The last 1792 Full Proof store pick I had I received from a friend, and it was nothing short of delicious. As with most brands, when I find something I like, I think it’s worth exploring further. So on a trip last winter, I knew that the 1792 Full Proof – All Star Wine & Spirits pick was definitely something I’d have to try. So how does it compare, and did I make the right decision in getting another bottle by a different selector?
1792 Full Proof – All Star Wine & Spirits
Sight: Deep tawny, hedging on auburn
Smell: The nose here is decidedly more oaky than the last single barrel I encountered. There’s a perfumed vanilla that lingers behind a heavy oak and cigar component. The woody character gives off impressions of roasted walnuts and pecans with a deep dark chocolate and slight berry character. Like the other Full Proof, the nose has a tinge of alcohol that’s obvious enough that you shouldn’t go face first into the glass. Those berry notes add a brightness to the edges here, but make no mistake, this is a heavy nose that doesn’t convey sweetness.
Sip: The start is not at heavy as it might imply, but does quickly pull in some baking spice and toasted marshmallow. The oak notes definitely show up though, giving off a toasted char to compliment the spice. Some nuttiness and cocoa powder shows up. Vanilla works it’s way back in with a hint of brown sugar, but it doesn’t quite run sweet. There’s a tobacco and astringent black tea component moving here as well.
Savor: The finish pulls in some of those baking spices, black tea, and slight perfumed oak note. It lingers with a moderate weight without getting too aggressive, and goes more into a charred oak sort of linger. It pops with a little heat toward the end.
1792 Full Proof – All Star Wine & Spirits is more of a dry take on things than the last bottle I had. This doesn’t mean it’s bad, but it’s more of a contemplative sipper that isn’t quite as unique or complex. It has some good deep notes in it, but it isn’t going to make anyone run out for another bottle to sip.
In Cocktails
In a Manhattan, 1792 Full Proof – All Star Wine & Spirits is unsurprisingly very full bodied and rich. The sweetness actually opens up though, giving an interestingly vanilla brown sugar character that lingers under a toasted barrel / marshmallow riff. The astringency is complimented by the sweetness of the fruity vermouth, and somehow the bitters kind of bind it. While it is strong in presence here, it also sort of mellows. Better in a cocktail than neat.
In Review – 1792 Full Proof – All Star Wine & Spirits
1792 Full Proof – All Star Wine & Spirits is good, and at a price under $50 it really delivers well on full proof without high price. While it isn’t the home run the previous full proof is, it still shows these picks are worth picking up and enjoying at the $50 price point. Generally speaking, it seems like if you happen to like 1792 (Barton’s) normal full proof, you’re going to enjoy other bottles. Thanks to reasonable price point, these are worth getting when you see them at retail.