Bourbon Reviews:




Bottling NameSam Houston
Bottled ByMcLain and Kyne / Castle Brands ,
TypeKentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Alcohol content90 Proof
Availability US: Available Japan: Unknown Duty Free: Not Available Europe: Unknown
Age10
Views (since 20080612) 28137
Bottling InfoAntique amber color. Mature aromas and flavors and wonderfully balance. Notes of toffee, charred oak, marmalade, assorted candied fruit, soft leather and subtle spice. Pleasant, lingering finish. What really makes this whiskey special is its wonderful balance. It has all the richness and depth you would expect from an older bourbon, but still manages to maintain its balance and youth. And there's a soft side to the whiskey that is very charming.

- Malt Advocate

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Beautiful, bright, and impeccably clean amber color. "Nosing" reveals delicate scents of red fruit, rye bread and oak resin. "Palate" blossoms with rich, tangy flavors induding nut meat, wood resin, corn mash, rye bread, and dry cereal. "Aftertaste" is long, sweet, opulently textured, and most importantly, invites a second sip: a nice, well crafted bourbon that's on par with its more scafely sibling the very fine Jefferson's Reserve KSB.

- Paul Pacult



Review from BuffaloBill (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1437, Created:20090120134023)
Purchased at:NH
Purchased for:$30
Info on this bottle:Sam Houston / Batch #48 / Bottle #1538 (Fourth tasting - Third Post)
Nose:...and on the fourth day a medley of fruit arrives, along with lemon zest and citrus notes, dry spices, corn bread, cake, and caramel.
Taste:Same as the above - it's all here. Integrated flavors...
Finish:Medium to long, silky, with no off-notes. Semi-dry. Linear, from nose to finish.
Overall:A superb pour. I'm buying more... BB

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Review from BuffaloBill (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1435, Created:20090119104818) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:NH
Purchased for:$30
Info on this bottle:Sam Houston / Batch #48 / Bottle #1538 (Third Tasting - Second Post)
Nose:Initially upon opening this bottle it didn't do much for me, but three days later it's showing a lot more refinement, texture, and aroma. For an 85.6 Proofer this is morphing into a good batch and I'm rather surprised after the past reviews. No longer disappointed here, actually - I'm rather intrigued. One has to be very patient with the latest bottlings...
Taste:The EC-12 relationship I had upon opening this bottle has shifted, now it's coming together with a more syrupy texture; lots of maple, caramel, and bright resinous wood/some char, vanilla, straw and grain. It's has a touch of the old Michter's US-1, not the new stuff. Chameleon-like, close cousins to Elijah Craig but much better in time.
Finish:The finish is also stating to show with a somewhat silky and fairly lengthy close. More residual sugars coming to the surface.
Overall:I taking a liking to this particular bottling. Dry heat, but the viscosity shows real big. Good legs... and it's also showing some subtle leather which it did not upon opening. Butter-Rum (Lifesavers) is another feature after a few days. I'm retracting my earlier anonymous post and giving this bourbon a chance. It's good! BB

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Review from Anonymous (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1434, Created:20090118194842)
Purchased at:NH
Purchased for:$30 (on sale from $36)
Info on this bottle:Sam Houston / Batch #48 / Bottle #1538
Nose:What nose?!? No big surprise... because there's nothing remarkable here.
Taste:Rich viscosity with some caramel, rich caramel color (???) but it doesn't make me stand up and dance Texas-Style. Again, there isn't much to write about here.

One thing comes to mind: If you like EC12 you might like this cousin... decent grain, some caramel, nothing to contemplate, but drinkable.
Finish:Nada.
Overall:I've had better bourbon for less. It's ok, it's drinkable, but I'm not impressed. BB

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1296, Created:20080917212715)
Purchased at:Whiskey Bar Denver
Purchased for:$5
Nose:Bubble gum. grass, wet hey... and then some type of suger.... brown maby that was burning..
Taste:Liek the nose.. not a great tastinging bourbon.
Finish:short.. wet.. somthing here like playing in a pile of hey..
Overall:I was going to grab a OWA and the guy talked me into this.. I should have gotten the OWA

