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Bourbon

Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon

$50.00

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon

Tasting Notes:

About:
Appearance:
In the glass, Rock Hill Farms is medium amber brown, a more reddish hue than Blanton’s.
Nose:
Strong berry and dark fruit notes lead off the front, and light notes of cinnamon and caramel blend underneath. Overall, the nose is rather light and well balanced.
Palate:
The front of the palate leads off with citrus, apple, and berry notes. In the middle, the berry notes blend with light cinnamon, cocoa, and light herbal notes. The finish brings a touch of spicy notes: cinnamon and pepper, mixed with dry oak notes and light notes of brown sugar and vanilla. Final Thoughts & Score/Buy A Bottle: Score: 90/100 With the common mash bill and single barrel expression, Rock Hill Farms bourbon logically compares with Blanton’s and Elmer T. Lee. Out of all the mash bill number two options available, I prefer Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel. Partially due to the additional proof, I find Rock Hill Farms bourbon to have more pronounced and deeper flavor. With that in mind, I find Rock Hill Farms to be more flexible – the bourbon is a very good neat pour, and you can make a very good (albeit pricey) mixed drink with it.
Finish:
Comments:

Following the successful launch of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon in 1984, Age International (a previous owner of Buffalo Trace Distillery) released more single barrel variants using what is now known as Buffalo Trace’s mash bill number two. Sticking with the horse design theme that started with Blanton’s, Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon, the subject of this review, features a horse in the foreground and is named after farmland along the Kentucky River near Frankfort, Kentucky.

Among the mash bill number two, single barrel expressions, Rock Hill Farms bourbon certainly plays second fiddle to its more popular cousins, Blanton’s and Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon. However, at 100 proof, Rock Hill Farms stands out as the highest proof option of the mash bill number two single barrel group (which also includes Hancock’s President’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon). As mentioned in our review of Blanton’s, Buffalo Trace distills, ages, bottles, and distributes the mash bill number two bourbons, but Age International still owns the brands.

While all the mash bill number two bourbons are related in flavor, warehouse selection and flavor profile definitely causes divergences in flavor. So, let’s see how Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon stacks up with its relatives.

Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon
image via Whitney Harrod Morris/The Whiskey Wash

Tasting Notes: Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon

Vital Stats: Rock Fill Farms bourbon is a single barrel expression bottled at 100 proof without an age statement (rumored to be 8-10 years). Buffalo Trace’s mash bill number two includes corn, rye, and malted barley, with the rye grain content at about 15%. Rock Hill Farms bourbon retails for about $50-60.

Appearance: In the glass, Rock Hill Farms is medium amber brown, a more reddish hue than Blanton’s.

Nose: Strong berry and dark fruit notes lead off the front, and light notes of cinnamon and caramel blend underneath. Overall, the nose is rather light and well balanced.

Palate: The front of the palate leads off with citrus, apple, and berry notes. In the middle, the berry notes blend with light cinnamon, cocoa, and light herbal notes. The finish brings a touch of spicy notes: cinnamon and pepper, mixed with dry oak notes and light notes of brown sugar and vanilla.

Final Thoughts & Score/Buy A Bottle:

Score: 90/100

Buy NowWith the common mash bill and single barrel expression, Rock Hill Farms bourbon logically compares with Blanton’s and Elmer T. Lee. Out of all the mash bill number two options available, I prefer Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel. Partially due to the additional proof, I find Rock Hill Farms bourbon to have more pronounced and deeper flavor. With that in mind, I find Rock Hill Farms to be more flexible – the bourbon is a very good neat pour, and you can make a very good (albeit pricey) mixed drink with it.

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