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Review: Carl’s Jr. Kentucky Bourbon Burger

April 11th, 2009, 9:26 am · 21 Comments · posted by EUGENE W. FIELDS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Fast Foodie & OCR reporter Eugene Fields gives us the lowdown the Kentuck Bourbon Burger by Carl's Jr.

iReview: Carl's Jr. Kentucky Bourbon Burger.

Editor’s Note: Please welcome Register reporter Eugene Fields to the Fast Food Maven blog.  He chows down at all the major brands, including Del Taco, Jack in the Box and El Pollo Loco.

Fields was once a loyal customer of Carl’s Jr., until “philosophical differences” forced him to find new eats elsewhere. He’s not alone.  The Maven blog has logged nearly 100 comments — most of them negative — after posting this Carl’s Jr.story: CEO says cheap rivals hurting sales.

But, I digress. I’m looking to crowd-source more food reviews, and Fields has agreed to help me on occasion. His first assignment: Carl’s Jr.’s new Kentucky Bourbon Burger.

Here’s how the burger stacked up for him:

Full disclosure: I was a fan of Carl’s Jr. as a child. My favorite meal was the Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger combo. Even though I fell off the Carl’s Jr. bandwagon, the smell of char-broiled burgers still call on me in the middle of the night.

With that said, I was more than ready — and willing — to break my self-imposed exile from Carl’s Jr. to try their latest creation: The Kentucky Bourbon Six Dollar Burger. According to Carl’s Jr., the burger tips the scale at 970 calories.

Appearance: The burger actually looks like the picture on the web and in the commercials. The bun wasn’t too smooshed despite being wrapped in paper and placed at the bottom of the sack under the fries and crispy taco (Perhaps the Maven will allow me to compare and contrast tacos later on).

Touch: The burger had some heft to it. It was wider than a Big Mac or Double-Double and felt heavier than the Grilled Sourdough at Jack or a Whopper.

Smell: Oh, the smell of Kentucky Bourbon. Once I peeled the paper, I could smell the Kentucky Bourbon glaze. I’m a fan of Kentucky Bourbon-soaked items, so my mouth was watering.

Taste: Bourbon. Glaze. Meat. Repeat. On the positive side, the meat wasn’t dry. But unfortunately, the glaze overpowered the taste of everything else to the point that I had to lift up my bun to see if it had cheese. And if I had an “I wish” - I wish that they would have thrown a couple of onion rings on the burger instead of the onion straws that got overpowered in the glaze.

Overall: It was a tasty burger and I wanted another. As a comparison, it’s like a Western Bacon cheeseburger with a kick.

More reviewers wanted: Did you like this review? Would you like to give one a shot? The Maven is looking for more “iReviews” from die-hard fast foodies. If you are interested, send me an email and tell me what chains you eat at the most. (Insert “iReviews” in subject field.)

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 21 Comments

  • Chuck says:
    April 11, 2009 at 10:18 am

    First off- welcome to Eugene, you’ve been a solid contributor for the Register for quite awhile. Next, could you identify how you cam across this burger? What store and what time off day? Carls is very inconsistent with their products. I’ve had some nice experiences and others that are just terrible. I hope you weren’t set-up with an arranged taste test. I agree with your philosophical differences comment. I’ve been a fan my whole life until now. The new company philosophy of shock and disrespect has gone too far. The CEO stated in the last blog interview that he has targeted “young guys” for their ad campaign. As such, they introduce a product that includes a commonly associated alcoholic ingredient. In my view that is inappropriate. With drunk drivers making headlines nearly everyday, notice the baseball game last night, how can they feel justified in the targeted youth-oriented ads couple with the thought of alcohol. Maybe the next Carls product will come with a free cigarette in the pack of fries or a girlie pic inside the happy meal. Next time Eugene- stick to your principals of your philosophy.

    Post Reply
    • Eugene F. says:
      April 14, 2009 at 11:45 am

      Hi Chuck -

      I actually drove to the Carl’s across the street from my apartment complex in Irvine and went through the drive-thru. It was about 4 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. I agree with your point - the same menu items at many eateries (fast food and sit-down) vary in consistency. That’s because different people are preparing them.

      Thanks for your comments!

      Post Reply
    • randomsmash says:
      April 21, 2009 at 4:08 pm

      Remember the good o days when stocks were booming and everyone had a job?
      yeah, this burger brought back some good memories

      and at $2!!!! with a coupon, I might as well be in fast food heaven

      Post Reply
  • DanGarion says:
    April 11, 2009 at 10:21 am

    I just couldn’t get over the overly sweet taste of the sauce. I’ll stick to the Jalapeño Burger!

    Post Reply
  • mvmommy says:
    April 11, 2009 at 11:44 am

    That’s the thing; I just don’t like hamburgers with alot of stuff on them. I want to be able to TASTE the meat and the cheese, if I get it. My thinking is that if a resturant wants to sell you a hamburger, or any other food, with a ton on stuff on it, I get suspicious. :)
    But that’s just me and I know there are lots of people that like their hamburgers “fully loaded”; and that’s OK. But just try and get it at a place that starts out with a good “base”.
    Enjoy!