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 562, Created:20060807112054, Updated:20060807122214)
Purchased at:Sigman Bottle Shop, Conyers, GA
Purchased for:$28
Info on this bottle:Batch 22, Bottle 1795
Nose:Cucumbers......yep cucumbers........and not unpleasant. There is also dry oak, vanilla, straw, grass and clover, and loamy soil, as well as light fruits, with citrus being the most prominent. A distinct bourbon nose.
Taste:Since my first review of Sam Houston a year ago, my taste must have changed a bit. It seems now to have an 'off' taste that is 'off-putting'. Seems like old Sam was dragged throught the mud and didn't quite get it all off before coming to the party. It tastes like somebody added some vegatable juice from some not yet ripe vegatables to the barrels.
Finish:No one from home will be receiving a letter about the finish of SH (I ain't gone write home about it). To my palate there is an unpleasant aftertaste that I can't get beyond.
Overall:A year ago, I found the unusual taste of SH to have some appeal. Now, I am not fond of it. I would like to see some other reviews of SH......perhaps I am missing its best qualities.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 256, Created:20050822121841, Updated:20050824114530)
Purchased at:Sigman Bottle Shop Conyers, GA
Purchased for:$28
Info on this bottle:Batch 22, bottle 1795
Nose:SH presents a different bourbon nose to me. Of all things, I get cucumbers, grass, straw and vegatative aromas. As it opens in the glass, I get the more traditional oak, vanilla, and corn. Yet, the smell of the garden persists, not a bit to the detriment of the nose.
Taste:A taste befitting the nose opens upfront. Nothing strikes out on its on here. It is as if the aromas have been trained to march together and coordinate their movements. I like what I taste here and am pleasantly surprised. The vegatative (I am searching for a more appropriate word and find none) cocktail, the corn, the oak, vanilla, and char, all march together to a delightful tune.
Finish:The finish is moderate and the flavors are not sustained for very long. But, the uniqueness in the nose and taste retain echoes as the fire goes out.
Overall:I like a bourbon that offers a different taste sensation. One that is a bit hard to characterize. For me, Sam Houston bourbon fits the bill. I bet I could easily be fooled in a blind tasting by this bourbon. I would take it for a much more expensive bourbon. It offers complexity, a range of different flavors, and a creditable finish. I find it to be an exceptional bourbon and one that I recommend others try. Try it, I bet you will like it!!

P.S. I went back to this bourbon a couple of days after the initial review and did a side by side with a very good small batch bourbon that I enjoy (about $45). I definitely preferred the Sam Houston. My review was spot on. This is a jewel of a bourbon for $28!

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Review from abcgroup (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 253, Created:20050819191310)
Purchased at:Green's (Atlanta, GA)
Purchased for:29.99
Info on this bottle:Batch 22, Bottle #1758
Proof Of this Bottle:90
Nose:Sweet sugary butterscotch with a bit of wet leather.
Taste:Sweeter than the nose would let on, heavy on caramel and then alcohol. This is okay but the alcohol is a little robust for my liking.
Finish:Decent burn with a heavy alchohol vapor. A complex finish that keeps going....after the alchohol settles the oak comes through. This finish would make me think this is older than it is...more of a 15+ year rather than a 10 year.
Overall:If you've got an extra 30 smackers, I'd say try it, but I'd rather spend my money on something else. This is bourbon so I'd rather drink it than something else. There are much better deals for 30 bucks though.

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Review from tlsmothers (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 37)
Purchased at:LeNell's
Purchased for:$30
Info on this bottle:Batch #9, Bottle #504
Proof Of this Bottle:90
Nose:Maple syrup and butterscotch on first passing, then a little medicinal cherry cough syrup going deeper.
Taste:Spicy rye grain character. Fresh, young oak taste that's not overly woody. Bit of smoke and butter.
Finish:Minty. Several seconds later a tad of black walnut shows through. Clean, refreshing licorice to top it all off.
Overall:Robust, yet refined. Mclain and Kyne Distillery says, "A true bourbon man's bourbon" but I'd be a little less sexist to say that this is a fine pour for a 10 year old bourbon no matter what gender you are.

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