Author: Ed

Maker’s Mark CommUNITY Batch Review

I hope you enjoy my Maker’s Mark CommUNITY Batch Review! This is will be the second year that The LEE Initiative and Maker’s Mark have released the CommUNITY Batch. Maker’s Mark has donated all of the bourbon, so the proceeds go entirely to support the cause! The first CommUNITY Batch was released last year, and raised over $500K from 34 blended barrels of whiskey! The money provided assistance to many hospitality industry employees who were affected by the pandemic.

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The CommUNITY Batch Bourbon (2021 release)
Maker’s Mark / The LEE Initiative
108.2 Proof
6000 bottles
$70 (but also available via various events which may have additional charges)

I hope you enjoy my Maker’s Mark CommUNITY Batch Review!

Maker’s Mark Distillery and The LEE Initiative

This will be the second year that The LEE Initiative and Maker’s Mark have released the CommUNITY Batch. Maker’s Mark has donated all of the bourbon, so the proceeds go entirely to support the cause! The first CommUNITY Batch Bourbon was released last year, and raised over $500K from 34 blended barrels of whiskey! The money provided assistance to many hospitality industry employees who were affected by the pandemic.

What is the LEE Initiative?

Chef Edward Lee and Lindsey Ofcacek founded The LEE (which stands for Let’s Empower Employment) Initiative in 2017. It creates and implements programs to address issues of diversity and equality in the restaurant industry. So far they have distributed over 2 million meals, invested over $1.5 million in small farms, and have given over $1 million in grants to Black-owned food businesses across the country.

One of their programs is The Women Culinary & Spirits Program whose mission is to address the void in women’s leadership in the restaurant and spirit industry. On a personal note, many years ago my wife was the bar manager at the first brewpub in Colorado, and I’m absolutely certain that there was no better person for the job! But I digress, yet in a somewhat relevant way….

The Maker’s Mark CommUNITY Batch Bourbon

Oh, the bourbon! Just like last year, it is a melding of multiple Private Select barrels, this time based on “more than 20 Maker’s Mark Private Selection expressions developed by whisky clubs working in collaboration across the country”. 28 different barrels of fully aged Maker’s Mark were then each aged another 9 weeks with their unique stave combinations. Then, they were mixed together and re-barreled to “vat” another 6 weeks to allow their flavors to mingle together. To me this one is spicier than last year’s. It has noticeable cinnamon and spices, but also ample apple, vanilla, oak and caramel.

So what is Maker’s Mark Private Select Bourbon?

For those not familiar with Maker’s Mark Private Select Bourbons, the process is as follows: According to Maker’s Mark “Beginning as fully matured Maker’s Mark® at cask strength, Private Select is created by adding 10 custom wood finishing staves to each barrel. It’s then aged in our limestone cellar to extract a unique, flavorful taste profile.” For the typical Private Select, one can choose 10 staves in any combination from the following choices: Baked American Pure, Seared French Cuvée, Maker’s Mark 46 (the seared French Oak Staves used in Maker’s 46), Roasted French Mendiant (which replaced Roasted French Mocha in 2021) and Toasted French Spice.

Stave Profiles

Since the CommUNITY Batch Bourbon was created by mingling multiple different Maker’s Mark Private Selections, it once again has an unusual stave profile. Since the standard Maker’s Mark Private Select Bourbon has 10 staves, the percentages of each are in 10% increments. However in a large mingling such as this, that is not the case and it results in a very interesting blend.

STAVE PROFILE PERCENTAGES
18% Baked American Pure 2 stave
22% Seared French Cuvée stave
17% Maker’s Mark 46® stave
28% Roasted French Mendiant stave
15% Toasted French Spice stave

Conclusion

I love the whole CommUNITY batch idea and the LEE Initiative philosophy. Starting on giving Tuesday the bottles should become available at some regional events and maybe elsewhere. Information is available via the LEE Initiative website at https://www.leeinitiative.org/makers-community-batch. Have you had this year’s or last year’s batch? I hope you had a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Cheers!🥃🦃

I hope you enjoyed my Maker’s Mark CommUNITY Batch Review! Learn more when you read our full Maker’s Mark Distillery review and write up at BourbonObsessed.com!