    Post Reply
  • DiverDown says:
    April 11, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    I had one of these and really didn’t like it. As Eugene said, the sauce is over powering and guess what? I didn’t like the sauce. I’ve had bourbon bbq sauces before and like them, but not this one. I thought it pretty much sucked.

    Post Reply
  • Rodrigo says:
    April 11, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    The burger sounded so good when I first heard about it, but the sauce was too much. Way too overpowering. I’d consider getting the burger without the sauce or with the same sauce that is used on the Western Bacon Cheeseburger.

    Post Reply
  • KathyB says:
    April 12, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    I was forced to try one of these burgers because I was given one instead of the regular $6 burger I ordered at the drive-thru. I can eat and enjoy pretty much any burger but I threw this digusting burger out after one bite. The sauce tasted like an oversweet teriyaki sauce and there was so much it drenched the burger. I emailed Carls Jr letting them know my opinion.

    Post Reply
  • darock says:
    April 13, 2009 at 9:16 am

    the first bite i took i felt the same way about the overpowering sauce. i’ve never tasted a bourbon sauce so i had no clue what to expect. so like i mentioned before, the sauce was overpowering. all and all though i really liked the burger. i liked the full combinations of flavors and the crunch that i got from the onion straws. i actually found myself thinking about the burger later at night and wanting another one! it was weird, but i just remember wanting one so badly. i didnt end up getting another one (good thing to at 970 calories). i then saw the commercial with the surgeon talking about how he needs his bourbon and i said to myself: I can relate. l’m on the wagon now so i havent had one in a long time but would recommend it.

    ps: my wife didnt like it, so i guess she agrees more with the rest of you.

    Post Reply
  • CK says:
    April 13, 2009 at 9:31 am

    I gotta agree with most of the comments here, the sauce was definitely overwhelming. Other than that, the burger is actually quite tasty. My husband and father-in-law really liked them and wanted to get them again. After seeing darock’s post about it being 970 calories, I’m glad my husband and I split our burger!

    Post Reply
  • JW says:
    April 13, 2009 at 10:31 am

    I haven’t tried the Kentucky Bourbon burger and @970 calories, I probably never will; I would love to see Carl’s Jr. bring back the Teriyaki burger…

    Post Reply
  • Nick says:
    April 13, 2009 at 11:06 am

    Bro, burger = 970 calories; fries = 500 calories; crispy taco = 270 calories. That’s 1740 calories. What’s the matter with you?

    Post Reply
    • Ronin says:
      April 20, 2009 at 3:16 pm

      ouch, that’s funny (and true)…… Good report though Eugene… I have CJ wrap all my burgers in lettuce though, it lowers that calorie count and tastes the same

      Post Reply
  • Mimi says:
    April 13, 2009 at 1:29 pm

    My husband loved it. I don’t like bourbon sauce at all!

    Post Reply
  • sue says:
    April 18, 2009 at 1:04 pm

    LAST TIME I WENT HERE I TRIED THERE STEAK SANDWICH BAD NEVER SAW SUCH WHITE MEAT ON A VERY SOGGEY BUN. HE WANTS THE YOUNG MALES GREAT . HE WILL NOT GET THIS OLD FEMALE AGAIN .IF IT WAS FREE IT WOLUD NOT BE WORTH THE PRICE.

    Post Reply
  • Melody says:
    June 6, 2009 at 4:29 pm

    I just had to say that the Kentucky Bourbon Burger is my new favorite. I could simply say I am addicted to it. When I first saw their commercials with the doctor, I thought that is stupid. However, after I tried my first KBB I couldn’t stop thinking about it. There is only one Carl’s Jr. I go to about once a week when I am around it…. and I anticipate the moment when I get to bite into it. The thought os it now wishes I didn’t have other dining plans tonight. Now, I don’t get the six-dollar burger, because it is too big for me to eat. But I do get the regular size. I personally can’t get enough of the sauce and I like the little crunchy onion strings. The only part I don’t care for is the lettuce, which is like adding wet paper to the burger. Otherwise, it is my perfect burger. I am sorry you and other’s don’t care for it very much. I guess that leaves more for me to look forward to! Thank you Carl’s Jr.!

    Post Reply
  • Lucky Boy says:
    October 29, 2009 at 4:51 am

    Love that burger and the sauce!

    Mmmmmm….the bourbon glaze sauce. Intense……and should be used sparingly.

    Maybe the Carl’s I was buying from was cheap and wasn’t ladling it on, because my burgers were never soaked in sauce.

    When they ended the BB promotion, the manager of a local CJ gave me 4 unused pouches of the bourbon glaze…and it is delicious.

    I am making burgers this weekend and will be grilling them with the sauce on an open fire. Oh, boy! Maybe I will buy some ribs, too.

    Post Reply
  • overweight burger collector says:
    January 25, 2010 at 11:16 am

    Carls jr, these people who don’t like the burbon burger… they’re all stark raving MAD! please please bring it back… I’m losing weight!

    Post Reply

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