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The Double: Jay Cutler and Brandon Level Up With a High-Proof Bourbon Taste Test

The Double is back with another edition of Jay Cutler and Brandon Chesbro tasting some great whiskeys, but there’s a catch this week. For the first time on the show, Jay is going in blind and won’t know what three whiskeys he’s trying out. Not only does Jay not know what he’ll be drinking, but all three spirits are high-proof whiskeys. Needless to say, this is a fun one.

Brandon picked out three quality, high-proof whiskeys for the pair to test out this week. After visiting a micro-distillery outside of Nashville last week, the guys are back in Music City filming at a local restaurant. As diners enjoy their lunch in the background, Jay and Brandon focus in on the task at hand.

“You’ve got something special here,” Jay said as the show began.

“We’ve got something special,” Brandon agreed. “We’re just going to get to it. And I will explain a little bit more afterward. I’ll give you a hint: we’re going from low to high. That’s the only hint you get.”

So, we’ve got three bottles hidden inside brown paper bags to conceal what they are. Brandon’s pouring them from lowest to highest proofs. Let’s see what the guys think about each of the mystery bottles as they test out three new whiskeys we’ve never seen before on The Double.

Mystery Bottle #1: Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon

  • Color: Rich burnt umber
  • Nose: Hints of caramel, cinnamon, and vanilla
  • Taste: Dark chocolate undertones against rye and cinnamon flavors. Plus, vanilla and oak, and a delightful nuttiness
  • Finish: Long and complex. Can vary based on the barrel selected
  • Age: Aged in new charred American oak barrels for nine years
  • Proof: 120 Proof, or 60% Alcohol by Volume
  • MSRP: $59.99

First up, we’ve got a select offering from a classic distillery in Kentucky. Jay and Brandon are starting the tasting out with Knob Creek’s Single Barrel Select Bourbon, but remember, Jay has no idea what he’s about to drink.

“It’s good,” Jay says as he reacts to his first sip of the Knob Creek.

“Oaky. Like leather, oak,” Brandon said of the bourbon.

“Am I supposed to know what this is?” Jay asked.

“You won’t know what any of these are until we’re done if that makes you feel any better,” Brandon answered. “It’s a good one, right?”

“Doing all these [shows] has made me appreciate bourbon. I just like it more,” Jay said. “There’s a lot of time invested in it.”

Mystery Bottle #2: King’s Family Distillery Single Barrel Select American Light Whiskey

  • Color: Light amber
  • Nose: Tobacco and leather
  • Taste: Ultra drinkable with stone fruit essence, caramel, butterscotch, and vanilla throughout
  • Finish: Powerful punch with a smooth finish
  • Age: 14 years
  • Proof: 140 Proof, or 70% Alcohol by Volume
  • MSRP: $ N/A, in-store only

“This one is my winner,” Brandon said, giving a preview of what was up next on the menu.

For their second whiskey taste test on The Double, Brandon chose a bottle of King’s Family Distillery Single Barrel Select American Light Whiskey. Sevier County might be best known for being the home of country music legend Dolly Parton. However, the Eastern Tennessee craft whiskey distillery has been making a name for themselves in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains since 2018 as well.

“Oooo, I like the smell of this one. Gotta little candy to it,” Jay said approving of the spirit before he even tasted it.

“Oh yea,” Brandon concurred as he took his first drink. “Talk about a sipper. But you can feel every bit of that.”

“Wow. Just coats the mouth,” Jay shared after sipping King’s light whiskey.

“It’s like honey. If you had a glass of this, you’re toast,” Brandon added, referencing the whiskey’s 70% ABV.

“Yea, I typically don’t drink ’em neat, because I’m a little bit of a baby,” Jay amusingly admitted.

Mystery Bottle #3: Cat’s Eye Obtainium Canadian Whiskey

  • Color: Light amber
  • Taste: Notes of corn, vanilla, toffee, and oak
  • Mash Bill: 100% Corn Whiskey
  • Age: 26 years in aged oak barrels
  • Proof: 154.6 – 159.4 Proof, or 77.3 – 79.7% Alcohol by Volume
  • MSRP: $159.99

Last but not least on The Double, the guys have one more bottle to try out. Yet for the final taste test, Brandon is taking us outside of Tennessee and Kentucky. In fact, he’s taking us to Iowa to test out a special whiskey from a popular micro-distillery in Bettendorf.

The guys are tasting one of the spirits from Cat’s Eye Distillery’s Obtainium series. The craft distillery “obtains” barrels from other distilleries around the world, and they utilize them to create their own blends. That means each small batch produced whiskey will be unique unto itself. As Cat’s Eye’s website says, “No two will ever be ‘exactly’ the same.” Today, we’re testing out Cat’s Eye Distillery’s Obtainium Canadian Whiskey, and it’s our highest proof yet at almost 160.

“Are you ready for the Mac Daddy?” Brandon asked Jay before he poured the super strong Canadian whiskey.

Jay coughed after smelling the spirit and said, “Oh goodness, this thing will burn you up.”

“Oh my goodness,” he repeated with a laugh after tasting the whiskey on The Double.

“It’s still got good flavor,” Brandon chimed in.

“It’s got great flavor,” Jay agreed.

“You just better buckle up. I don’t know if it’s safe,” Jay hilariously added.

The guys enjoyed all three bottles this week, but they both agreed that one topped them all. Both Jay and Brandon loved the King’s Single Barrel Select American Light Whiskey.

“If you want to get lit in a hurry, and it tastes amazing… King’s,” Jay said holding up the bottle with a stamp of approval.