"This whisky was selected by the President of Brown-Forman Distillers Corporation for its perfect balance and true Kentucky Bourbon flavor, and set aside for his private stock. This rare Bourbon was custom distilled and specially bottled at the direction of the president at the proof of 90.3 selected for barrel #989843 through barrel #989867."
"The President's Choice For a Distinguished Gentleman" did not become a consumer brand until 1968. Prior to that, it seems to have been a special bottling for distillery workers and acquaintances.
This one was was bottled in 1963. (There is no actual date on the bottle, but we can pretty confidently peg it to that year via other dating methods).
No word on the appropriateness of choosing this whiskey for a woman.
Nose like an old wooden desk drawer, with notes of pencils. Quality straightforward bourbon richness, followed by slight skunky-varnish-paint. But all nice.
Man I hate to use the word "smooth," but this one really fits the bill. Cinnamon-spice. Lots of pumpkin pie, particularly on the attack. Then it gets rather chewy, and other qualities seep in, ending in a slow mild fade.
As it opens up, the paint/synthetics go away as they usually do, except the rest of the bourbon flavors don't vanish (as they sometimes do) -- they stick around and may even improve. What a winner!
UPDATE 2018: This has escalated to one of my favorite bourbons ever.
N: Dark, woody, black cherries, a hint of plum. Nice vanilla and a little dark chocolate.
P: A little cinnamon, a touch of bubblegum, a little cherry. Nice, sweet, with some hints of chocolate and red wine.
F: Bubblegum, a light touch of black tea, pineapple, vanilla (and Juicy Fruit gum by extension).
Super nice. B+/A-
RETASTE: Definitely a B+, not an A-level whisky. That said, it does what it does so well. It's a shame there isn't anything quite like this on the market right now.
Another nice dusty nose, this one is rich, sweet and candy-like; It reminds me very much of some of those great, dusty Old Foresters I like (another Brown Forman bourbon). The palate is sweet with peppermint and vanilla, moving onto spices in the late palate. It's very rich and densely flavored, though a bit flatter than the nose. The finish is short and spicy.
Sweet and rich, this is a very drinkable bourbon, though I took off points for the flatness and a bit of a diluted quality on the palate.
Deep amber with a mild nose (i.e. I am not really getting a lot). A medicinal quality that grew on me over time, but in some ways lacking in substance. Gives a kick down the stretch, but vanishes quickly. [11/9/12]
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