When I was in Charlotte, North Carolina last November for Ken Bernardo’s charity event for the Heart Association, I was hosted by Southern Distilling Company. Pete and Vienna Barger, the owners of the distillery, founded it on a business plan… Contin…
When I was in Charlotte, North Carolina last November for Ken Bernardo’s charity event for the Heart Association, I was hosted by Southern Distilling Company. Pete and Vienna Barger, the owners of the distillery, founded it on a business plan... Continue Reading →
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Bourbon is a twice-aged bourbon that was inspired by an accident, which required the distillery to transfer the bourbon from one leaky barrel to another barrel to salvage the contents. Mind you, double new oak bourbon predates the start of Peerless by several years, but …
By Randall H. Borkus
Rating: B+
Peerless Double Oak Bourbon (Credit: Randall H. Borkus)
Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Bourbon is a twice-aged bourbon that was inspired by an accident, which required the distillery to transfer the bourbon from one leaky barrel to another barrel to salvage the contents. Mind you, double new oak bourbon predates the start of Peerless by several years, but the accident no doubt inspired them to move in this direction. Initially only released as single barrels because of this incident, the response from bourbon lovers inspired Kentucky Peerless to make it a regular, not-single barrel product.
Double Oak Bourbon is distilled and aged by Kentucky Peerless from a sweet mash, made in small batches, and bottled at barrel proof with non-chill filtration. As a result, the proof will vary from batch to batch.
I visited the Peerless Distillery this year in October and was lucky enough to purchase a couple of bottles of Double Oak Bourbon. My bottle today is serial number 150511102 at 108.4 proof (54.2% ABV) with no age statement. This Bourbon is aged for at least four years in new oak barrels, then it is transferred to another set of new barrels for an undisclosed term until the master distiller decides “it’s deemed ready.” The double-barreling results in a complex flavor profile that reliably brings out richer oak notes that give me the impression the bourbon is much older than it really is and significantly increases the appearance of Peerless Double Oak Bourbon.
The Bourbon The color resembles a deep Sherried Scotch with a dark chocolate hue. The initial nose jumps out of my glass with hints of mocha café sprinkled with caramel dust and gives me notice of an inviting warmth to come. The front palate is tantalizingly warm with toffee notes, baking spice, followed by rich leather, dried tobacco, mocha dust, and a heavy burnt oak dryness. The mid and back palate is loaded with a weighty dose of dark chocolate infused with oak, burnt raisin bread and more fresh dried leather. The finish is intensely dry with loads of Carmel laced dark toffee and a satisfying oak spice that leaves me wanting more.
I really enjoyed this bourbon a lot, as after about an hour I noticed at least 8 ounces has just vanished. It is a great choice when I am in the mood for an oak bomb bourbon to accompany a good maduro cigar while sitting outside on a fall day.
So if you like serious oaked bourbons like you might find in a mature whiskey similar to an Elijah Craig 21, this is a bourbon option for you as the hearty finish just lasts.
The Price Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Bourbon is selling for $134.00 at the distillery, but in a reverse of expectations, it can be found online for as low as $99.00 a bottle.
Foreword: In 1908 the Robert Smith Brewery commissioned Philadelphia painter and illustrator James Moore Preston to provide it with a series of works depicting pre-Revolutionary taverns and inns in or near the “City of Brotherly Love” as a way to promote its brand of beer. Although he has been considered a member of the Ashcan Group and exhibited in the famous 1913 Armory Show, Preston was an artist who worked in many modes. He created color lithographs that memorialized the founding of the Smith Brewery in 1774 and eleven early Philadelphia “watering holes.” I find the pictures striking and believe they deserve preservation through this blog, along with some inkling of the histories of each tavern and inn. Some information was provided by the Smith lithos — and is quoted. Other illustrations and information are the result of my research.
The first illustration is of the original brewery in Philadelphia, owned by a man named Joseph Potts and later by Henry Pepper. In 1845 he sold out to Robert Smith who had come to America in 1837 from England after having served an apprenticeship with the Bass Brewery there. He died at 86 in 1893 and the business was reorganized as the Robert Smith Ale Brewing Co., owned by Schmidt’s Brewery of Philadelphia. It is shown here as it looked about 1908.
