1792 – Sipology

Maker: Barton 1792, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA (Sazerac)

Style: Rye recipe straight bourbon whiskey (high malt?)

Age: NAS (I don’t remember if the store disclosed the age), but at least four years old.

Barrel #8683

Proof: 125 (62.5% ABV)

Michigan state minimum for 1792 Full Proof: $47

Tasted with a splash of water (don’t be a hero when it comes to 125 proof bourbon)

Appearance: Dark copper.

Nose: Dark caramel, charred oak, Habanero chili.

Palate: Full-bodied and semi-dry. Caramel, white pepper, anise, allspice.

Finish: Dry with some sweet heat.

Parting words: This is my first review of any kind of Full Proof 1792. I did review 1792 Single Barrel from the pre-divorce Red Wagon alongside a selection from the Rural Inn. I believe that last bottle of Full Proof I owned, however, was a selection from the Rural Inn. It tasted good, but I always got a wicked headache afterwards. I’m not sure why, but unchill-filtered bourbons have a tendency to do that to me.

No such complaints for this Red Wagon (Rochester Hills) selection, though. It has big caramel flavors with some holiday spice in the background. It’s not particularly complex, but with a splash of water, it’s a very nice winter or autumn sipper. $47 isn’t chump change, but when the high proof is factored in, it’s a pretty good deal, especially compared to how much microdistiller or Potemkin distillery products go for these days. Red Wagon selections almost never disappoint. Full Proof 1792 Red Wagon Shoppe, Single Barrel Selection barrel #8683 is recommended!

Maker: Barton 1792, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA (Sazerac)

Style: Wheated Straight Bourbon

Age: NAS (at least 4 y/o)

Proof: 91.2 (45.6% ABV)

Michigan state minimum: $36 (listed as “SWEAT WHEAT”)

Appearance: Medium copper.

Nose: Alcohol, vanilla, apricot, char.

Palate: Full bodied and sweet. Crème brûlée with apricot and vanilla bean.

Finish: Short and drying.

Parting words: 1792 Sweet Wheat is an extension of the 1792 Bourbon line of (originally) high malt bourbons. It is presumed by people who have looked into these sorts of things (like me) that it is the same recipe as the old Kentucky Tavern bourbons. Constellation took this recipe and used it to create 1972 back when it owned the Barton Distillery. When Sazerac bought the distillery, they gave the bottle a makeover and created a number of line extensions, the most successful of which have been the barrel proof and single barrel expressions.

Sweet Wheat is a different beast from those, though, because the recipe has been changed. The rye has been swapped out for wheat, putting it into the same category as Maker’s Mark, Larceny, Weller, and the notorious Van Winkle bourbons. It fits somewhere between Maker’s and Larceny/Old Fitzgerald in terms of flavor. It’s not as delicate as Maker’s and Weller, but not quite as sharp and yeast-driven as the Heaven Hill wheaters. I like it a lot at $36, but I like it less at what I paid for it.

If you can find it for <$45, buy it. Any more than that, and you’re overpaying. 1792 Sweat, err Sweet, Wheat is recommended.

Tag: 1792

1792 Full Proof, Single Barrel Select, Red Wagon Shoppe.

1792 Sweet Wheat