A twelve year age statement on any bottle is desirable, but is 1792's oldest expression worth the hunt?
Tasting Notes
Nose: Vanilla and fruit forward rounded out by rye spice. Slight notes of charred oak sneak through as well. Out of the glass it reminds me of cinnamon banana nut bread.
Palate: Sweet fruit and vanilla cream notes hit in the front palate. 1792's heavy rye mash bill makes its presence felt in the mid and back palate, along with a little oak. Overall it's a straight forward and rather simple experience.
Finish: Surprisingly smooth for a 96.6 proof bourbon. It comes across a little thin on the finish, but notes of buttery rye spice and sweet oak linger just long enough to remind you that this is a well aged bourbon.
Final Thoughts
1792 Aged Twelve Years is a bottle that I've been eager to get my hands on. I'm a big fan of 1792's Small Batch, Bottled-in-Bond, and Full Proof expressions. When I was finally able to hunt a bottle down, my eagerness led be to pay double it's MSRP of $49.99 from reputable online retailer. With shipping and tax my bottle of 1972 Aged 12 Years came in at just over $105. I won't be doing that again. Let me explain why.
This limited edition 12 year expression from 1792 is a good quality bourbon, but unfortunately it's not a $100 good. No matter how many times I went back to this bottle, it just didn't live up to hype I had built up around it. It's a little thinner than I'd prefer and I would have liked a little more complexity and robustness based on it's 96.6 proof statement.
When I was finally able to hunt a bottle down, my eagerness led be to pay double it's MSRP of $49.99 from reputable online retailer. I won't be doing that again.
That doesn't mean that 1792 Aged 12 Years is a bad bourbon, it's a solid and well sorted whiskey experience. If you're someone who prefers smooth bourbons with sweet fruity taste profiles and prominent rye spice, this a great value at $49.99. But at that price point, 1792's Full Proof offers a significantly better experience in my opinion.
I think there are a lot of folks who will truly appreciate this 12 year limited edition expression from 1792, but it's not a bottle I'd go to great lengths to hunt down. Personally speaking, if I ever stumble upon a bottle for $50, I'd pick it up as gift for someone who will appreciate it more than me.
Final Score: 190 out of 271 Kentucky Miles ( good quality bourbon whiskey )
1972 Aged 12 Years Photo Gallery
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