The London Coffee House was built in 1702 at Front and Market Streets and remained intact until it was torn down in 1883. Given that Preston drew it a quarter century later, how did he know what it looked like? The answer lies in earlier lithographs that the artist clearly drew on to create his version. The one shown here served as a model, right down to the four horse carriage at right. The caption tells us: “London Coffee House was…the center of pre-Revolutionary life in Philadelphia…where cargoes were bought and sold, slaves and good were auctioned, and the news of the day discussed.”
Amazingly, the Penny Pot House derived its name from the fact that a customer could buy a container holding about a pint of beer at the tavern for a single cent. Considered the second oldest tavern in Philadelphia, it was a landmark that stood near the docks on the Delaware River. A Maryland guest was shocked by the revolutionary talk he heard there, retorting: “The Delegates rage windily against the King’s Blessed Majesty, which shall stand as firm as the House that was founded on the Rock.” Preston’s recreation of the Penny Pot may been taken in part from a 1700 lithograph shown here. Note that Preston has put the landing point closer to the water than the earlier version.
Completed about 1770, City Tavern was located on Walnut Street above Second. The Continental Congress met there in 1774, two years before the Revolution. “It was early an important place, and after the Revolution succeeded the London Coffee House as the central place of Philadelphia.” During succeeding years the establishment underwent several name changes until the building was demolished in 1852. My assumption is that Preston relied on a old lithograph to guide him. In recent years the City Tavern has been reconstructed at the original site. It is said to be historically accurate. Shown here, however, the building looks quite different from the brewery drawing.
The Indian Queen was a hotel noted for the importance of its residents. It was the home of Robert Morris, the financier of the Revolution, and provided lodging for both George Washington and John Adams. “Jefferson had his study in the south front room of the second story, from which arose the erroneous tradition that in this room he drafted the Declaration of Independence.” Preston’s depiction echoes a contemporary print of the Indian Queen but features a different sign over the door.
Opened as the Washington Tavern about 1790 at Sixth and Jayne Streets, the name was changed to the Falstaff Inn in 1830. Owned by William Warren, an actor and former theater manager, he renamed it to commemorate his own stage portrayal of Falstaff. Not only that, he had himself painted as Shakespeare’s fat rogue on the sign that can be seen at the second floor corner. The accompanying motto reads: “Shall I not take mine ease at my inn?” Over the years the hotel deteriorated into little more than a flop house, as shown here, and eventually was torn down.
A second set of James Moore Preston’s illustrations will follow in a separate post tomorrow.
Foreword: In 1908 the Robert Smith Brewery commissioned Philadelphia painter and illustrator James Moore Preston to provide it with a series of works depicting pre-Revolutionary taverns and inns in or near the “City of Brotherly Love” as a way to promote its brand of beer. Although he has been considered a member of the Ashcan Group and exhibited in the famous 1913 Armory Show, Preston was an artist who worked in many modes. He created color lithographs that memorialized the founding of the Smith Brewery in 1774 and eleven early Philadelphia “watering holes.” I find the pictures striking and believe they deserve preservation through this blog, along with some inkling of the histories of each tavern and inn. Some information was provided by the Smith lithos — and is quoted. Other illustrations and information are the result of my research.
The first illustration is of the original brewery in Philadelphia, owned by a man named Joseph Potts and later by Henry Pepper. In 1845 he sold out to Robert Smith who had come to America in 1837 from England after having served an apprenticeship with the Bass Brewery there. He died at 86 in 1893 and the business was reorganized as the Robert Smith Ale Brewing Co., owned by Schmidt’s Brewery of Philadelphia. It is shown here as it looked about 1908.
The London Coffee House was built in 1702 at Front and Market Streets and remained intact until it was torn down in 1883. Given that Preston drew it a quarter century later, how did he know what it looked like? The answer lies in earlier lithographs that the artist clearly drew on to create his version. The one shown here served as a model, right down to the four horse carriage at right. The caption tells us: “London Coffee House was…the center of pre-Revolutionary life in Philadelphia…where cargoes were bought and sold, slaves and good were auctioned, and the news of the day discussed.”
