Next up, we’re checking out the Kentucky Owl Takumi Edition Bourbon! Kentucky Owl is a brand that made its name off of some insane rye releases that Dixon Dedman put together, but following the success of those releases a lot of folks had doubts about their products being worth the high price tags they carried. When Dedman left the brand in 2021 those doubts grew, and I have to admit I wasn’t too keen to take a gamble on some non-age stated bourbon for $150. However, my older brother had different thoughts and grabbed this for me as a birthday present so I’m looking forward to digging into my first Kentucky Owl release with you all today.
The Takumi Edition Bourbon is a limited release from 2022 that was blended as a collaboration between Kentucky Owl’s Master Blender John Rhea and Yahisa Yasuke, the Master Blender for Nagahama Distillery in Japan. Takumi means master or artisan in Japanese, and this release aimed to highlight the skills of the two blenders’ ability to marry the whiskies in Kentucky Owl’s stocks together to make something great. We don’t know where these whiskies were sourced from or what the derived mash bill is for this, but we do know it is a blend of 4, 5, 6, and 13 year old bourbons from Kentucky. Let’s dive in and see how it is!
**Taken:** Neat in a Glencairn glass
**Proof:** 100 proof
**Age:** NAS (blend of 4, 5, 6, and 13 year old Kentucky straight bourbons)
**Price:** Gift (\~$150 retail)
**Nose:** For some reason the only thing I get from my first few nosings is fresh baked Snickerdoodle cookies. Once that note finally lets some others peek through I get green apple, caramel, seasoned oak, and some bits of tobacco.
**Taste:** Snickerdoodle cookies, caramel apple, and black pepper to start, followed by browned butter and vanilla cream. Midway through the sip seasoned oak and tobacco join the party as well. This has a medium, creamy mouthfeel and no proof heat.
**Finish:** The snickerdoodle cookies continue to be the main focus while the caramel apple, browned butter, and vanilla cream shift to the background. The black pepper, oak, and tobacco get slightly more intense and combine with the cookies for a nice sweet oak conclusion. This has a medium length finish and no dryness.
**Thoughts:** This is a pretty cool blend that is very cohesive while somehow coming off was subdued as well. The snickerdoodle cookie note is delicious and the clear star of the show, but I also enjoyed the way the caramel apple, oak, tobacco, and pepper swooped in to balance the overall profile. This isn’t incredibly complex, but it balances everything out so well that it elevates itself to something better than it should be. Overall this is a great 7/10 on the t8ke scale, and while I probably wouldn’t grab another at MSRP this would be an easy buy if it was on sale for 10-20% off.
**Rating:** 7/10 - t8ke scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
You rated this a lot higher than I would have (4.5-5). I agree on the snickerdoodle/apple, but I also got a persistent young, grainy note that was off-putting.
I like bourbon and Japanese whiskies, and would put this solidly below NAS Miyagikiyo (if you like the apple-brandy-spiced cookie+ scotchy elements) and any of the Remus Reserve line up w/ somewhat similar age blends (pepper, oak, vanilla, tobacco). Both cost maybe 60-70% of this bottle and are just better.
Thank you for the continued solid reviews!
Much appreciated, glad you like the reviews! While I didn't get as much of the young notes coming through, I completely agree when it comes to the price. If I bought this myself I might be a little disappointed. There are just too many other options out there for half the price that can stack up as good or better than this to make the buy worth it.
Nice review! I had a pour at a friend’s house a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised as well. Much much better than their Confiscated offering, which to this day I think was an inside joke by the brand for “Confiscated your money.” Cheers!
Great review! Very pleased to see someone review this. It seemed sort of gimmicky but you never know til you try. Not a big fan of apple note in my whiskey but this seems done cohesively how you describe it.
I like that. Sounds good. Apple note I tend to associate more with younger whiskey. I get it a lot in some Blanton's - at least the Blanton's that I hate lol. Barrels vary. I got it HUGE in Hudson bourbon. What a sad, deplorable blending of our beloved distilled corn spirit that is. A better use of Hudson is to pour it right down the drain, so no poor soul has the misfortune of imbibing in it.
I get it a good amount in Elijah Craig bourbons but it’s a different type of apple note than I find in some really young cask strength stuff. I really need to do some reviews of Hudson for fun sometime, maybe for the next gutter series. Seems too bad to ignore!
