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Whiskey War Double Oaked Batch 4 Review

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Sunday Evening Review

 

Locally one of the most popular releases from a local distillery has to be the Whiskey War Double Oaked. Your back in luck as High Bank Distillery is release batch 4 this July 1st. Every single batch has been very unique from any of the others. Let’s see what kind of clothes this whiskey put on this time.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Whiskey War Double Oaked Batch 4

 

PROOF – 100

 

AGE – non-age stated – Distillery advertised that this is the first one using their 4 year batch and after the double oak process pushed it over 5 years.

 

COLOR – weathered leather (1.6 mahogany, henna notes on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Butterscotch, vanilla and toasted oak leap into your nose at the beginning which are the notes you expect in a double oak. As you continue to explore you get the rye spice from the heavy mash bill, stewed cherries, cinnamon and tobacco

 

TASTE – Rich caramel and toasted oak but the tobacco comes out more in the palate than in the nose. Baking spices, ginger, and some floral notes come out after the initial notes. Almost like drinking 2 different whiskies at once.

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. The cinnamon, aged oak and cinnamon last a pretty long time. At the very end reminds me of the taste and feeling of eating Red Hots.

 

REVIEW – I’ll cut to the chase and let you know I think this is the best Whiskey War Double Oaked that has been released. The interesting “2 whiskies in 1” makes it very unique. The opening on the palate gives you all the traditional double oaked flavors that people that like this style will recognize. Then it transitions and lets you know that this was a Whiskey War to start with. Gives all the flavor profile that you recognize from a Whiskey War Barrel Proof. There is no doubt that the extra age has increased the richness, the complexity and the finish.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Thanks to High Bank Distillery for providing this sample to review.

 

All bottles will go on sale Friday, July 1st at 11AM. Online purchases only. Limit 2 bottles per person. Pickup at our Grandview location only (1051 Goodale Blvd). Check out the link below for more details.

 

Now I have an action item for all that read this. Whiskey War Double Oaked needs to be a bottle that you can get at your liquor store instead of just the time it is released. I want you to call, email, DM, send a letter or even smoke signals to High Bank Distillery and demand that they make this a “shelfer.” It is un-American (maybe too far but let’s go with it) for this not to be on every shelf in Ohio. So maybe we need to call our congressman (yes, I have gone to far) to demand that this product be on the shelf for every (liquor) tax paying American. Let it be so.

To find out more you can check it out here – Whiskey War Double Oaked

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Baker’s Bourbon 7 Year Single Barrel Review

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Sunday Evening Review

 

Hiding in plain site is a saying that really applies to whiskey drinkers. How many times have you tasted a whiskey that was outstanding, and it wasn’t a unicorn or overly expensive and could be grabbed at any liquor store? Every large distillery that has several brands has a few labels that just seem to fade into the background for the buying public. One of those is Baker’s for Jim Beam. There is obviously all the Jim Beam named products, Knob Creek and then Booker’s that gets a ton of hype, but Baker’s seems to be one that doesn’t get much love. Let’s see if it something you should go get or should it stay faded from view…or purchase.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Baker’s Bourbon 7 Year Single Barrel

 

PROOF – 107

 

AGE – 7 years but that is the youngest it can be. Look on the neck label for the exact age for each bottle

 

COLOR – rose gold (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Cinnamon sprinkled on a Granny Smith apple, caramel, vanilla, and toasted pecans

 

TASTE – Cinnamon vanilla whip cream, peanut brittle, rye spice, and aged oak

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. The cinnamon just hangs on and on. There is the aged oak and some cigar tobacco, but the cinnamon is what will be noticed the most.

 

REVIEW – For a $60 single barrel with a 107 proof point and age stated at 7 years, this is one that should be on your shelf. This has a great balance between spice and sweetness. The only thing missing is fruit notes as I picked up none. The overall experience is really good and the finish could almost have a birthday. Very long and enjoyable finish.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – One of the reasons for being out of the purview of whiskey drinkers in Ohio is available. Based on OHLQ the only places are in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Marietta and there may be a half dozen that actually have it. Supply would help bring this brand forward more in Ohio.

 

Baker’s is named after Jim Beam’s grand-nephew that acted different than most people working at a distillery in Kentucky. He was a motorcycle driving with a black leather jacket and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. When he retired, Booker Noe created this brand to honor Baker “inspired by his passion for bourbon and maverick nature.”

