Trade-Up Tuesday - Part 1

Have you all seen or heard about the woman who started with a hairpin and traded it all the way up to a house? If you haven’t, it’s really an impressive journey and I suggest you check it out. It was fun to watch her and it sparked an idea. Why not do something similar…but with Bourbon / Whiskey? Mid-December 2021, I started my own little social experiment and I’ve documented the details along the way. No money is ever exchanged in these trades, only bottles. While I’m not quite finished, I’d love to share the progress and stories with each of you thus far. I will reveal a new step of my experiment every Tuesday titled: TRADE-UP TUESDAY.

So, here we are. Part 1:

I wanted to start with a bottle that doesn’t cost a lot but is also somewhat difficult to find in some parts. I originally started with Heaven Hill 6 Year Green Label but it really didn’t gather much interest for some reason. I thought about a bottle that is comparable and landed on J.T.S. Brown. A sub-fifteen bottle but certainly respected in the Bourbon-World. Bottled In Bond (100 Proof) and of course, distilled by Heaven Hill, this seemed to spark a bit more interest. I put it out there for folks to DM me with any offers they had. I actually received quite a few initially. But it wasn’t always about the glamour of the bottle I’d get in return, it was mostly about trying to help folks land a particular offering they may have been on the hunt for. I also wanted to make sure what I received in return would spark enough interest to keep this going.

After weighing out a bunch of options, this first trade landed me a Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Select for the J.T.S. Brown. I felt it was a great swap and both parties were happy. Stay tuned next week for the next installment of TRADE-UP TUESDAY

Do you think this was a good first trade?

Nine Banded Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon - Review

Stats

Nine Banded Wheated Bourbon - Cask Strength

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Blended and Bottled by Nine Banded in Austin, Texas

Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana

NAS - Aged at least 2 Years

115 Proof

Mash Bill: 51% Corn, 45% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley

Retail Price: ~$55

Double Gold - 2021 World Spirits Competition - San Francisco

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Deep Gold

Nose: Honey, Sweet Cream, a touch of Leather

Palate: Cracker Jack, Bold, Caramel, Brown Sugar

Finish: Viscous with a Medium Linger

Overall: Trying this Cask Strength expression after the 90 Proof is like leveling up in a very good way. Much more complexity and flavor dancing on the palate and the finish. I know thats strange to say based on the youth, but I urge you to look past that and concentrate solely on the flavor. The proof point is in a "sweet-spot" and creates the experience here. I'm happy about this release and can see myself enjoying this pour on a daily basis. A well deserved Double Gold from SF.

From the label: " Straight Bourbon Whiskey crafted from a unique blend of wheat, corn and malted barley brought to life with limestone-filtered water from the Texas Hill Country."

Thank you to the team over at Nine Banded for getting this to the Library and giving me a shot to try something new with no strings attached. Cheers!

Library Rating: 8.2 / 10

Nine Banded Wheated Bourbon - Review

Stats

Nine Banded Wheated Bourbon

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Blended and Bottled by Nine Banded in Austin, Texas

Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana

NAS - Aged at least 2 Years

90 Proof

Mash Bill: 51% Corn, 45% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley

Retail Price: ~$35

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Deep Gold

Nose: Vanilla Bean, Corn Flakes, Sweet Cream, Honey

Palate: Caramel Corn, Vanilla and Sweet Cream

Finish: Silky with a quick sharp bite. Light Linger

Overall: I was very surprised with the quality of this pour even seeing it is only aged a minimum of 24 months. I was expecting a lot of youth and grain forward flavors, but was excited to pull the vanillas and caramels from the barrel. It certainly reminded me of a fresh bowl of corn flakes with the right amount of heat. Not very much complexity or linger, but delicious flavor to get the ball rolling. This is a nice one to start with if hosting a tasting or a party and one to continue to sip on the porch with a light cigar.

From the label: " Straight Bourbon Whiskey crafted from a unique blend of wheat, corn and malted barley brought to life with limestone-filtered water from the Texas Hill Country."

Thank you to the team over at Nine Banded for getting this to the Library and giving me a shot to try something new with no strings attached. Cheers!

Library Rating: 7.9 / 10