Week 2 – Nashville Barrel Company 9yr10mo Barrel Proof Rye “The Wife Is Right II” r/Bourbon Private Selection
ABV: 53.20% ABV
Age: 9 Years 10 Months
State of Distillation: Indiana (MGP)
Info: Cask Strength, Unfiltered, No Additives, No Coloring
Labeling: Custom r/Bourbon Labeling On Bottle + The Wife Is Right II Sticker.
Tasting Notes: A fat stack of tobacco, blackberries and honey, this rye abounds with maple, rich rye character and a killer tannin integration that works so well. Nearly as old as our recent Hughes ryes, this NBC lacks that heavy heavy herbal character and instead brings plenty of sweet oak, caramel, cracked pepper and rye spice laced with maple and blackberry reduction. Wildly rich.
Info: Cask Strength, Unfiltered, No Additives, No Coloring
Labeling: Custom r/Bourbon Labeling On Bottle
Tasting Notes: The richness of NBC bourbon casks continues to impress, bundling together sweet oak, honey, toffee, caramel candies, sweet tea, black tea and a pleasant, balancing, tannin to offset the sweetness. Rich on the palate, this pour comes in a touch under 60% ABV and I tend to prefer this over some of those ripper ABV’s on the younger casks. Fruitiness begins to develop: cherry and a touch of berry, pairs nicely with a long, bold finish full of sweet oak, maple and berry and tea.
Week 2 – Starlight Single Barrel Bourbon Finished In Portuguese Port r/Bourbon Private Selection
ABV: 55.6% ABV
Age: 4.5 Years (7 Months Port Finish)
State of Distillation: Indiana (Starlight)
Info: Cask Strength, Unfiltered, No Additives, No Coloring
Labeling: Custom r/Bourbon Labeling
Tasting Notes: Rich and oily, this bourbon takes sweet cream and honey, clove and graham cracker and bundles it together with a rich, full bodied wine finish. Rich cherry and blackberry pair with heavy oak, honey, tobacco, a touch of char and cigar tobacco. I love how concentrated Port can be without being about maximum sweetness. It’s well textured, full of richness and starts sweet and jammy on the palate and ends dry and savory. The port and bourbon come together here for a start to finish experience that’s bursting with complexity.
Week 2 – Bulleit 10yr Single Barrel Short Barrel r/Bourbon Selection
ABV: 52% ABV | 104pf (Proofed, as all Bulleit are)
Mashbill: 21% Rye Mashbill, Yeast #3 Strawberry Fruit
State of Distillation: Kentucky (Undisclosed Distiller)
Info: Proofed, Unfiltered, No Additives, No Coloring
Labeling: Custom r/Bourbon Hang Tag
Tasting Notes: Oaky and dry up front, this pour opens up to reveal honey, a touch of orange preserve and a great balance of baking spice and toffee. Moderate palate, it’s easy to sip given the proof, although it does sacrifice that heavy, chewy texture that barrel proof bourbons usually have. This barrel marries orange peel, honey, a touch of sweet cream and a nice touch of barrel char on the finish. While I looked forward to this arriving in time for the summer of 2022, where I like lower proof whiskey to pair with higher summer temps, I’m realizing that 52% ABV works for my palate all year long.
Age: NAS (Blend of 8 – 14yr Kentucky + Indiana Whiskey Finished In German Ice Wine cask)
State of Distillation: Kentucky + Indiana
Info: Cask Strength, Unfiltered, No Additives, No Coloring
Yield: 115 Bottles
Labeling: Custom r/Bourbon Personalized Sticker
Tasting Notes: Some barrels I work through the entire flight before picking a winner. Others are love at first sight. This Ice Wine finished whiskey was the latter. Incredible complexity on the nose, sweet cake batter, toffee and honey, rich baking spice: notably clove. Pairs wonderfully with a delicate, rock candy sweetness and a hint of white grape, cream, pears and apricots. The palate is rich and chewy, light on the tannin, and favors more dessert sweetness. There’s a touch of oak here and there, but it acts more as a balancing note, rather than a profile defining feature. Rich wine, caramel, apples, pears, honey, white grape, sweet butterscotch. Long finish with clove, tobacco, more oak and pepper and a final touch of ice wine on the way out. With a more delicate wine like Ice Wine, the American Whiskey base from Barrell was a great choice vs their oakier, spicier bourbon blends. Beautiful complexity.
Week 1 – Redemption High Rye Bourbon, Single Barrel r/Bourbon Selection
ABV: 105pf (Proofed to 105pf like all Redemption SIB)
Age: 5 Years, 3 Months
State of Distillation: Indiana (MGP)
Info: Proofed, Unfiltered, No Additives, No Coloring
Yield: 220 Bottles
Labeling: Custom r/Bourbon Label
Tasting Notes: A high rye bourbon through and through, this reminds me a lot of our Bulleit picks, proofed nicely in the same ballpark and embodying that same great pepper, clove, tobacco and rich caramel profile. This leverages the 60% Corn, 36% Rye 4% barley mashbill from MGP, as bottled by Redemption. Sweet caramel, waffle cone, rich demerara on the nose. Palate is medium viscosity, easy sipping, cracked pepper, candied ginger, maple and tobacco. Long finish, a nice touch of orange peel, ginger, wafer candies and rich clove.