 

High Bank Distillery June Barrel Select Releases Reviews

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Sunday Evening Review

 

“Twice as nice” is something we have all heard. This week I get to see if that holds true in a couple different ways as I review 2 different whiskies from High Bank for an upcoming release. High Bank is doing a limited release of Whiskey War Barrel Select Spanish Madeira Wine Barrel Finished and 2nd Aged Sangiovese Wine Barrel Finished. Let get into it and see what this is all about.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Whiskey War Barrel Select Spanish Madeira Wine Barrel Finished

 

PROOF – 113.5

 

AGE – non-age stated but was told 3 years in the original whiskey barrel and 18 months in the wine barrel for a total of 4 ½ years

 

COLOR – Beef Bourguignon (1.8 old oak on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Balsamic reduction, dark cherries, vanilla extract, pipe tobacco, toasted oak, and cinnamon sticks. Very luxurious nose with deep and dark notes. One of those pours you could just nose for hours.

 

TASTE – The same balsamic reduction note to start but as it lingers changes over to a grape jelly. Other than that, the nose doesn’t lie. You still get the dark cherries, vanilla extract, pipe tobacco, toasted oak, and cinnamon sticks. The Madeira barrel has a pretty big influence with both the wine notes but the sweetness that you get is coming from the Madeira barrel.

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. I hadn’t mentioned it but this whiskey coats the mouth and the finish lingers with the grape jelly note as well as aged oak and dried tobacco.

 

NAME – Whiskey War Barrel Select Second Fill Sangiovese Wine Barrel Finish

 

PROOF – 120.5

 

AGE – non-age stated but was told aged 27 months in the wine barrel for a total of 5 years of aging

 

COLOR – Autumn Straw (1.2 chestnut, oloroso sherry on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Ginger, cooked honey, vanilla wafers, apple pie spice, there is a wine note but is so faint I can’t distinguish what style I am smelling.

 

TASTE – This has all the traditional Whiskey War Barrel Proof notes of a gingersnap cookie which not only includes the ginger but the vanilla, Brulé sugars, baking spices but there is this whisper of a wine note that swirls though that adds a slight complexity and holds the 120.5 proof at bay. Not to say there isn’t a Kentucky hug at the end but with a high rye mash bill along with 120+ proof, if not done right, could absolutely torch your palate and this does not.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. Certainly not as long as the Medeira finished but certainly hangs around a good bit. Ginger, cinnamon and rye spice stay until the end.

 

REVIEW – First want to thank High Bank Distillery for providing these samples to review.

 

The Madeira finished is really something special but I would say that if you don’t like sweet red wines along with whiskey then this may not be a fit. If you got the chance to taste or get High Bank’s Midnight Cask Barrel Proof then this is that on steroids both in over all experience and flavor. The flavors are deeper and richer and then the mouth feel along with a nose that should be made into a candle, you have something that you want on your shelf. This would pair extremely well with a steak when everyone heads for the red wine, pull this out instead.

 

The 2nd Fill Sangiovese finished is for those whiskey drinkers that appreciate the subtly of a finished whiskey where the finishing barrel doesn’t have to punch you in the face with the flavor profile that it is trying to be installed into the original whiskey.  If you are a lover of the Whiskey War Barrel Proof and want additional aging and wine nuance added into the juice, then this is for you.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – From High Bank Distillery about the releases:

Our Barrel Select program is one of my creative outlets as a distiller. It’s an awesome opportunity to experiment with unique barrels and various aging techniques to achieve flavor profiles outside of our typical Whiskey War line.

The limited releases are fun for our distillery team and fans of High Bank. We really enjoy hearing feedback on which batches are fan favorites and the unique notes and flavor profiles each bottle offers.

– Co-founder and Master Distiller Adam Hines

All bottles will go on sale Friday, June 10th at 11AM. Online purchases only. Limit 1 bottle of each product per person. Pickup at our Grandview location only (1051 Goodale Blvd.).

 

Obviously this is not a gin review nor do I confess to be an expert but I have come to enjoy High Bank’s Statehouse gin on warm summer days as it taste like Sprite. Add a cube and you are good to go. Along with the whiskey releases they are also releasing a Statehouse gin release that used the Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrel from the Barrel Select Whiskey Batch #2. The gin was aged in that barrel for 27 months and comes in at 82 proof. It has all the citrus (Sprite) notes that you know from Statehouse but not as sharp and then adds this pleasant sweet cooked down grape along with a toasted oak note to it. This may be my summer drink for 2022.

 

 

To find out more you can check it out here – High Bank Distillery June Releases

 

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

 

E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Review

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Sunday Evening Review

 

On this special weekend that makes all pause and remember those that paid the ultimate price for the freedom that we enjoy in the United States. For this giving a toast to those that you remember mandates you pull out something special. Today I toast those heros with an E.H. Taylor Single Barrel. Let’s get into it.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – E. H. Taylor Single Barrel Bottled In Bond

 

PROOF – 100

 

AGE – non-age stated but at least 4 years due to the Bottled In Bond laws. Rumored to be 6-8 years

 

COLOR – old copper pipe (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Butterscotch, sweet caramel, vanilla sweet cream, orange peel, cinnamon sugar, newly tanned leather

 

TASTE – Sweet oak with caramel and vanilla and the beginning of the sip. Then the whiskey starts taking a journey with orange zest, vanilla pudding, cigar tobacco, leather but with a little more age than what I got on the nose. Also cinnamon, almond butter and dark honey. All of this delivered in one of the creamiest mouth feels you will ever get with a whiskey.