Are you interested in learning more about individual distilleries? Do you need information to help you plan your own distillery visits? If so, we can help. At BourbonObsessed.com we have an interactive map of ALL of the Kentucky distilleries, as well as useful information for planning your visits. Check us out today!

Buy Bourbon Obsessed Hats & Glencairns

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American Highway Reserve Bourbon Review

I hope you enjoy my American Highway Reserve Bourbon Review! Brad Paisley has a new bourbon and it’s called American Highway Reserve. Its niche is that one its components had some of its aging while stored in a 53-foot semi-trailer that followed his 2019 nation-wide tour. So it travelled 7,314 miles across 25 states, from coast to coast. Thus their slogan: “Made in Kentucky, Aged across America”.

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American Highway Reserve
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
96 proof
MSRP $99.99

I hope you enjoy my American Highway Reserve Bourbon Review!

Brad Paisley has just released a new bourbon and it’s called American Highway Reserve. Its niche is that one of its components, underwent some of its aging while stored in a 53-foot semi-trailer that followed his 2019 nation-wide tour. So the bourbon travelled 7,314 miles across 25 states, from coast to coast. Thus their slogan: “Made in Kentucky, Aged across America”.

According to the press release: “The fluctuating climate of the barrels’ journey expanded and contracted their staves, imparting oak and char that cultivate the characteristic flavors of America’s native spirit. This well-traveled batch was then blended with three-year, 13-year and 15-year-old Kentucky bourbons to create the final product. The next batch, to be released in 2022, was aged on the Rolling Rickhouse during Paisley’s 2021 tour.”

The Mashbills

The bourbon was created in collaboration with Bardstown Bourbon Company. The bourbons included are:
28% 3YO 71/21/9 (corn/rye/malted barley)
25% 3YO 60/36/4
24% 13YO 74/18/8
23% 15YO 78.5/13/8.5

The 15 Year Old Bourbon

Interestingly, the included 15 year old bourbon has the same unusual mashbill that has also appeared in many bourbons this past year including Bardstown’s own Discovery Series 4, Old Soul 15, Chicken Cock 15, Doc Swinson’s Release #6 of their Exploratory Cask Series, Three Chord Whiskey Drummer and Backbone Old Bones. But it’s a good bourbon, so why not?

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Caramel, leather, vanilla cake frosting, baking spices, honey, oak, touch of blackberry soda; moderate alcohol
👉🏻Taste: Oak, tea, mild simple syrup sweetness
👉🏻Finish: Fairly dry, with oak and mild char, but there’s a little Graham cracker too; moderately long finish with the oak lingering, and some white pepper towards the end; moderate burn

Conclusion

There has been a huge change in this bourbon after being open a day. Freshly opened, the nose was a bit brighter and sweeter, but after a day, quite a bit of leather has developed with some of those brighter flavors fading towards the back. Although the mix of bourbons is about 50-50 young and old, the older flavors really dominate. There is a complexity present today that wasn’t there yesterday. Now that it has opened up a bit I really like this bourbon, and it will be interesting to see how it continues to develop.

I hope you enjoyed my American Highway Reserve Bourbon Review! If you are interested in learning more about one of the bourbons mentioned in this review, please read my Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series 4 review.

Buy Bourbon Obsessed Hats & Glencairns

Are you interested in learning more about individual distilleries? Do you need information to help you plan your own distillery visits? If so, we can help. At BourbonObsessed.com we have an interactive map of ALL of the Kentucky distilleries, as well as useful information for planning your visits. Check us out today!

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Heaven Hill You Do Bourbon Review

Please enjoy our Heaven Hill You Do Bourbon Review! Our You Do Bourbon Experience started in the classroom. Each “student” took a seat in front of a set of tasting glasses, each filled with a sample of the day’s whiskeys. We had four. Also provided was a notebook, pen and small dropper bottle of water. Our guide/teacher, Herb, introduced himself and we didn’t waste any time getting right into the bourbon. After all, it was already 11:30AM and we were burning daylight!

