Recently, the idea of bourbon and golf has translated into a few actual golf-related bourbons. Unlike the wine industry, though, where several professionals have lent their names, likenesses and deep pockets to wines and vineyards, we have not yet seen current or even former golf professionals attach themselves directly to bourbons or distilleries. But this doesn’t seem far off, especially given that we have Nick Offerman and Metallica jumping into whisky and whiskey (Jason Kokrak, I’m looking at you).
For now, though, we can fill our Glencairns with a couple of bourbons that have ties to golf. And so, for the very first in-depth look at bourbon on this site, it seems only appropriate to look at golf bourbons. And while I’m likely missing some and would love to hear about them, I’ll focus on the following bourbons – Sweetens Cove and the Bobby Jones Clover Whiskey Collection. I thought about looking into Journeyman given Welter’s Folly, but their bourbons didn’t fit the bill of being a direct tie to golf.
Again, I am no means an expert bourbon taster, but someone starting out who hopefully can provide some helpful thoughts on a bourbon (and I’ll note that unless otherwise indicated, I try all of them neat). So, my “tasting” notes will be limited for now – I will avoid the typical thoughts on a bourbons Nose, Palate, etc., as I tend to think that a lot of folks out there are like me – just looking to find a bourbon that they can enjoy. And of course, it’s all very subjective, so please agree, disagree, etc. – that’s all part of the fun. But I will give my overall impression, which I hope will be of some value, and for now will rate each brown liquor on a golf course scale, with ones most people should know and with plusses and minuses as warranted (and yes, this scale is equally as subjective with its own set of opinions, so I likely will amend whenever it makes sense). And if I ever get a chance to play one of the courses on the top line, you can bet I’ll have a bourbon of that caliber with me. And since this is all about bourbon, I’ll note that these are only US courses:
- Augusta National/Cypress Point/Pine Valley/Shinnecock Hills/Sand Hills (“Augusta” rating for short) – An ultimate bucket list bourbon – one you save for the specialist of occasions.
- Bandon Dunes/Pinehurst/Pebble Beach/Streamsong (“Bandon” rating for short) – An excellent bourbon to save to take on a golf trip to share with your best friends.
- Bethpage/Whistling Straits/TPC Sawgrass (“Bethpage” for short) –A solid bourbon to pull out on weekends to pass around the practice green or firepit.
- Pine Needles/We-Ko-Pa/Arcadia Bluffs (“Pine Needles” for short) – A good bourbon to keep around, some might consider it a daily sipper
- Tiburón /Edgewood Tahoe/Torrey Pines (“Tiburón” for short) –Decent but mainly good for mixed drinks and cocktails.
- Three Jack National – Barely a bourbon.
And here we go…
2021 Sweetens Cove
This offering from an undiscovered and swampy nine-hole course somewhere in rural Tennessee had the backing of some random guys who somehow landed an excellent expert blender and came to market with their first bourbon in 2020. While I was unable to procure a bottle of their debut vintage, I came across their 2021 offering while down south last Fall.
The ’21 is a blend of three Tennessee bourbons, aged 4, 6 and an impressive 16 years, and comes in at 113 proof, give or take .03 (label states 112.97 proof). The packaging is simple but appealing in a short round bottle with a light blue and green label, if one cares about those things.
This bourbon has a very strong sweet flavor at the top – brown sugar and caramel flavors come through. When taking a few sips, the higher proof shines with a burst of fruit and brown sugar flavor towards the end that fades slowly away (in a good way). Really surprisingly tasty – overall, I really enjoyed this bourbon, even though I went into it without expecting that I would (concern about the celebrity backing being a gimmick).
As I’ve mentioned before, I am not a fan of really strong bourbons – the ones that cross the 120 and 130 proof range. But this one sits in an area where I’m still comfortable – near the 110 mark (maybe that extra .03 would’ve driven me the other way). So, in my mind and taste, the hype is real – this is a very solid bourbon that I am glad I own. The only caveat is that it retails for $200, and that is what I paid (no secondary markups on this one yet). At that price point, I unfortunately don’t see myself making sure I have a bottle open and readily available for daily sipping. Instead, I think it’s one to have to take on a golf weekend with friends – something to enjoy with others in a memorable setting. And that’s what I plan to do with mine.
Rating – Bandon
The Clovers
Bobby Jones has been distilling whiskey forever and finally was able to perfect several versions that he personally brought to market under the Clover brand. Don’t we all wish. Instead, this collection comes from a distiller in my home state of North Carolina and includes a single barrel 4-yr bourbon (sourced from some unknown place in Indiana), a single barrel 10-yr Tennessee whiskey and a single barrel 4-year rye. The collection gets its name from a four-leaf clover medallion given to Bobby Jones by his mom for good fortune that he reportedly wore in every match. I understand the 10-year bourbon has water distillate from the original pond in front of the 12th green at Augusta which is mingled with new pond water through the solera process in each bottling. Anyway, I bought and sampled the 4-yr and 10-yr bourbons and not the rye – maybe later. Both are presented in attractive square bottles with different photos of Bobby Jones, a copy of his autograph, and yes, a clover.
Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey – 92 proof
This is light with no real flavors coming through until I did notice some spice (what spice, good question) and vanilla. I can’t put my finger on it, but this reminds me of another bourbon – seems like very same mashbill. I’ll update when I solve this wordle. While not unpleasant, I can’t see myself running to buy another bottle of this, especially since I can find others at this price point or below that are much better. Given its availability, I would love to say that I would make this a regular pour, but I unfortunately expect this one bottle will linger around in my cabinet, and I won’t be rushing out for more.
Rating – Tiburón
Single Barrel Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey – 10-yr, 90 proof
I felt like I was missing something as the first tastes of this bourbon were light and unremarkable, but then the flavors really opened up upon a full taste. I became more impressed with this bourbon as I drank it, and it continued to open up days and weeks after I first popped the cork. I need to go back to this and will update these thoughts, but right now, for the price of $10 more than the Clover 4yr, I would absolutely skip over that one and go for the older age statement from Tennessee.
Rating – Bethpage
So, there you go – my first stab at some bourbon reviews. I would love to get some reads, thoughts, etc. And it seems only natural that I should follow up this article with one entitled “Bourbon Golf” – a review of golf along the Kentucky bourbon trail, a trip which I hopefully am able to take sometime soon.
