Wolcott Bourbon Review
Meet Luke
Luke is a Level I Certified Whiskey Specialist with a passion for exploring and unearthing the best whiskeys around. Luke has a preference for Rye whiskeys but has tasted over 250 different whiskeys to date varying from bourbons to scotches. He continues to expand upon his whiskey knowledge by tasting dozens of bottles monthly and reviewing them here on Barrel and Brew as he pursues his Masters of Whiskey certification.
We were walking through Total Wine and see a Total Wine Spirits Direct bourbon for $30 that won gold at the San Fran World Spirits Competition. We’ve had plenty of Spirits Direct whiskeys like First Call, Glen Fohdry, Grangestone, and more, and we have some mixed opinions on them. Well, we figured we try another with Wolcott Bourbon.
Usually, we cover a lot of different aspects of a whiskey – namely, the company and it’s history behind it. However, in this Wolcott Bourbon Review, we’re going to stick to primarily what’s inside the bottle. That’s because there’s very little information out there about Wolcott Bourbon.
Wolcott Bourbon Overview
- Spirit: Kentucky Straight Whiskey
- Owned By: Sazerac/Buffalo Trace
- Distilled By: Barton 1792 Distillery
- Aged: NAS (Minimum 4 Years)
- ABV: 45%, 90 proof
- Mashbill: At least 51% corn, rye, malted barley
- Price: $30
Like Is aid, there’s not much here. Wolcott Bourbon is distilled, aged, and bottled by the Clear Springs Distilling Co., which is a company owned by Buffalo Trace and, subsequently, Sazerac. The actual distilling takes place at the Barton 1792 Distillery. The bottle makes that very clear, but that’s about all you get from them.
We don’t know the mashbill, but we do know it’s at least 51% corn and uses rye and malted barley. Other than that, this is a NAS (no age statement) whiskey, so it’s spent a minimum 4 years in new charred American oak.
Wolcott Bourbon is 90 proof, 45% ABV, and costs $30 at Total Wine.
Wolcott Bourbon Tasting Notes
I like when whiskeys have a cool history and a cool story. I like when whiskey is transparent about exactly what is in the bottle. But at the end of the day, what really counts is the whiskey inside the bottle. So, without further ado, let’s pour ourselves a dram and get to these notes.
Nose: There’s a nice oak and a hint of alcohol off the bat. Other than that, I’m getting plenty of your typical bourbon notes. Vanilla, cherry, and pear provide some sweet, fruity notes on top of the oak. Taking a sip and going back to the nose brings out a touch of roasted peanut and spice as well.
Palate: Vanilla, oak, some brown sugar, maraschino cherry. Mouthfeel is fairly decent. Not super rich and thick, not thin and sharp either.
Finish: Sweet vanilla, oak, and some light pepper. On the short side of things but mild and easy.
Taste Summary
This is 100% a middle of the road bourbon. Think of your typical bourbon notes and this has it. There is absolutely nothing wrong or off-putting with Wolcott Bourbon, there’s just nothing special or unique about it.
I don’t say that as a bad thing either. It’s a whiskey produced by one of the most notable distilleries in the world and one of the biggest spirits companies in the world. They likely have stores and stores of whiskey laying around and decided to bottle this up and sell it to Total Wine to make a little bit of money.
Value
There’s value in Wolcott Bourbon, and a lot of it comes from it’s price. It’s $30 for a bottle at Total Wine, and it drinks like a decent $30 bottle. This is no ones favorite whiskey, but anyone who likes bourbon won’t have a problem with it either.
Wolcott Bourbon is a solid option to have around when you’re just looking to sip something without tapping into your favorite bottles. It’s something to serve guests.
The 8 Best Whiskeys For Your Old Fashioned
Wolcott Bourbon Review Summary
This is probably one of the simpler reviews I’ll ever do. There’s not much to Wolcott Bourbon. It’s produced at the Barton 1792 Distillery – where 1792 small batch bourbon is made – and it has a very standard, typical bourbon profile. It’s also $30 at any Total Wine store, so it comes in at a very average and typical price, too.
For a similar price, I’d rather buy Redwood Empire Bourbon, Smoke Wagon Bourbon, or Cooper’s Craft. Do with this information what you will.
Why don’t some “distillers” (I use that word loosely since a lot of distilled spirits with heartwarming stories and “great grandaddy’s secret recipe” behind them and they’re nothing more than MGP-sourced products) tell us the mash-bills of their products? What are they hiding…flavorings, additives, colorings, etc.?
First time that I am going to try this Burbon and it was recommended for drinking and relaxation. Can’t wait
I purchased the Wolcott’s next level at 120 proof, It says Rickhouse Reserve on the label but thats it. Can you tell us anymore about it? I’m bringing this over to my neighbors for a tasting and like to research my contributions a lot more!!
I’m always wary of Total Wine’s Spirits Direct options (TW employees are incentivized to push them). I’ve had some good ones and some pretty bad ones, but never any fantastic ones. I’ve never had their Wolcott Rickhouse Reserve, but based on some reviews I’ve read it seems that people enjoy it, and I’d guess that it’s a fairly average to decent 120 proof bourbon given the price. It doesn’t appear to be single barrel, just close to barrel proof.
A similar, although ~$10 more expensive, option would be 1792 Full Proof. It’s made at the same distillery, I believe the same mashbill (74% corn, 18% rye, 8% malted barely), just likely better/different barrels. Let me know what y’all think, and happy tasting!
Why would anyone buy a $30 90 proof bottle of “who knows what” distilled by a company owned by Sazerac, when you can buy 90 proof Buffalo Trace for $25??? Or any number of other quality bourbons that sell for under $30 from Elijah Craig, Old Forester (BIB), Wild Turkey 101, Makers Mark, or many others? I would consider trying the Rickhouse reserve 120 proof at $42. But only because that’s a good price for a high proof bourbon. But this 90 proof stuff would need to be in the low $20s to be of any interest to me.