Thirsty Thursday Eve - T.W. Samuels Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
During a recent vacation to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, I learned about the woeful unavailability of distilled spirits, and discovered a new brand of bourbon.
At the beginning our trip, I decided that we could pick up some alcohol after we arrived and unloaded all our luggage. I understand that liquor laws vary widely between states, but SC tends to have some of the more strict laws than other nearby states. Hence, I tend to assume that I can typically pick up spirits during the same conditions as what I would be able to back home.
When visiting an area that I’m unfamiliar with, I often rely on the expertise of local employees for information. Waitresses, store clerks, and other such workers almost always live nearby, and because of that, they usually know where the best options are for a variety of goods.
In my case, I asked a waitress at our new favorite wing restaurant in the area if she knew of any good liquor stores around. She asked if I’d seen the cross up in the middle of town. I mean… yeah, sure, but what does that have to do with me looking for alcohol? She explained that Pigeon Forge is a dry city. There are no liquor stores within the city limits.
Well, that was a buzz kill. I had intended to pick something up that evening, but I suppose it was not to be. We looked on Google Maps for the nearest liquor store and found one that appeared to be right on the road that stretched from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg. Since we were already planning to go to Gatlinburg the next day, we decided that we would check out this Liquor & Wine of the Smokies and see what they had to offer.
When we pulled off the road at what navigation indicated was our destination, we were both a little perturbed. The store appeared to be a repurposed log cabin that seemed old and rundown from the outside. It was a far cry from the Costco Liquor that I normally visit to satisfy my distilled spirit needs. Alas, it had a sign and markings of a liquor store, so I decided to go in. I’ve been to my fair share of sketch liquor stores, and I haven’t died yet.
I decided before we arrived that I wanted a bottle of bourbon. Of all the types of distilled spirits, bourbon is pretty reliable in that even the cheap stuff will drink. I may prefer something a little more refined, but I haven’t yet encountered a bourbon that I wouldn’t drink. Unfortunately, the liquor store was extremely small, with very limited selection, and most of what they did have was much more expensive than what I wanted to pay. After a few moments, I noticed a fifth of T.W. Samuels with a $9 price tag. Bourbon that cheap would almost certainly be awful, but I figured I may as well try it. Not like I wanted to spend $30 or more on the other options they had in stock.
When we returned to our cabin that evening, I poured a dram of my newly acquired bourbon to assess its quality. As I expected, it was undeniably harsh, with a stiff burn in the back of the throat. Given a better selection of reasonably priced bourbons, I can’t say that I would’ve chosen it again. Still, for $9 per fifth, it’ll drink. The bottle I picked up was 80 proof, standard for bourbon, but T.W. Samuels also offers a 100 proof “bottled in bond” variety that I’ll get to later. I wouldn’t recommend it straight, but it was more tolerable when mixed.
For both dollar per alcohol content and dollar per quality in taste, the T.W. Samuels bourbon gives only mediocre value. It is definitely cheap, and that shows in the taste and harsh burn of the spirit. Given the option of paying slightly more for higher quality, I can definitely say I would pony up a little extra cash for something a little more smooth. Not to say that this bourbon is necessarily a bad deal. It seems right on the value line of getting what you pay for, but you aren’t getting something really good for a surprisingly cheap price. It’s just getting what you expect, or at least what I expected.
While researching more about the T.W. Samuels bourbon, I did learn quite a bit. Per the online sources I’ve found, Heaven Hill is the distillery responsible for producing T.W. Samuels, and batches are seemingly quite rare. The original owner and namesake of the brand begot descendents who would eventually create the Maker’s Mark line, a bourbon known for its high quality and bottles hand dipped in wax. As an aside, I have still not yet tried Maker’s Mark, but I would be more than happy to sample it should any of my friends be willing to share.
The original T.W. Samuels distillery closed down, but the buildings still stand in Nelson County, Kentucky. The area was apparently a mecca for bourbon distilleries in the mid- to late-1800s. This discovery also challenged my previous belief that true bourbon was exclusive to Bourbon County, Kentucky. It seems bourbon can come from a variety of places, and the connection to the county may only be coincidental. Equally likely, the bourbon name could come from an association with Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In addition to the complex history of the T.W. Samuels family and brand, I also learned of the “Bottled in Bond” label that some bourbons hold. According to the federal government, “in the case of straight whisky bottled in conformity with the bottled in bond labeling requirements and of domestic or foreign whisky, whether or not mixed or blended, all of which is 4 years old or more, statements of age and percentage are optional” (CFR, 2018). Given this interesting distinction and the history behind it, I would love to pick up a “BIB” bourbon when I’m looking for something new to try.
