortress & Key) was purchased by Beam in 1987. That signifies that this whiskey is pre-Beam Previous Grand Dad from Previous Taylor Distillery however bottled by Beam.
Right this moment, the whiskey is made at Beam’s facility absolutely and these barrels are exhausted (a lot to the chagrin of the model’s previous followers).
Backside Line:
This was the deepest and most attention-grabbing pour by far. This tasted like nice whiskey normally, with out the patina of it being a “dusty” bourbon. It’s additionally straightforward to see why Previous Grand Dad followers have been pissed when the Beam model hit cabinets. This can be a million instances higher in each means.
General, that is the one pour that I’d absolutely endorse you making an attempt. It’s amazingly lush and simply retains going with a fantastic taste profile that really stood out. I need this whiskey again.
Half 3 — Last Ideas on the Classic Bourbon

Yeah, an affordable previous whiskey from the Nineteen Eighties that your granddad most likely stored hidden within the storage was really freakin’ scrumptious.
In the long run, it’s wild to look again at how various and diversified (and longer-aged) a lot of the bourbon was only a few many years in the past. It’s additionally very easy to get caught up in all that and need to solely drink bourbons from these eras. Lots of the common stuff was simply so significantly better. I’m sorry, however Previous Grand-Dad is fairly mid to shit lately, and that’s with out evaluating it to what it was. That’s only a reality.
It sort of makes me unhappy.
However concern not. Not every part was higher up to now. Each of the Pappy bottles on this panel didn’t even come near a 2022 Pappy 15-Year that I can simply get proper now. It’s all gray space and pour-by-pour dependent. Nonetheless, there’s some actually good previous whiskey on the market that used to value pennies on the greenback and all of us sort of slept on it till it was too late. Now, we’ve some dusties to remind us however they’ll be gone sooner or later quickly too. Strive them whilst you nonetheless can.
[ad_2]