Sam Houston bourbon stands at No. 25 on my all-time list, and will soon pass into the next level, but that's not important right now.
When I went to Warehouse Wines the other night with the money from the undeserved bonus I got from a well-heeled client, one of the bourbons I bought was Sam Houston. As I was opening the bottle last night, for some reason I was inclined to read the label. I didn't really think I needed to, because after all, it's the same bourbon I reviewed and loved on August 14, 2006, right?
Not so fast, Charlie. We all know what's happened to various American whiskeys that we love. We've consoled each other over the lowering of the proof on some big names, and expressed our displeasure at no longer wanting a once dearly beloved product. After all, when proof goes down, flavor changes, and it's not the same product any more.
Well, the same thing has happened with Sam Houston. I will be amending the Top 25 list, and cautioning you all, if you buy a bottle of Sam Houston and it doesn't say 90 proof on it, that's not the one I reviewed and loved. My bottle says 85.6 proof, and the "proof" is in the tasting. Actually, it's not in the tasting, and the loss of 4.4 proof has provided enough of a change in flavor for me to warn you all.
It won't matter much, because Sam Houston will pass out of the Top 25 soon, but when this bottle passes me by, it won't be passing by the Ziggurat of Bloofingtonia any more. This stuff is good, but I don't drink anything less than 90 proof, although I won't turn down a glass of Jim Beam Black at 86 proof.
But buy it? No way.
Neither will I be buying Sam Houston any more. It also no longer contains an age statement, whereas the one I reviewed was ten years old.
The Top 25 list as shown in the sticky will be amended until new bourbons push it out of the list.
When I went to Warehouse Wines the other night with the money from the undeserved bonus I got from a well-heeled client, one of the bourbons I bought was Sam Houston. As I was opening the bottle last night, for some reason I was inclined to read the label. I didn't really think I needed to, because after all, it's the same bourbon I reviewed and loved on August 14, 2006, right?
Not so fast, Charlie. We all know what's happened to various American whiskeys that we love. We've consoled each other over the lowering of the proof on some big names, and expressed our displeasure at no longer wanting a once dearly beloved product. After all, when proof goes down, flavor changes, and it's not the same product any more.
Well, the same thing has happened with Sam Houston. I will be amending the Top 25 list, and cautioning you all, if you buy a bottle of Sam Houston and it doesn't say 90 proof on it, that's not the one I reviewed and loved. My bottle says 85.6 proof, and the "proof" is in the tasting. Actually, it's not in the tasting, and the loss of 4.4 proof has provided enough of a change in flavor for me to warn you all.
It won't matter much, because Sam Houston will pass out of the Top 25 soon, but when this bottle passes me by, it won't be passing by the Ziggurat of Bloofingtonia any more. This stuff is good, but I don't drink anything less than 90 proof, although I won't turn down a glass of Jim Beam Black at 86 proof.
But buy it? No way.
Neither will I be buying Sam Houston any more. It also no longer contains an age statement, whereas the one I reviewed was ten years old.
The Top 25 list as shown in the sticky will be amended until new bourbons push it out of the list.