Thirsty Thursday Eve - Kentucky Gentleman Bourbon

I needed to restock on bourbon recently and I found a surprisingly decent bottle for surprisingly cheap.

Name: Kentucky Gentleman

Source:         Barton Distilling Company

Style: Bourbon

ABV: 40%

Price: $8.95

Volume:         750ml

Price per oz: $0.35

There’s a time for good bourbon, and there’s a time for cheap bourbon. There is no time for bad bourbon. Friends don’t let friends drink bad bourbon.

What I wanted was cheap bourbon. Specifically, I wanted a handle of Evan Williams black label from Costco, but I didn’t feel like driving that far and I wouldn’t be driving back into the office for probably a few more weeks at least. I needed something to tide me over until I could restock the bourbon I actually wanted. The liquor store in the town over with the nice old man who doesn’t drink would have to do.

I didn’t want to spend good bourbon money, but I also didn’t want to risk buying a bottle of bad bourbon. I looked around the store for a little while, just seeing what my options were. They had Jack Daniel’s on sale, but it was still $20 for a fifth. Yes, I know Jack Daniel’s isn’t bourbon, but it scratches the same itch. I’d take Tennessee whiskey or bourbon. They’re effectively interchangeable for my purposes.

Eventually, I noticed the Kentucky Gentlemen sitting down near the floor at $8.95 for a fifth. It was a gamble, but I figured you never know until you try it. Sure, it could bite me the way T.W. Samuels did, but I couldn’t pan a bottle from a brand I had never tried. At less than $10, I decided I wasn’t out much if it was garbage. It at least looked a little better than T.W. Samuels.

I picked up a bottle and brought it home. I poured a shot and braced myself for something potentially awful. Pleasantly surprising, it wasn’t bad. It obviously wasn’t good bourbon, but it wasn’t bad bourbon either. It was comfortably in the range of cheap bourbon. It mixes well, and it drinks straight in a pinch.

Doing some research into the creators of Kentucky Gentleman, Barton Distilling Company was listed as the bottler. I wondered if it was the same Barton that makes the Kirkland Signature stuff I got a few years ago. Sure enough, “Barton Brands” makes both Kentucky Gentleman and 1792 Bourbon, along with a whole host of other distilled spirits. I’m not sure if “bottled by” suggests a different source of the liquid itself, but it’s under the same ownership at least. Makes sense that they would even try to keep the cheap stuff decent.

Depending on the situation, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way for Kentucky Gentleman again, but it certainly would be in the short list of cheap bourbon if options are limited. If I had to pick between the two, I would likely choose Bird Dog over Kentucky Gentleman, but I also got Bird Dog on sale and I’m not sure how it compares at standard price. If I’m looking for cheap bourbon and a Costco run isn’t in the cards, Kentucky Gentleman does fit the bill and I wouldn’t turn down a bottle.