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Heaven Hill You Do Bourbon Experience
Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, Bardstown, Kentucky
$40, advanced reservations recommended
75-90 minutes
https://heavenhilldistillery.com/

Please enjoy our Heaven Hill You Do Bourbon Review!

The Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience

Heaven Hill recently performed a huge renovation and expansion of their visitor center. They also did a bit of rebranding. The visitor center was formerly known as the Bourbon Heritage Center, a name which frankly, I found confusing. It took me a while to realize that it was actually Heaven Hill’s visitor center. The new name, Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, is much more suitable, and definitely more self-explanatory.

You Do Bourbon Experience

One of the three current “experiences” that is available at the new interactive visitor center is “You Do Bourbon”. The name pretty much says it all. The experience is described on the website as “At this interactive, elevated tasting experience, you can taste, bottle and personalize your very own bottle to take home.” And that is exactly what you do.

  • Bourbon Tasting Set
  • Our Guide/Teacher: Herb
  • You Do Bourbon Classroom

Education and Bourbon Tasting

Our You Do Bourbon Experience started in the classroom. Each “student” took a seat in front of a set of tasting glasses, each filled with a sample of the day’s whiskeys. We had four. We were also provided with a notebook, pen and small dropper bottle of water. Our guide/teacher, Herb, introduced himself and we didn’t waste any time getting right into the bourbon. After all, it was already 11:30AM and we were burning daylight!

Herb explained each whiskey that we tasted in great detail. This was something I really enjoyed about the You Do Bourbon tasting, and was one aspect that really made it special. While three of the four whiskeys we would sample came from Heaven Hill’s main brands, the versions we tried were unique and only available at the You Do Bourbon Experience.

The Bourbons and Wheat Whiskey

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon

We started with Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon, making our first sip of the day a gentle 131 proof pour. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, or ECBP to its friends, is a 12 year old bourbon, which is released 3 times a year. The batches are named based on the month and year that they are released. For example, the 2021 releases were A121, B521 and C921, released in January (1), May (5) and September (9). The release that we tasted was Y521, specially selected and mingled for the You Do Bourbon Experience.

Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon

Next, we moved on to Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon. Larceny is one of Heaven Hill’s wheated bourbons, meaning that in addition to corn, wheat is also used in the mash bill, rather than the more common rye. Like the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon, this was also mingled specially for the You Do Bourbon Experience. It is also batch Y521 and comes in at a refreshing 126.6 proof.

Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof

Taste number three was Bernheim Barrel Proof, or Bernheim Original, as it says on the bottle. Bernheim is not a bourbon, but rather a wheat whiskey. Whereas corn makes up the majority of the mash bill in a bourbon, in a wheat whiskey that distinction goes to wheat. This one is truly unique to the Heaven Hill You Do Bourbon Experience. While versions of Larceny and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof can be purchased elsewhere, this represents the first time that Bernheim has been made available at Barrel Proof. Bernheim was matured on the 4th floor of the warehouses, comes in at a soothing 128 proof and is 7 years old.

Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience Bourbon

Last, but most definitely not least, was what might have been the star of the show based on its popularity with our group: the bourbon quite aptly named Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience Bourbon. As per its moniker, this bourbon is only available at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, and specifically at You Do Bourbon. It’s made using Heaven Hill’s standard bourbon mash bill (78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley) and was aged 8 years on the 6th floor of the warehouses. It comes in second highest of the day in proof, at 129.6. This bourbon’s packaging is surprisingly similar to that used by the William Heavenhill bourbon line.

Our Heaven Hill You Do Bourbon Review continues after the photos

  • Bottle Filling Station
  • Rinsing Station
  • Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience Bourbon
  • You Do Bourbon Bottle Filling Stations
  • You Do Bourbon Bottle Filling and Labelling

Fill your own bottle

With our tasting and lessons complete, we were offered the option to fill and purchase a bottle of our choice. While this is an optional part of the You Do Bourbon Experience, needless to say, there was no one in our group who did not exercise it. Since there were two of us, my wife and I, we could choose two bottles. We chose the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, which is one of my all-time favorite bourbons, and the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience Bourbon.