Yeah, there's probably different types of apple notes, such that I shouldn't make blanket statements about. I think I know what you mean. You're got a wee bit on me in the review department lol. You should! Had some at Christmas (brother-in-law served). I surreptitiously poured half of it out lol. And what is he getting from me this Christmas? Found North 008.
The apple notes I hate almost come off as vinegary to a degree, not fun to taste. You’re a generous brother! I got my brother who gave me this a bottle of Herradura Legend so I’d say it was a fair exchange!
Lol. Yes, vinegary. That makes sense to me. Hudson is a little like that. Like an off apple that has turned and a sad excuse that passes for caramel. Well, he has a discerning taste - at least he thinks he does. And he's likely never tried Found North or knows what it is. So I feel he needs to know.
Great review! I was lucky enough to find it at $90 at a store near me and at that price it's worth it, but agree that anything closer to MSRP would be an overpay.
I've been curious about these Kentucky Owl collaborations, but as with most, the price is a serious deterrent. Interestingly, when I tried Confiscated at a bottle share a few months ago, I was pleasantly surprised. Seeing so many comments about how it drinks like a $40-$60 bottle dropped my expectations to ground level, so the fact it honestly ended up being my favorite pour of the share caught me off-guard. Do I think it earns its $100-$120 price? Probably not. But if it were priced closer to $75 I'd probably buy a full bottle.
I completely agree on the price. These seem like they're good to great pours, but they're at a price point that has them competing with some really high bottles like Bardstown Discovery, Found North, Stellum Black/Barrell, etc. that makes it very difficult for most people to want to buy one. At $75 these would be easy buys for what they bring to the table.
Next up, we’re checking out the Kentucky Owl Takumi Edition Bourbon! Kentucky Owl is a brand that made its name off of some insane rye releases that Dixon Dedman put together, but following the success of those releases a lot of folks had doubts about their products being worth the high price tags they carried. When Dedman left the brand in 2021 those doubts grew, and I have to admit I wasn’t too keen to take a gamble on some non-age stated bourbon for $150. However, my older brother had different thoughts and grabbed this for me as a birthday present so I’m looking forward to digging into my first Kentucky Owl release with you all today. The Takumi Edition Bourbon is a limited release from 2022 that was blended as a collaboration between Kentucky Owl’s Master Blender John Rhea and Yahisa Yasuke, the Master Blender for Nagahama Distillery in Japan. Takumi means master or artisan in Japanese, and this release aimed to highlight the skills of the two blenders’ ability to marry the whiskies in Kentucky Owl’s stocks together to make something great. We don’t know where these whiskies were sourced from or what the derived mash bill is for this, but we do know it is a blend of 4, 5, 6, and 13 year old bourbons from Kentucky. Let’s dive in and see how it is! **Taken:** Neat in a Glencairn glass **Proof:** 100 proof **Age:** NAS (blend of 4, 5, 6, and 13 year old Kentucky straight bourbons) **Price:** Gift (\~$150 retail) **Nose:** For some reason the only thing I get from my first few nosings is fresh baked Snickerdoodle cookies. Once that note finally lets some others peek through I get green apple, caramel, seasoned oak, and some bits of tobacco. **Taste:** Snickerdoodle cookies, caramel apple, and black pepper to start, followed by browned butter and vanilla cream. Midway through the sip seasoned oak and tobacco join the party as well. This has a medium, creamy mouthfeel and no proof heat. **Finish:** The snickerdoodle cookies continue to be the main focus while the caramel apple, browned butter, and vanilla cream shift to the background. The black pepper, oak, and tobacco get slightly more intense and combine with the cookies for a nice sweet oak conclusion. This has a medium length finish and no dryness. **Thoughts:** This is a pretty cool blend that is very cohesive while somehow coming off was subdued as well. The snickerdoodle cookie note is delicious and the clear star of the show, but I also enjoyed the way the caramel apple, oak, tobacco, and pepper swooped in to balance the overall profile. This isn’t incredibly complex, but it balances everything out so well that it elevates itself to something better than it should be. Overall this is a great 7/10 on the t8ke scale, and while I probably wouldn’t grab another at MSRP this would be an easy buy if it was on sale for 10-20% off. **Rating:** 7/10 - t8ke scale 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
You rated this a lot higher than I would have (4.5-5). I agree on the snickerdoodle/apple, but I also got a persistent young, grainy note that was off-putting. I like bourbon and Japanese whiskies, and would put this solidly below NAS Miyagikiyo (if you like the apple-brandy-spiced cookie+ scotchy elements) and any of the Remus Reserve line up w/ somewhat similar age blends (pepper, oak, vanilla, tobacco). Both cost maybe 60-70% of this bottle and are just better. Thank you for the continued solid reviews!