The bottom line is that you should always put alcohol on your vacation packing list. If you want something specific, pick it up in preparation of the trip and bring it with you. Don’t depend on the availability of liquor stores at your destination, or the selection that they may have. If you do want to try T.W. Samuels, don’t expect to get something better than what you’re paying for. The Bottled in Bond variant is apparently much better, according to some online forums, but I can attest that the 80 proof mixed bourbon is rough around the edges. It’ll do in a pinch, but I can’t see myself buying another bottle of it.
References:
Code of Federal Regulations. (2018, August 22). Title 27: Chapter I: Subchapter A: Part 5: Labeling and Advertising of Distilled Spirits. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=9b2a0a59ad7bdd15023465091823490c&n=27y1.0.1.1.3&r=PART&ty=HTML#27:1.0.1.1.3.3.25.1
Flaviar. (n.d.). T.W. Samuels Bourbon. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://flaviar.com/tw-samuels
Fogfrog. (2008, December 14). T W Samuels. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://www.straightbourbon.com/community/topic/8525-t-w-samuels/
Lipman, J. F. (2003, September). American Spirits: A Visit to the Ruins of the T. W. Samuels Distillery. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from http://www.ellenjaye.com/ghosts-deatsville.htm
Nix, R. (2017, March 14). Exploring Nelson County's abandoned T.W. Samuels Distillery. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://mintjuleptours.com/2017/03/14/exploring-nelson-countys-abandoned-t-w-samuels-distillery/
U/texacer. (2013, August 16). R/bourbon - T.W. Samuels Bottled in Bond: A review. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://www.reddit.com/r/bourbon/comments/1khv6y/tw_samuels_bottled_in_bond_a_review/
US Legal, Inc. (n.d.). Bottled in Bond Law and Legal Definition. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://definitions.uslegal.com/b/bottled-in-bond/
Whiskeypedia. (n.d.). T. W. Samuels. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from http://whiskey.wikia.com/wiki/T._W._Samuels
At the beginning our trip, I decided that we could pick up some alcohol after we arrived and unloaded all our luggage. I understand that liquor laws vary widely between states, but SC tends to have some of the more strict laws than other nearby states. Hence, I tend to assume that I can typically pick up spirits during the same conditions as what I would be able to back home.
When visiting an area that I’m unfamiliar with, I often rely on the expertise of local employees for information. Waitresses, store clerks, and other such workers almost always live nearby, and because of that, they usually know where the best options are for a variety of goods.
In my case, I asked a waitress at our new favorite wing restaurant in the area if she knew of any good liquor stores around. She asked if I’d seen the cross up in the middle of town. I mean… yeah, sure, but what does that have to do with me looking for alcohol? She explained that Pigeon Forge is a dry city. There are no liquor stores within the city limits.
Well, that was a buzz kill. I had intended to pick something up that evening, but I suppose it was not to be. We looked on Google Maps for the nearest liquor store and found one that appeared to be right on the road that stretched from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg. Since we were already planning to go to Gatlinburg the next day, we decided that we would check out this Liquor & Wine of the Smokies and see what they had to offer.
When we pulled off the road at what navigation indicated was our destination, we were both a little perturbed. The store appeared to be a repurposed log cabin that seemed old and rundown from the outside. It was a far cry from the Costco Liquor that I normally visit to satisfy my distilled spirit needs. Alas, it had a sign and markings of a liquor store, so I decided to go in. I’ve been to my fair share of sketch liquor stores, and I haven’t died yet.
I decided before we arrived that I wanted a bottle of bourbon. Of all the types of distilled spirits, bourbon is pretty reliable in that even the cheap stuff will drink. I may prefer something a little more refined, but I haven’t yet encountered a bourbon that I wouldn’t drink. Unfortunately, the liquor store was extremely small, with very limited selection, and most of what they did have was much more expensive than what I wanted to pay. After a few moments, I noticed a fifth of T.W. Samuels with a $9 price tag. Bourbon that cheap would almost certainly be awful, but I figured I may as well try it. Not like I wanted to spend $30 or more on the other options they had in stock.
