Bourbon Heritage Month 2020 Day 7: Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon
Of all the Mashbill 2 originals, this might be the rarest to find overall, let alone for anything close to SRP. Still, if you get a chance to try it, do it. Don’t hesitate, just do it. You won’t be sorry. And if you find one in the wild for anything under $100, do the same and think about it later.
Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel also has what I think is one of the top 3 bottle designs in American Whiskey. It’s just damn beautiful, with horses and countryside motifs on three sides of a decanter-style bottle and a heavy glass stopper. This is a bottle you will love to look at almost as much as you’ll love to drink it, and is a showpiece long after your first bottle is done.
Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon: Specs
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace, Mashbill #2 (same as Blanton’s, Elmer T. Lee, Ancient Ancient Age, and Hancock’s Presidential Reserve).
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: NAS, Rumored to be 8-10 YO
Location: Kentucky
Rock Hill Farms Bourbon Price: $60 (MSRP)
Rock Hill Farms Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Medium rims and moderate legs, aged Cognac color.
Nose: Lots of grape/red wine sweetness up front followed by baked vanilla wafting out of the glass. Definitely on the sweeter side.
Palate: You know immediately that this is smooth and silky while not being syrupy sweet. Lots of classic caramel and vanilla notes and an underlying aged (but not musty) cognac flavor. Bush berries too. Mouthfeel is coating, medium to viscous. Chewing ups the berry and adds some nice semisweet chocolate to the party.
Finish: Very long, berries and more berries. The chocolate sauce lasts too - quite delicious.
Overall: Sweeter side for sure, but so worth it. This has one of the best mouthfeels of the Mashbill 2 line with great berry and vanilla baked goods from nose to finish. Very pleasant burn transforms into a chocolate undertone that highlights the berries.
Final Rating: 9.4
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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