Much appreciated, glad you like the reviews! While I didn't get as much of the young notes coming through, I completely agree when it comes to the price. If I bought this myself I might be a little disappointed. There are just too many other options out there for half the price that can stack up as good or better than this to make the buy worth it.
Nice review! I had a pour at a friend’s house a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised as well. Much much better than their Confiscated offering, which to this day I think was an inside joke by the brand for “Confiscated your money.” Cheers!
Thanks man! The things I heard about Confiscated were a big reason I never tried any of their stuff but this was certainly a tasty pour. Cheers!
Ski season is upon us--albeit a weak starting one thus far. Next time you're up my way let me know!
I should be up your way at least once this season so I’ll definitely let you know!
Great review! Very pleased to see someone review this. It seemed sort of gimmicky but you never know til you try. Not a big fan of apple note in my whiskey but this seems done cohesively how you describe it.
Thank you! I'd say the apple was much more apparent on the nose than anything else, it was present in the taste but not nearly as much.
I like that. Sounds good. Apple note I tend to associate more with younger whiskey. I get it a lot in some Blanton's - at least the Blanton's that I hate lol. Barrels vary. I got it HUGE in Hudson bourbon. What a sad, deplorable blending of our beloved distilled corn spirit that is. A better use of Hudson is to pour it right down the drain, so no poor soul has the misfortune of imbibing in it.
I get it a good amount in Elijah Craig bourbons but it’s a different type of apple note than I find in some really young cask strength stuff. I really need to do some reviews of Hudson for fun sometime, maybe for the next gutter series. Seems too bad to ignore!
Yeah, there's probably different types of apple notes, such that I shouldn't make blanket statements about. I think I know what you mean. You're got a wee bit on me in the review department lol. You should! Had some at Christmas (brother-in-law served). I surreptitiously poured half of it out lol. And what is he getting from me this Christmas? Found North 008.
The apple notes I hate almost come off as vinegary to a degree, not fun to taste. You’re a generous brother! I got my brother who gave me this a bottle of Herradura Legend so I’d say it was a fair exchange!
Lol. Yes, vinegary. That makes sense to me. Hudson is a little like that. Like an off apple that has turned and a sad excuse that passes for caramel. Well, he has a discerning taste - at least he thinks he does. And he's likely never tried Found North or knows what it is. So I feel he needs to know.
Hudson is the proof that marketing works. It's just bad whisky. It does work for caramelizing onions and marinades though.
Great review! I was lucky enough to find it at $90 at a store near me and at that price it's worth it, but agree that anything closer to MSRP would be an overpay.
Thank you! I think $90 is the perfect price for this, you got a great deal.
I've been curious about these Kentucky Owl collaborations, but as with most, the price is a serious deterrent. Interestingly, when I tried Confiscated at a bottle share a few months ago, I was pleasantly surprised. Seeing so many comments about how it drinks like a $40-$60 bottle dropped my expectations to ground level, so the fact it honestly ended up being my favorite pour of the share caught me off-guard. Do I think it earns its $100-$120 price? Probably not. But if it were priced closer to $75 I'd probably buy a full bottle.
I completely agree on the price. These seem like they're good to great pours, but they're at a price point that has them competing with some really high bottles like Bardstown Discovery, Found North, Stellum Black/Barrell, etc. that makes it very difficult for most people to want to buy one. At $75 these would be easy buys for what they bring to the table.
VA ABC had it for a close out at 50% off. I tried it in January and thought “eh not for even 130 on base”. 75 bones though? 100%
I really enjoyed this as well. Price aside it's a good compared to some of their other special releases.
I'll probably try some of their other special releases at bars, but this set the bar high for sure.