When we returned to our cabin that evening, I poured a dram of my newly acquired bourbon to assess its quality. As I expected, it was undeniably harsh, with a stiff burn in the back of the throat. Given a better selection of reasonably priced bourbons, I can’t say that I would’ve chosen it again. Still, for $9 per fifth, it’ll drink. The bottle I picked up was 80 proof, standard for bourbon, but T.W. Samuels also offers a 100 proof “bottled in bond” variety that I’ll get to later. I wouldn’t recommend it straight, but it was more tolerable when mixed.
For both dollar per alcohol content and dollar per quality in taste, the T.W. Samuels bourbon gives only mediocre value. It is definitely cheap, and that shows in the taste and harsh burn of the spirit. Given the option of paying slightly more for higher quality, I can definitely say I would pony up a little extra cash for something a little more smooth. Not to say that this bourbon is necessarily a bad deal. It seems right on the value line of getting what you pay for, but you aren’t getting something really good for a surprisingly cheap price. It’s just getting what you expect, or at least what I expected.
While researching more about the T.W. Samuels bourbon, I did learn quite a bit. Per the online sources I’ve found, Heaven Hill is the distillery responsible for producing T.W. Samuels, and batches are seemingly quite rare. The original owner and namesake of the brand begot descendents who would eventually create the Maker’s Mark line, a bourbon known for its high quality and bottles hand dipped in wax. As an aside, I have still not yet tried Maker’s Mark, but I would be more than happy to sample it should any of my friends be willing to share.
The original T.W. Samuels distillery closed down, but the buildings still stand in Nelson County, Kentucky. The area was apparently a mecca for bourbon distilleries in the mid- to late-1800s. This discovery also challenged my previous belief that true bourbon was exclusive to Bourbon County, Kentucky. It seems bourbon can come from a variety of places, and the connection to the county may only be coincidental. Equally likely, the bourbon name could come from an association with Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In addition to the complex history of the T.W. Samuels family and brand, I also learned of the “Bottled in Bond” label that some bourbons hold. According to the federal government, “in the case of straight whisky bottled in conformity with the bottled in bond labeling requirements and of domestic or foreign whisky, whether or not mixed or blended, all of which is 4 years old or more, statements of age and percentage are optional” (CFR, 2018). Given this interesting distinction and the history behind it, I would love to pick up a “BIB” bourbon when I’m looking for something new to try.
The bottom line is that you should always put alcohol on your vacation packing list. If you want something specific, pick it up in preparation of the trip and bring it with you. Don’t depend on the availability of liquor stores at your destination, or the selection that they may have. If you do want to try T.W. Samuels, don’t expect to get something better than what you’re paying for. The Bottled in Bond variant is apparently much better, according to some online forums, but I can attest that the 80 proof mixed bourbon is rough around the edges. It’ll do in a pinch, but I can’t see myself buying another bottle of it.
References:
Code of Federal Regulations. (2018, August 22). Title 27: Chapter I: Subchapter A: Part 5: Labeling and Advertising of Distilled Spirits. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=9b2a0a59ad7bdd15023465091823490c&n=27y1.0.1.1.3&r=PART&ty=HTML#27:1.0.1.1.3.3.25.1
Flaviar. (n.d.). T.W. Samuels Bourbon. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://flaviar.com/tw-samuels
Fogfrog. (2008, December 14). T W Samuels. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://www.straightbourbon.com/community/topic/8525-t-w-samuels/
Lipman, J. F. (2003, September). American Spirits: A Visit to the Ruins of the T. W. Samuels Distillery. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from http://www.ellenjaye.com/ghosts-deatsville.htm
Nix, R. (2017, March 14). Exploring Nelson County's abandoned T.W. Samuels Distillery. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://mintjuleptours.com/2017/03/14/exploring-nelson-countys-abandoned-t-w-samuels-distillery/
U/texacer. (2013, August 16). R/bourbon - T.W. Samuels Bottled in Bond: A review. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://www.reddit.com/r/bourbon/comments/1khv6y/tw_samuels_bottled_in_bond_a_review/
US Legal, Inc. (n.d.). Bottled in Bond Law and Legal Definition. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://definitions.uslegal.com/b/bottled-in-bond/
Whiskeypedia. (n.d.). T. W. Samuels. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from http://whiskey.wikia.com/wiki/T._W._Samuels
Comments
Post a Comment