Over the course of our drinking and tasting Bourbon, it is natural that we taste some Bourbons multiple times. Some we just like better, others because we are at a tasting other than our own, or maybe just out with some friends. Usually we try and look back on what we have written to see if there are any differences, and if so, is it enough of a difference to make it worth revisiting the blog.
So far the answer has been no. However, that is not the case with Stetson. We bought a bottle, as we have in the past, because we like it and it is at a good price point. We were in for an unexpected surprise. Neither of us liked it, we couldn’t believe it was the same stuff. We found out it was not, more on that later.
Ron: Stetson turned to a scotch profile! Not good! It now has a strong nose of anti-freeze or something nasty. Taste was the same as the nose, bad.
Todd: Smells awful, like a watered down bad scotch. Also has some type of chemical smell. Taste just like it smells. Get this, I couldn’t get close to finishing my glass.
So what is up with Stetson? We went back to our Blog on 8/25/2015 to look at the picture. Well low and behold, the label had a significant change. The old bottle said Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Also, the words Sour Mash flanked the word Kentucky. We have inserted photos of both bottles at the end of the blog.
It looks like the makers of Stetson are trying to take advantage of the currant Bourbon craze by putting out an inferior product and charging the same price. First, by not saying Kentucky Straight Bourbon it does not have to be aged 4 years or more. This obviously cuts down on the aging process and lets the maker get the product out faster. Second, sour mash is when they use a little of the old mash with the new, this brings some uniformity to the drink. Authentic sourdough bread from San Francisco follows the same sort of criteria by “taking back” a portion of the yeast strain. By not saying that on the bottle means they have skipped this process.
We believe this is a blatant case of thinking the consumer is too stupid to notice the slight change in the bottle, and to be truthful, we didn’t. but this is NOT the same bourbon we reviewed in August of last year. DO NOT buy Stetson unless it says Kentucky Straight bourbon Whiskey and has the words Sour Mash.
This is why you need to read Talking Bourbon.
Old New