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. That creamy mouth feel coats your mouth and allows flavors to hang around for a long time. The orange note swirls through and then moves into a leather and tobacco ending.

 

REVIEW – Sometimes you wish the hype of a bottle is just that and note worth the effort to get certain bottles. I have had many that were hyped and that was all it was. This is not one of those as all the hype about this bottle is real. You won’t find a creamier whiskey at 100 proof than this one. It also has all the complexity yet a very easy drinking pour. This has something for everyone and that’s all you could ever ask.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – From the Buffalo Trace website:

 

Many of the barrels selected for the E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel are aged in Warehouse C, which was built by Taylor in 1881 and proven to be an excellent aging warehouse. Each barrel is hand-picked and Bottled in Bond at 100 proof to honor its namesake.

 

Other facts about E.H. Taylor that just adds to the lore is that he is a descendant of 2 U.S. Presidents James Madison and Zachary Taylor. Madison is considered the “Father of the Constitution” and Taylor is considered the “Father of the Modern Bourbon Industry.”

 

Taylor spent several years after the Civil War touring Europe and being educated in the latest distilling techniques, including the importance of keeping the liquids in copper kettles. When he returned to the United States in late 1867 he opened his first distillery called “The Hermitage.”

In one of the most important moves by Taylor, just two years later he purchased the Leestown Distillery, just outside Frankfort in 1869 and named it the, “O.F.C. Distillery (Old Fire Copper) Distillery.”

 

Among his inventions or improvements were using copper fermentation tanks, state-of-the-art grain equipment, column stills, modernized buildings, a more efficient sour mash technique and a first-of-its-kind steam heating system (which is still used in the warehouses today).

 

Obviously his most important contribution to bourbon was being the lead to passing the “Bottle-In-Bond Act of 1897.” It probably is the one thing that saved bourbon from being nothing more than a low quality liquor with a horrible reputation to match but because of the Bottled-In-Bond Act it is not only a high quality product with but the reputation of bourbon has people chasing it all over the world to be able to drink it.

 

Thanks again to all those that laid down their life for the freedom we enjoy as well as the families that also paid a price due to those that lost their life. I toast you and give you my never ending thanks.

To find out more you can check it out here – E.H. Taylor

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Old Pepper Single Barrel Rye Barrel Proof Review

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Sunday Evening Review

 

If part of the reason you are into American whiskies is the history and stories that come with it, it will be hard to beat the history of the Old Pepper Distillery. The only problem with history and stories I have never figured out a way to taste it. So let’s get to the juice of this Old Pepper Distillery’s Single Barrel Rye at Barrel Proof. Let’s find out if we should just stick to the stories or ask for another pour.

 

NAME – Old Pepper Distillery Single Barrel Straight Rye Barrel Proof (DSP IN-15023)

 

PROOF – 121.8

 

AGE – 5 years

 

COLOR – amber honeycomb (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Orange citrus, butterscotch, clove, vanilla cream, and some vague herbal notes

 

TASTE – Palate falls in line with the nose. Orange citrus, butterscotch, clove, vanilla cream and the herbal note comes into focus as a whisper of mint.

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. The citrus and vanilla cream just keeps hanging on and on.

 

REVIEW – This is a spectacular rye. Has just enough of that mint/herbal note to let you know it is a rye without being obnoxious about it. Then the orange creamsicle note that runs the entire length of the experience is very pleasant. Does not drink like a 120 proofed rye and more like a 105 proof rye with a ton of flavor and finish.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – From the back of the bottle:

 

The Pepper Distillery in Lexington, Kentucky was initially built in 1880 by Colonel James E. Pepper. At the time, it was said to be the largest and most technologically advanced distillery in the nation,. It was there that Col. Pepper produced his famous high-grade whiskey, of which he was a flamboyant promoter. Indeed, legend has it that the Old Fashioned cocktail was invented in his honor, which he subsequently introduced to the world during his frequent stays in New York City. The distilleryoperated until 1967, when both it and the brand were abandoned for over 50 years. After a decade of historical research and renovation, the brand was relaunched and the distillery was rebuilt – filling its first barrel in 2017.

 

There is a ton more to the Pepper story and I encourage you to go here to learn more.

