If you read my original review of American XXX Born you know I wasn’t a huge fan. American XXX Born scored a whopping 1 out of 100. When your drinking it neat or on the rocks this bourbon burns and I figured that I might be better off using this whiskey to clean guns and carburetors.
So why did I make a Manhattan out of a whiskey that got a score of 1?
The main reason is my wife. She yells at me that I have too many bottles in the cabinets, and doesn’t understand why I buy new bottles when I have thirty or forty in the “bar”. This is why I’ve been trying to drink some of my less than stellar bottles in the form of Manhattans, because Vermouth does wonders for crappy bourbon.
I figured I’d give American XXX Born a shot, and if it was horrible in a Manhattan, I’d pour it out to make room for something better.
My American XXX Born Manhattan was created using my normal to 2 to 1 ratio. When I took a sip, I expected my mouth and throat to burn, ready to pour the bottle down the drain. I hesitated, letting the sip flow over the back of my tongue before I swallowed it, quite surprised that I wasn’t feeling the urge to regurgitate.
When mixed into a Manhattan, American XXX Born gets a huge jump in score. I know you may look at this and say, what? It only got a 35, but that is a massive 34 point increase from where it was starting. That puts this American XXX Born Manhattan at the lower range of the “If I Had Limited Choices” category.
Am I going to buy another bottle? Hell no. But I will drink the rest of this one so I don’t feel like I just pissed the money away.
Proof
41.5% ABV
Pros
- Saves the money you spent on a bottle that isn’t fit to drink neat/on the rocks.
- Makes a cheap bourbon at least drinkable when mixed into a Manhattan.
Cons
- Still has a little funky aftertaste on the back of the tongue.
- Makes me think about cheap alcohol I drank at college parties.
| Bottle | Score | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basil Hayden’s Manhattan | 95 | $30 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Balcones Lineage Manhattan | 92 | $40 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Blade And Bow Manhattan | 90 | $50 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned | 83 | $15 / 350ml | Old Fashioned |
| Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan | 80 | $40 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Death’s Door Manhattan | 74 | $40 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Wild Turkey Manhattan | 73 | $30 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan | 69 | $30 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Maker’s Mark Manhattan | 65 | $30 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Redemption Bourbon Manhattan | 53 | $30 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan | 50 | $20 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan | 49 | $35 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| Breaker Manhattan | 35 | $55 / 750ml | Manhattan |
| American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan | 35 | $25 / 750ml | Manhattan |