Herb then shepherded the class into the bottling room. Once inside, following Herb’s precise guided instructions, an eager volunteer demonstrated the bottle filling, capping, and labeling process. With the first demo completed, it was now our turn.

The bottle filler is really pretty foolproof. From the pull of one handle, a cylinder was filled with a premeasured volume of bourbon. Then with a pull of a second handle, the bottle was raised to the spigot and bourbon was released into the bottle. With a push back of the second handle, the bottle was freed from the spigot and we removed the bottle and placed it in the corking tool.

Once the cork was secure in its place, the labelling station was the final stop. We filled out the label with the whiskey’s specific details: proof, barrel number, date bottled, and bottled by. Finally by the magic of peel and stick, the labels were adhered to the bottle. That was it. Easy-Peasy. The filled and sealed bottles were then placed in a cart and sent to the gift shop for us to pick up and pay for when we were ready to leave.

But that’s not all!

In addition to the You Do Bourbon Experience itself, the ticket includes an opportunity to explore the small adjacent hands-on lab as well as admission to Heaven Hill’s interactive exhibit galleries, which highlight the history of Heaven Hill Distillery.

  • The Lab – Sensory
  • The Lab – You Do Bourbon
  • The Lab

Conclusion

I really enjoyed the You Do Bourbon Experience. It’s like no other, in that the detail given about each whiskey we sampled was far more than what is provided at the average tasting. The experience certainly exceeded expectations. Leaving with our own bottles of these special bourbons is also a definite plus. You Do Bourbon is definitely one to add to your list of things to do on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail!

We hope you enjoyed our Heaven Hill You Do Bourbon Review! Would you like to see a video about the new Heaven Hill rickhouse! It’s really cool! Also, if you want to learn more you can check out our full write up about the Heaven Hill Distillery Bourbon Experience at BourbonObsessed.com. 

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The Untold Story from Castle & Key

This whiskey, The Untold Story Of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key Distillery, is a special one. Released by Castle & Key Distillery in partnership with the Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild, it is dedicated to uncovering and telling stories from generations past. The series honors African American contributions to the distilling industry, contributions which are many but which have not been widely recognized or discussed. This whiskey is also a step towards the future as well. It was donated by Castle & Key and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Castle & Key Scholarship Fund. This release, Chapter 1, will be the first release of a series of annual “Chapters”, each telling part of the story, right on the bottle. Check out the photos to read it.

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The Untold Story Of Kentucky Whiskey
Castle & Key Distillery
106.6 Proof
A blend of Straight Whiskey
Aged 4.5 years

The Untold Story

This whiskey, The Untold Story Of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key Distillery, is a special one. Released by Castle & Key Distillery in partnership with the Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild, it is dedicated to uncovering and telling stories from generations past. The series honors African American contributions to the distilling industry, contributions which are many but which have not been widely recognized or discussed. This whiskey is also a step towards the future as well. It was donated by Castle & Key and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Castle & Key Scholarship Fund. This release, Chapter 1, will be the first release of a series of annual “Chapters”, each telling part of the story, right on the bottle. Check out the photos to read it.

Chapter 1 and the Scholarship Programs

Chapter 1 of The Untold Story was written by Dr. Erin Wiggins Gilliam, of Kentucky State University and the KBBG historian. The Castle & Key scholarship is called The Diversity in Kentucky Distillery Scholarship Program and will provide $5000 scholarships to students of color who have interest in working in the Kentucky distilling industry. Proceeds from the release brunch ticket sales as well as from sales of the commemorative Glencairns will to the KBBG’s own scholarship fund, the Minority Scholarship Fund.

For full disclosure, I have been a member of the KBBG since its inception. I attended the release brunch today which had attendees including Governor Andy Beshear and Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton, who decreed today as Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild Day. It was quite an event celebrating the whiskey, and so much more than whiskey.

The Whiskey

So what about the whiskey? It’s a blend of Castle & Key’s own rye and bourbon. They have been releasing their rye under their own label since last year, but they have not yet released a Castle & Key bourbon, so that also makes this whiskey very special.

