![]() ![]() It doesn’t stand out amongst the other bottles that share its namesake, nor does it make any lasting impression that allows it to stand out among other bottles in the marketplace. Black Label is just a run of the mill standard bourbon offering with a flavor profile that matches this description aptly. Every one of its siblings has either an age statement or is pulled from a single barrel or made from a small batch of bourbon barrels. Compared to the rest, Black Label is the only one that doesn’t have a unique identifying trait. Of the lot, “Black Label” is the lowest proof offering, beating out Evan Williams Single Barrel by 0.6 proof points. These standard bottles are joined by two ongoing limited releases, Evan Willaims 12 Year and Evan Williams 23 Year. For those reasons, Stellum Black comes in at a fair price, however for anyone that’s price sensitive, and for anyone that hasn’t tried the standard version yet, the standard version is the way to go.The Evan Williams family of bourbons consists of four standard bottles that include Black Label, 1783 Small Batch, Bottled-in-Bond, and Single Barrel. By comparison Stellum Black tastes more carefully curated, and moves the needle up a bit from the standard version - with a bit more upward movement on the palate given the great mouthfeel. It’s a great price, and I think appeals to a wide audience. The challenge the company faces is the standard version is already really good, presenting a difficult hill to climb. It’s positioned as a superior product, but the question consumers will ask themselves is if Stellum Black is worth the $45 upcharge over the standard version. However, Stellum Black doesn’t offer a high age statement (or technically any official age statement at all), and in fact shares quite a few similarities with its $55 readily-available counterpart. Coupled with its traditional flavor profile, its key attribute draws on its balance and mouthfeel, which are subtle yet notably unique attributes in the greater bourbon-scape.Īs a starting point, $99 for a limited release is par for the course nowadays, so this price fits in well in the overall bourbon marketplace. Similar base flavors are present, but Black trades some of the spice intensity found in standard Stellum for a more rounded mouthfeel on the palate and slightly more overall balance. On a whole however, Stellum Black is an improvement over the standard Stellum Bourbon. ![]() By comparison it’s not immediately noticeable given the fact that the standard Stellum is a relatively easy-drinker despite its 114.98 proofpoint. ![]() In this case, as both releases are barrel proof, the lower proof is undoubtedly a consequence of simply attaining the desired blend. According to the company, this familiarity is intentional, which is described by company Founder Joe Beatrice as maintaining the “soul of Stellum while creating a new dimension of flavor by adding reserve barrels from our stocks.” Notably, Stellum Black also comes in at about 6 proof points lower than the standard Stellum Bourbon, which is interesting given the fact that limited releases often set out to target a higher proof than their standard counterparts. As a result, the base Stellum Bourbon is its closest comparison, and Black shares obvious similarities. Also like the standard Stellum Bourbon, Stellum Black does not contain a Tennessee component which is noticeable in the flavor profile when compared to many Barrell Bourbon batch releases. Like the standard Stellum Bourbon, Stellum Black is a blend of bourbons from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. ![]()
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