Old Carter Straight American Whiskey Batch 14 Review
Last year I had the opportunity to try Old Carter Straight American Whiskey batch 11 and their Straight Rye batch 12. I loved both of them and have wanted to add an Old Carter to my shelf ever since. I finally found one at msrp and am looking forward to this Old Carter Straight American Whiskey Batch 14 review. This particular batch is a blend of 20 barrels, over half of which were at least 19 years old, with a total release of just 3,321 bottles.
Old Carter is a relatively new whiskey company but has managed to garner huge accolades for its quality selections. They produce high-end small batches of Bourbon, Straight Rye, and Straight American whiskey, as well as special single barrel releases, all at cask strength with no chill filtering.
Old Carter Whiskey Company was founded in 2017 by Mark and Sherri Carter. Mark’s background included producing wines under the Carter Cellars label in Napa Valley and in 2011 he partnered with the Dedman family to restart the Kentucky Owl brand, which he later sold in 2017 in order to start Old Carter Whiskey Co. In 2024 Mark and Sherri officially ended their partnership in the company and Mark purchased Old Carter Whiskey Co. at auction.
Classification: Straight American Whiskey
Age: NAS
Proof: 134.3
Proof Designation: Barrel Strength
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: Undisclosed
Barrel Char Level: ??
Barrel Entry Proof: ??
Distillate Source: Indiana
Distillery: Undisclosed
Company: Old Carter Co.
Bottled By: Old Carter Co.
Company Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Distilled/Aging Location: Indiana
Master Distiller: Mark Carter
Release Date: July-ish 2025
Batch Notes: batch size is 3,321 bottles
MSRP: $219.99
Secondary Market: $250 – $350
Availability: Low/Rare
Old Carter Straight American Whiskey Batch 14 Review
July 29, 2025
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (1 day), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
Beads form on the crown at 8 seconds, the legs begin to form and fall at about 22 seconds, and the first legs reach the bowl at about 53 seconds.
Nose
Brown sugar, toffee, caramel, vanilla, oak, a hint of butterscotch.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: Big light whiskey influence. A lot of brown butter, borderline brown sugar, maple syrup, simple syrup. Note: video timestamp is 47:30.
Loves Scotch: The nose is deep and layered, with waves of caramel, rich oak, and baking spice.
Whiskey Jar Blog: na
Palate
Toffee, caramel, cinnamon, brown sugar, a hint of marshmallow, baking spices, toasted oak, mild barrel char, butterscotch, chocolate, leather, a whisp of cherry, maybe a hint of toasted hazelnuts.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: A ton of sweetness, sweet light honey, maple candy, vanilla icing, a little maple syrup. It’s like drinking a donut. A hint of pineapple. There’s a lot of fruit aspects.
Loves Scotch: On the palate, it delivers a dense blend of dark toffee, burnt sugar, orange peel, and leather, carried by a velvety heat that speaks to its cask strength.
Whiskey Jar Blog: na
Finish
Medium-long finish with caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, cinnamon and oak.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Mash & Drum: A little punch of strawberry.
Loves Scotch: The finish is long, smoky, and spicy, with a slightly herbal edge that adds intrigue. Its complexity makes it a sipping whiskey best enjoyed neat or with a few drops of water to open up the structure.
Whiskey Jar Blog: na
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is Creamy and the flavors make the mouth salivate intensely.
Mouthfeel Rating Guide: Thin = Watery | Silken = smooth & slippery, but not mouth coating | Creamy = coats the tongue like heavy cream does. | Rich or Unctuous = coats the entire palate like quality olive oil
The Burn
4 out of 5. This means that the burn from the alcohol is a bit lower (5% to 9%) than what I would expect it to be. I would guess this to be around 125 proof, not 134.3 proof.
Tasting Summary
Old Carter Straight American Whiskey Batch 14 is dominated by sweet notes of caramel, toffee and vanilla, but it is quickly followed with notes of cinnamon and a hint of ginger. It has an oak and leather backbone combined with a pleasant creamy mouthfeel.
My Rating – 8.8
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
| Score Type | Score | Examples |
| Likability Score | 8.8 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
My Tasting Notes
A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.
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