Overview:
Black Saddle 12-year-old bourbon is one of those whiskeys that you don’t hear too much about. In fact, I had never heard of it until the guy and liquor store sold me on it.
“It won double gold at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco in 2014,” he said.
“Hmmm,” I said. Okay, I’ll give it a try. It wasn’t cheap, but I have to be honest, I keep coming back to it. It’s a well-balanced, rich in flavor and delightful to drink.
Company Specs:
Rich amber color along with an aroma of spicy nougat, creme brulee and hard candy. Notes of pepper spices, toasted cinnamon, and hints of vanilla.
Awards:
Black Saddle 12 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2014, where it was named the “Best Small Batch Bourbon.”
Tasting Grade: A-
A lovely bourbon. I’m glad more people don’t know about it. It’s smooth, easy drinking but also really flavorful — one of the best tasting bourbons I’ve had.
Value Grade: B-
At 50-some-odd dollars, it’s a bit pricey. One can argue that they could buy Weller 12 or Elijah Craig 12 for almost half the price and get a bourbon that’s also aged 12 years. But Black Saddle blows both out of the water. I have great respect for both, but Black Saddle is a cut above the other 12-year-old bourbons I’ve tasted.
Overall Rating: B+
A great bourbon. I think if it wasn’t so pricey it’d easily earn an “A” rating. But alas, it’s a bit overpriced. Just under $50 is where it should fall.
The Whiskey Post 
Most places in TN, it’s $39-44. To me, that’s the minimum that a really good bottle of whiskey should cost. Most of the really quality whiskeys are limited production and if they all cost $25, then there would be none available. People would buy them as mixers. I just don’t get how people think that a really good whiskey for $50 is overpriced. If you want to spend $25, then go buy a bottle of Jack Daniels or Jim beam. If you want good juice, it should cost more than the “mixers”. Just my opinion.
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I agree great whisky I would buy it over Blanton not taking a anything away from blantons
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Trying my first bottle of BS and immediately wondered what flavorants have been added. There’s something peppery and chemically about its aftertaste. I’m sure that I’m not the only taster who’s wondering…
Reviewers like Blannelberry need to do more homework than sip this stuff!
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This is the best bourbon I’ve had to date, and I’ve been drinking bourbons for decades. To me this is slightly undervalued as I’ve had much more expensive bourbons that weren’t nearly as good. An incredibly smooth bourbon, much like an 18 y/o scotch. The one thing about this bourbon that most sourced bourbons don’t have is consistency (Willett Pot Still being the worst offender). I’ve had 5 or 6 bottles over the past couple of years and every one was equally great. However, being a sourced bourbon it does worry me that someday that may change…At least it is sourced from Kentucky.
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