  • The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key
  • The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key
  • The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key
  • The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key
  • The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key
  • The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key
  • The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key
  • The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key
  • The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key
Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Simple syrup sweetness, caramel, apple, sweet cherry, cinnamon, baking spices, toast, oak; moderate alcohol
👉🏻Taste: Light caramel, subtle black tea, toast, cinnamon, mild simple sugar sweetness, light oak
👉🏻Finish: Cinnamon, touch of apple, some white pepper builds. Fairly long finish with a moderate burn

A great whiskey but so much more!

Overall, The Untold Story Of Kentucky Whiskey from Castle & Key is an enjoyable whiskey, and a milestone itself, but it’s what it represents that makes it truly special. Pretty great, isn’t it?😊 Cheers!

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Would you like to read about Castle & Key Distillery’s rye? Check out my Castle & Key Restoration Rye review!

Are you interested in learning more about individual distilleries? Do you need information to help you plan your own distillery visits? If so, we can help. At BourbonObsessed.com we have an interactive map of ALL of the Kentucky distilleries, as well as useful information for planning your visits. Check us out today!

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Kentucky Owl Wiseman Bourbon Review

Please enjoy my Kentucky Owl Wiseman Bourbon Review! Have you heard of The Wiseman Bourbon from Kentucky Owl? This bourbon is unique for the brand because it is produced and distilled by Kentucky Owl in collaboration with the Bardstown Bourbon Company. It’s a blend of Kentucky Owl 4 year old wheat and high rye bourbons, combined with 5 1/2 and 8 1/2 year old Kentucky sourced bourbons. It is also the first release under Master Blender John Rhea.

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The Wiseman
American Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
90.8 proof
Kentucky Owl
$60 SRP

Please enjoy my Kentucky Owl Wiseman Bourbon Review!

Have you heard of The Wiseman Bourbon from Kentucky Owl? This bourbon is unique for the brand because it is produced and distilled by Kentucky Owl in collaboration with the Bardstown Bourbon Company. It’s a blend of Kentucky Owl 4 year old wheat and high rye bourbons, combined with 5 1/2 and 8 1/2 year old Kentucky sourced bourbons. It is also the first release under Master Blender John Rhea. The prior Kentucky Owl bourbons and ryes were produced by Dixon Dedman, who is no longer with the brand. Kentucky Owl is owned by the Stoli Group.

Kentucky Owl Wiseman Bourbon
Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Caramel, dark stone fruits, but also cherry Kool-Aid; baking spices, cinnamon, mild oak, light cocoa. Mild alcohol
👉🏻Taste: Caramel, tea, apple juice, light sugar sweetness but also some barrel char later on
👉🏻Finish: Black tea, some cinnamon; black pepper builds with oak and some dryness; moderate burn. Moderately long finish.

Wiseman Bourbon doesn’t taste and finish quite like it noses. It starts off with a fair amount of fruit and caramel, yet when returning to the nose after taking a sip, cinnamon becomes more evident. The taste is initially also a little sweet and fruity, but fairly rapidly develops stronger tea, black pepper, oak and dryness.

Summary

So what’s my final verdict? It’s a decent bourbon but the younger flavors seem to dominate. I am not sure of the percentages, but I would guess the lion’s share is the 4 years old bourbons with the 8 1/2 year old being in the minority. It will be interesting to see how it may change as it opens up. Needless to say, it’s quite a different bourbon than the prior Kentucky Owl releases, even Confiscated, although that’s not so far away in proof.

Are you a Kentucky Owl fan? Have you tried the Wiseman Bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!

I hope you enjoyed my Kentucky Owl Wiseman Bourbon Review! Would you like to learn about another bourbon from the Bardstown Bourbon Company? Read my Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #4 Review!

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Blue Run High Rye Bourbon Review

I hope you enjoy my Blue Run High Rye Bourbon Review! This is a very exciting bourbon for Blue Run Spirits. I really didn’t know what to expect from this bourbon. I have tried a few of Castle and Key’s own ryes and had a sneak peak at their bourbon, but this tastes like none of those. Nor is it particularly similar to some of the other brands who also distill there. I should have known Jim Rutledge would have created a unique high rye bourbon, given his prior accomplishments. Needless to say, this is quite different from the prior Blue Run bourbon releases, but it is nonetheless quite good.