Amazingly, the Penny Pot House derived its name from the fact that a customer could buy a container holding about a pint of beer at the tavern for a single cent. Considered the second oldest tavern in Philadelphia, it was a landmark that stood near the docks on the Delaware River. A Maryland guest was shocked by the revolutionary talk he heard there, retorting: “The Delegates rage windily against the King’s Blessed Majesty, which shall stand as firm as the House that was founded on the Rock.” Preston’s recreation of the Penny Pot may been taken in part from a 1700 lithograph shown here. Note that Preston has put the landing point closer to the water than the earlier version.
Completed about 1770, City Tavern was located on Walnut Street above Second. The Continental Congress met there in 1774, two years before the Revolution. “It was early an important place, and after the Revolution succeeded the London Coffee House as the central place of Philadelphia.” During succeeding years the establishment underwent several name changes until the building was demolished in 1852. My assumption is that Preston relied on a old lithograph to guide him. In recent years the City Tavern has been reconstructed at the original site. It is said to be historically accurate. Shown here, however, the building looks quite different from the brewery drawing.
The Indian Queen was a hotel noted for the importance of its residents. It was the home of Robert Morris, the financier of the Revolution, and provided lodging for both George Washington and John Adams. “Jefferson had his study in the south front room of the second story, from which arose the erroneous tradition that in this room he drafted the Declaration of Independence.” Preston’s depiction echoes a contemporary print of the Indian Queen but features a different sign over the door.
Opened as the Washington Tavern about 1790 at Sixth and Jayne Streets, the name was changed to the Falstaff Inn in 1830. Owned by William Warren, an actor and former theater manager, he renamed it to commemorate his own stage portrayal of Falstaff. Not only that, he had himself painted as Shakespeare’s fat rogue on the sign that can be seen at the second floor corner. The accompanying motto reads: “Shall I not take mine ease at my inn?” Over the years the hotel deteriorated into little more than a flop house, as shown here, and eventually was torn down.
A second set of James Moore Preston’s illustrations will follow in a separate post tomorrow.
A trio of Bowmore whiskies – including a bottle of Bowmore 35 Years Old – were recently auctioned off at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr’s Whisky et Spiritueux d’Exception sale in Paris [held in December 2022]. The Bowmore 35 Years Old was originally offered for between $16,900-$21,130 but wound up with a winning bid of […]
A trio of Bowmore whiskies – including a bottle of Bowmore 35 Years Old – were recently auctioned off at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr’s Whisky et Spiritueux d’Exception sale in Paris [held in December 2022].
The Bowmore 35 Years Old was originally offered for between $16,900-$21,130 but wound up with a winning bid of $21,907.
A Bowmore 1964 was offered for $9,500 but ended up going for $11,600.
Finally, the most elderly whisky of the lot – a Bowmore 1956 – was originally offered for $10,564 but found a final bid of $10,955.
All told, 227 lots comprised the Bonhams Paris sale.
Hampden ‘OWH’ (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022)Hampden ‘LFCH’ (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022)Hampden ‘LROK’ (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022)Hampden ‘HLCF…
Hampden 'OWH' (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022) Hampden 'LFCH' (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022) Hampden 'LROK' (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022) Hampden 'HLCF' (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022) Hampden '<>H' (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022) Hampden 'HGML' (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022) Hampden 'C<>H' (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022) Hampden 'DOK' (60%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, 20cl, 2022) Hampden 5 yo 2016/2021 'LROK the Younger' (47%, OB) HPDN 2013 '<>H' (65.4%, Swell de Spirits, Anniversary Cuvee, cask #05086) Hampden 15 yo 'C<>H' (62%, Kinghaven, sherry finish, 2022) Jamaican Rum 21 yo 2000/2022 'JMLR' (48.2%, The Whisky Blues and Get Lost In The Whisky, cask #94, 137 bottles)
We wish you a safe and happy New Year. May your glass be full of delicious bourbon and your heart be full of kindness in 2023 and beyond!
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We wish you a safe and happy New Year. May your glass be full of delicious bourbon and your heart be full of kindness in 2023 and beyond!
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