1792 Aged 12 Years Review

Company: Sazerac Company Inc.

Distillery: Barton 1792 Distillery

Mash Bill: Undisclosed

Age: 12 years

Style: Straight Bourbon

ABV: 48.3% (96.6 proof)

Price: $60 (but typically being sold for $150, or more)

Bottom Line: This is a solid, well-made bourbon. However, for those expected something greater than the Single Barrel or Bottled-in-Bond, the Aged 12 Year may disappoint. The extra years in the barrel add more oak and traditional bourbon flavors that blunt the unique butterscotch palate of some other expressions. It is a good bourbon worth trying and even picking up at retail, but not one to seek out, and certainly not one to pay exorbitant prices on the secondary market.

Background: Launched in 2002 as a high-end addition to the Barton family of whiskies,  1792 quickly found a place in the market. Barton was purchased in 2009 by Sazerac, and today the brand offers a full lineup of decorated whiskies: a Straight Bourbon, Full Proof, Sweet Wheat, Aged 12 Years, High Rye, Port Finish, and Bottled-in-Bond. The Aged 12 Years has been a core part of 1792 for several years, but, like most of the 1792 whiskies other than the Straight Bourbon, can be difficult to find.

Nose: medium-long nose with butterscotch, caramel, brown sugar, ripe bananas, sweet corn. Nice and very on brand for 1792.

Palate: Substantial heat on the palate, with big caramel and oak. While there is still some of the butterscotch sweetness, it seems that some of those flavors have been toned down from younger 1792 expressions with time in the barrel to take on some more classic bourbon characteristics.

Finish: a long, hot finish with a lot of caramel and oak on the finish.

Conclusion: 1792 consistently releases quality bourbon, and the 12 year is no exception. However, when compared to the 1792 Bottled-in- Bond and many of the 1792 Single Barrels, the Aged 12 Years feels lacking. The extra time in the barrel blunts the delicious hallmark sweetness of some of the other expressions, and turns it into a different animal. A good bottle at retail or slightly above if you can find it, but definitely not worth paying the high prices typically accompanying this bottle. This is one to try a glass of at the bar and judge for yourself, and not to buy blindly on the secondary market.