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Blue Run
Kentucky Straight
High Rye Bourbon Whiskey
111 Proof

I hope you enjoy my Blue Run High Rye Bourbon Review!

This is a very exciting bourbon for Blue Run Spirits. Blue Run High Rye Bourbon was contract distilled at Castle & Key Distillery, with Jim Rutledge as the contracted Master Distiller. For their previous sourced bourbons, Jim Rutledge served as the Liquid Advisor, and approved the barrels which were selected and used. This time, he was actually in charge of the distillation. For anyone who may not be familiar with Jim Rutledge, he was a former Master Distiller at Four Roses and a member of the inaugural class of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. Of course, Four Roses is known for their high rye mash bills and this mash bill is certainly high rye. It’s 65% corn, 30% rye and 5% malted barley, something Jim Rutledge is certainly accustomed to working with. So what’s it like?

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Baking spices with nutmeg noticeable, rich caramel, light honey, some Graham cracker, stone fruits – like black cherries and dark plums, hint of anise and maybe a touch of ginger, light oak; light – medium alcohol
👉🏻Taste: Black tea, simple syrup sweetness, soft caramel, hint of light toast and ginger towards the end
👉🏻Finish: The flavors continue, some black pepper and char build; black tea and sweetness lingers. Fairly long finish. Moderate burn

This is a fairly complex bourbon, particularly the nose. The high rye is evident in the nose, but there are softer, fuller and sweeter flavors as well. The taste becomes a bit more dry overall, but there’s a sweetness too. It is not until the finish that the 111 proof becomes more evident.

Summary

I really didn’t know what to expect from this bourbon. I have tried a few of Castle and Key’s own ryes and had a sneak peak at their bourbon, but this tastes like none of those. Nor is it particularly similar to some of the other brands who also distill there. I should have known Jim Rutledge would have created a unique high rye bourbon, given his prior accomplishments. Needless to say, this is quite different from the prior Blue Run bourbon releases, but it is nonetheless quite good.

I hope you enjoyed my Blue Run High Rye Bourbon Review! Would you like to read about another Blue Run Whiskey? Check out my Blue Run Golden Rye Review! Cheers!🥃

*Thank you to Mike Montgomery of Blue Run Spirits for sending me this sample! However that in no way influenced my review.

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Are you interested in learning more about individual distilleries? Do you need information to help you plan your own distillery visits? If so, we can help. At BourbonObsessed.com we have an interactive map of ALL of the Kentucky distilleries, as well as useful information for planning your visits. Check us out today!

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Boone County Pot Still Bourbon Review

Please enjoy our Boone County Pot Still Bourbon review! The Boone County Distilling Company as we know it has been around since 2015, although it is founded on a rich history dating back to 1833. Their releases up until now have been clear spirits, rum and sourced rye and bourbons. I have been a fan. Some of the labels, notably the Eighteen33 bourbons, are no longer with us, and they are missed. The future is now, though. Boone County has been waiting patiently for their bourbon to age. This first release is 5 1/2 years old. Made from a mash bill of 74% corn, 21% rye and 5% malted barley it was distilled in their 500 gallon copper pot still, named The Bear. It is bottled at 94.8 proof. Retail is $49.99.

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Boone County Distilling Co
Kentucky Pot Still Bourbon
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
94.8 proof
Review

Please enjoy our Boone County Pot Still Bourbon review!

The Boone County Distilling Company as we know it has been around since 2015, although it is founded on a rich history dating back to 1833. Their releases up until now have been clear spirits, rum and sourced rye and bourbons. I have been a fan. Some of the labels, notably the Eighteen33 bourbons, are no longer with us, and they are missed.

The future is now, though. Boone County has been waiting patiently for their bourbon to age. This first release is 5 1/2 years old. Made from a mash bill of 74% corn, 21% rye and 5% malted barley it was distilled in their 500 gallon copper pot still, named The Bear. It is bottled at 94.8 proof. Retail is $49.99.

