Ridgemont Reserve 1792 8 Year old

Not MY bourbon of the year

Reviewed by
Connosr member:

valuewhisky

Date:

13th Oct 2012

Reviewer rating:

About this score:

The average score for this whisky is 80.

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Tasting Notes by valuewhisky

Well, Jim Murray just called this "Bourbon of the Year" in his 2013 book, so I decided to bring out a dram for review. To me, this is one of those whiskies that sounds good on paper - and it is good - but it just doesn't work for me and it sits in my cabinet, not getting drunk.

Nose: VERY fruity nose for a bourbon. Think of the spectrum of yellow-to-orange fruits here: banana, oranges, apricots, and throw some sweet yellow corn and vanilla into the mix. There is definitely some prickly rye spice on the nose as well.

Palate: under-ripe banana, sweet-corn casserole, and vanilla are the dominant modes. Also prevalent is the prickly rye poking at all the pores in your mouth. Underneath, you get oranges and the bitter oak starts to assert itself. The mouthfeel is average.

Finish: Lots of corn and vanilla, rye, and oak compete for attention.

So, I get it. Kindof. I love getting fruit notes in bourbon... in theory. The balance in 1792 is quite good - not too sweet, not to spicy, not too oaky. Good on paper. But, the corn-and-fruit-forward profile just doesn't work. It's not a "moreish" dram. I drank this for a couple nights when I got the bottle, but then it has been mostly sitting around not getting poured for a while. I don't dislike it. There's no reason to turn down a dram. But it's just not DELICIOUS; it's a technically sound bourbon at a reasonable price, with an interesting profile that you won't find in many bourbons. I probably won't buy again; at least not any time soon.

Whisky details

Distillery/Brand:

Ridgemont

Bottling:

Ridgemont Reserve 1792 8 Year old

ABV:

46.85%

Colour:

Full Gold

Ridgemont Reserve 1792 8 Year old Not MY bourbon of the year Reviewed on 2012-10-13T00:50:00 scoring 81/100 by valuewhisky

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Comments

MyLoSyRo wrote:

I completely agree with your assessment and appreciate your insight. I couldn't nail down the under-ripe banana until you helped me, but it is spot on....the only thing I think you may have failed to mention is the presence of " red hots" (certainly the rye). I'm on my 5th glass in two nights and am experiencing some internal conflict: not sure if It falls short or resembles a girl that you really start to like after a 3rd date. It is well balanced, has good taste, and is easy to drink. The question is, is it worth overlooking that missing "something" and enjoying it for what it is. I am starting to think this may be the case. Either way, I'll enjoy continuing to drink while i come to a decision.

06 March 2013 02:03

valuewhisky wrote:

Thanks for the comment! Yes, "red hots" is a good way to describe the prickly/pokey/spicy rye effect. Definitely worth drinking - I think it was more of a personal preference thing for me that is wasn't my ideal profile. Maybe the fact that under-ripe bananas stoke my gag-reflex has something to do with it ;-)

06 March 2013 02:34