If I were to point to my favorite of the Orphan Barrel line, this would be it. It’s not dry to the point of being acrid or bitterly oaky, which, honestly, is what I expected based on other long-aged Orphan Barrel releases.
$250 million committed and in just 14 months, it’s bankrupt! So what caused this rapid collapse? Soft sales in American whiskey? Over-extension on its investment? Hubris? Ignorance?
On the palate, it’s definitely a rye whiskey. Gentle spice and herbal characters separate it immediately from the sweetness of Old Forester Bourbon. Expectedly, there’s caramel and white chocolate in the mix, but those notes are offset pleasantly with a little mint, some eucalyptus and white pepper.
There have been several terrific entries to the category over the last few years, some of which we’ve reviewed. But this one’s a standout: lush in aroma and texture and fruit-centric like middle-age rye whiskies.
“It’s more than the state-of-the-art facility, more than a place to make whiskey,” O’Driscoll said. “It is a symbol of bold thinking and believing, inspired by our legacy, driven by sustainability, and it’s designed for the future. It reflects not only where we’ve come from, but where we are going.”
Tingling with spices like white pepper and coriander, it practically vibrates on the palate. Darkly toasted bread, French roast coffee, charred lemon, dried cherry, spearmint and some campfire mingle nicely alongside cocoa nibs. The finish is simple: long and warming.
It’s big on the palate without being a brute; as in none of the Coy Hill muscle or heat. I like those, too, but they have their place, and there’s no place for that in this mature, balanced and well-mannered Tennessee whiskey.
To me, those whiskies exhibit a greater intensity of aromas gathered while resting in the first barrel, like extra coffee, extra cocoa and extra oak and all the tannin you’d expect that the bear. But this has dustiness all over it.
I’m a Bulleit fan. I love its barrel strength releases, I’ve done single barrel picks there and I love its 10-year products. But all of those came from elsewhere, and I was ready to see what the home team could do this time.
This whiskey is all about toasted aromas and flavors being superbly integrated. I’ll take this whiskey over any purposely “toasted” release I can think of because those notes aren’t all barrel and new lumber.
