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Rock Hill Farms review

Rock Hill Farms Bourbon

September 10, 2019

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Rock Hill Farms

Distillery: Buffalo Trace

Type & Region: Bourbon, Kentucky, USA

Alcohol: 50%

Composition: Mash #2 (higher rye mashbill rumored to be 12-15% rye)

Aged: NAS in virgin American white oak

Color: 1.2/2.0 on the color scale (chestnut, oloroso sherry)

Price: $50 MSRP, $150+ secondary 

From the Buffalo Trace website:

Strangely, there’s no mention of Rock Hill Farms on the Buffalo Trace or Sazerac websites. Clearly they still make it, but there’s no official web presence.

Rock Hill Farms review

Rock Hill Farms is another Sazerac / Buffalo Trace-made bourbon using the higher rye mash #2, also used for Blanton’s, Elmer T Lee, Hancock’s Reserve, and Ancient Age. The only real difference I know of between the three single barrel mash #2 bourbons (Rock Hill Farms, Blanton’s, and Hancock’s Reserve) is the proof, although it’s possible that age and barrel location may vary as well. If you want to know for sure, you’ll probably have to ask the master distiller. 

 

The odd thing about Rock Hill Farms is that neither the Buffalo Trace nor Sazerac websites mention this bourbon. Putting it bluntly, the Sazerac website looks like it was made in the mid 2000’s and hasn’t been updated since, and Buffalo Trace isn’t far behind. Let’s find out if they’ve neglected the bourbon inside the bottle in this Rock Hill Farms bourbon review.  

Buffalo Trace Lineup of Reviews

Blanton’s (from 2013)

Blanton’s Calvert Woodley Select 

Buffalo Trace

Eagle Rare 10

EH Taylor Small Batch

EH Taylor Single Barrel

EH Taylor Barrel Proof – TBD

Elmer T Lee Single Barrel

George T. Stagg (2015) – TBD

Sazerac Rye 6 Year

Stagg Jr (Batch 7)

Stagg Jr (Batch 10)

Thomas Handy Sazerac

Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Lot B

Weller Antique 107

White Dog Mash #1

White Dog Wheated Mash – TBD

weller antique 107 review

Rock Hill Farms hits me initially with a combination of caramel, candied orange, cherry, and mint, followed by ripe peaches, apples, and oak. Hints of anise poke through as well, courtesy of the rye, but it’s far from smelling like a high-rye bourbon. Rock Hill Farms leaves such a strong first impression. The oak provides a slightly dark and musty foundation for the sweetness and mint with hints of cocoa, cinnamon, and cloves. The alcohol has some potency, but Rock Hill Farms overall smells very rich and wonderful.

 

Just like with Elmer T Lee, swirling makes Rock Hill Farms a whole lot darker and richer. Brown sugar and vanilla float to the top with dried oranges, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper mixed-in. The rye component is still quite faint. Peach and apple also make an appearance, but the fruitiness skews more towards citrus. There’s also a tad more roasted oak that provides an extra darkness and rackhouse mustiness. The alcohol stays in check the entire time, letting Rock Hill Farms’ awesome scents shine.

Rock Hill Farms review

Caramel and honey come forward first but are immediately followed by a moderate but noticeable charred oak darkness and bitterness, then mint, corn mash, oranges, and apples. The 50% alcohol kicks less than expected, giving me time to search for more flavors and appreciate what I find. Just like Elmer T Lee, Rock Hill Farms is best described as an Old Fashioned Cocktail, albeit in 100% whiskey form. 

 

“Chewing” provides more of the same caramel and vanilla followed by roasted oak and spiced peaches and oranges. The fruity notes especially add some extra character. A little more chewing reveals some of the roasted corn, malt, and mint hiding underneath that’s tougher to find than expected. 

 

Oak and mint bloom as I swallow and carry over into the very long finish as the alcohol and sweetness begin to dissipate. Peach and honey ebb and flow to balance out the bitterness. Rock Hill Farms overall is quite sweet, but not overpoweringly so because of the added wood and spice, making it taste quite good. My only complaint is that the flavors don’t really blow me away with extra richness, uniqueness, or depth. It’s very good, but not excellent.

Place on the Whiskey Shelf

Mid shelf+

Rock Hill Farms is a lot like Elmer T Lee, so for better or worse, nothing about Rock Hill Farms really stands to me as better or different. As a result, I also have to give Rock Hill Farms a “Mid Shelf+” rating. While you may not agree with me, I did do a side by side of the two before finalizing this rating to be sure. Rock Hill Farms is not the most complex or unique, but it’s still a very enjoyable bourbon that does a lot of things very well. I especially like the caramel and orange-forward traits, as if it were briefly finished in orange curacao barrels, as well as how the alcohol plays nice with everything else. There’s just no “wow” factor for me to give it a “Top Shelf” rating.

 

I frequently write this about the harder to find Buffalo Trace whiskeys, but Rock Hill Farms (and Elmer T Lee) doesn’t come close to meeting the hype around it. It’s a good $50 bourbon, but a freakishly overpriced $150 one. For $50, I’d rather have EH Taylor Small Batch or Stagg Jr. A Four Roses OESK (high rye mash and spicy / floral yeast) single barrel might also do the trick. Ultimately, pay what you’re comfortable paying and just enjoy it because I think you will.

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