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Fresh bread, mildly burnt caramel, lightly toasted marshmallow, corn, grain, plum, dried apricot, cedar, sugar sweetness, mild baking spices; moderate alcohol burn
👉🏻Taste: Bread, simple syrup sweetness, light char, baking spices
👉🏻Finish: Char builds, toast, syrupy sweetness lingers on and eventually fades; dry woodiness develops and grows; there’s a medium burn and medium length finish

It’s interesting how this bourbon has changed during the 4 days that the bottle has been open. It has similar flavors, although the balance has changed a bit, particularly in the nose. It was more corn and bread forward initially; now the lightly burnt caramel and toasted marshmallow are more noticeable, and the fruit, while still there, is a little more subdued. After a couple of sips, the balance returns to how it was. Intriguing.

Summary

This is a complex bourbon. That certainly must have something to do with being pot still distilled. There are some “younger” flavors, but it’s not that young and is in fact older than many very well known bourbons we would never think of as young. I am not sure of the barrel entry proof nor the proof that this came off of the still, because both of those parameters can have a profound impact on a bourbon’s flavors.

What’s my verdict? I like it! It’s funny. Back when I was a bourbon youth and thought that all bourbons should taste like what the “Big Boys” were making, I did not appreciate the flavors of a bourbon such as this. Live and learn! What do you think of pot still distilled bourbons? Do you love them? Cheers!🥃

I hope you have enjoyed my Boone County Pot Still Bourbon review! If you want to learn more about the distillery, check out our Boone County Distilling Company review and write up on BourbonObsessed.com!

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McFarlane’s Reserve Bourbon Review

Please enjoy my McFarlane’s Reserve Bourbon Review! This is another enigmatic bourbon from the IJW Whiskey Company. I had posted about them and their first releases, the First Call line of whiskeys, way back in March.

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McFarlane’s Reserve
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
90 Proof
Aged a minimum of 3 yrs
Bottled by IJW Whiskey Company

Please enjoy my McFarlane’s Reserve Bourbon Review!

This is another enigmatic bourbon from the IJW Whiskey Company. I had posted about them and their first releases, the First Call line of whiskeys, way back in March. As a refresher, IJW is a company that has been quietly stockpiling whiskey at the corner of Wilderness Trail Distillery’s property since 2016. They apparently have partnered with 5 distilleries and have a wide variety of whiskeys maturing in their warehouses. They may or may not have a relationship with the University of Michigan and a Canadian-run private equity fund.⁠

IJW has slowly been releasing their products since March, seemingly only to be sold at Total Wine.

So what about this bourbon? Well, what’s on the label is pretty much it. Other than what I stated above, the label otherwise only gives a colorful history of the Whiskey Rebellion and Major James McFarlane’s role. The Total Wine listing says this is a wheated bourbon, and the price: 21.99. So that’s all we know.

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Cherry, apple, strawberry, dried apricots, butter and cream, oak, caramel; noticeable alcohol
👉🏻Taste: Honey, oak, strawberry, light caramel; sweet
👉🏻Finish: Flavors continue, some oak comes forward and barrel char builds. Burnt caramels quickly rises and fades. The fruit subsides and dryness takes over. Relatively short and soft finish. Mild burn.

Summary

This is an interesting one. The flavors seemed a bit different since the neck pour yesterday, and honestly they change with every sip. Initially I got lots of fruit and a bit of chocolate. I am not noticing the chocolate so much now and there’s still tons of fruit, but I now get some butter and cream, and strawberries, none of which I’ve ever noticed before in any bourbon. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten a quart of strawberries and cream ice cream right before tasting this?😀

Final verdict? Well, at a price of $21.99 I will never be overly critical. This is an easy drinking bourbon, and although it confuses me a bit, I am enjoying it. Have you tried McFarlane’s Reserve bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

I hope you enjoyed my McFarlane’s Reserve Bourbon Review! Would you like to read about another IJW Whiskey Co. whiskey? Check out my First Call Rye review!

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