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

 

 

 

Town Branch True Cask Review

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Sunday Evening Review

 

Back at the Central Ohio Whiskey Society meeting we had Town Branch as our guest distillery who brought a tasting that was not yet in Ohio but said it was on the way. Well, it has arrived so I wanted to explore this again and also make you aware of the new offering to Ohio. The bottle is Towne Branch True Cask. Let’s find out if my opinion has changed since the March meeting on this bottle.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Towne Branch True Cask – Batch #002

 

PROOF – 109.3

 

AGE – non age stated but is labeled as a Kentucky Straight Bourbon with no age statement means it is at least 4 years

 

COLOR – dried peat moss (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Vanilla, rolled oats, stewed peaches sprinkled with cinnamon, chocolate malt, and some earthy tones

 

TASTE – Sweet amber honey at the start then transitions to chocolate malt, cinnamon and vanilla.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium. In the finish the stewed peaches reappear from the nose along with a new note of cigar tobacco along side cinnamon.

 

REVIEW – I know this surprised many at the meeting and it continues to do so. This is a very good pour that isn’t overly complex but doesn’t mean it is not very enjoyable. This is another good summer bourbon with a bit of a proof punch. Would go great drinking it at a BBQ or around a firepit with friends.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – This bottle from Town Branch is rumored to have blended mash bill of a 50/50 blend: Higher-malt bourbon mash (72% corn, 15% malted barley, 13% rye) and an undisclosed proprietary bourbon mash. There is no doubt that high malt shows itself in the bourbon.

 

Another tidbit is that these barrels are being aged at the famous Castle & Key Distillery formerly the Old Taylor Distillery. The risk house very humid that actually drops the proof of the whiskey in the barrel instead the most common situation of raising the alcohol content. The barrel entry proof is 125 so it means it drops over 15 proof points in the barrel.

 

The links that they go to make sure no water is added is impressive. They even dry the blending tanks and other equipment before blending to ensure the whiskey is completely uncut.

 

Their blending team keeps blending until “they love it.” What this means is each batch will have some very different characteristics. The Batch #002 is the one that is hitting the shelves right now in Ohio.

 

To find out more check it out here – Town Branch True Cask

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

COWS Bulleit Barrel Pick “Fruity and the Yeast” Review

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Sunday Evening Review

 

On this special Mother’s Day Edition of Sunday Evening Review I go over the latest barrel pick that the COWS are about to receive. The Bulleit Barrel Pick named “Fruity and the Yeast – A COWS Tale As Old As Time.” I will go over this latest pick to find out if it is a fairy tale bourbon or maybe it will just be a horror story.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Bulleit Bourbon Single Barrel “Fruity and the Yeast”

 

PROOF – 104

 

AGE – 7 years

 

COLOR – light maple syrup (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Fruit cocktail with notes of pears, cherries, peach, ripe strawberry, and white grape. Also, amber honey, toasted oak, and Nilla wafers.

 

TASTE – The fruit bomb continues from the nose. A lot of red fruits of strawberry, cherries, and red raspberry. Also, a canned pear win syrup shows up with the red fruit. There is also a yeast roll with honey butter and a little cinnamon.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The cinnamon, toasted oak and the yeasty notes hang around until the end.

 

REVIEW – This is a very fruity whiskey and is uplifting and very easy to drink without be a 1 or 2 note wonder that you usually characterize with “easy to drink” bourbon. This has a lot of different fruits that burst at different times on the palate. Then the yeasty notes helps balance out the sweet fruit. If you are lucky enough to get this bottle my Memorial Day, my guess is most won’t make it to the 4th of July. An absolutely perfect summer bourbon to enjoy.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – This bourbon is using the “E” mash bill which is considered the low rye mash bill at 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% barley. This is versus the “B” mash bill which is 68% corn, 28% rye and 4% barley. With Bulleit just like with Four Roses there are 2 mash bills and 5 yeast strains. This pick uses the “3” yeast strain which is called appropriately their strawberry flavored yeast.

 

I will say for those that are consistent acquirers of COWS barrels picks this one is different from most of the barrels we have gotten that concentrates more on darker notes. This one is brighter and sweeter than most of the barrels we have done. Even the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked we did was sweet but still had a lot of darker notes. The timing of this coming out is unquestionably perfect as I predict many pours of this bourbon being enjoyed out on the deck this summer.

 

This pick will be made available for reservations this coming Saturday, May 14th, at 10 am.  The link will be posted on the Facebook group COWS page. As always, I don’t expect this to last very long so be ready right at 10am.

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Watershed Distillery Barrel Proof OHLQ Barrel Pick Review

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Sunday Evening Review

 

What’s better than a scavenger hunt? Well I could name a lot of things to be honest but a treasure hunt is something different. Watershed Distillery partnered with OHLQ to release 6 different barrel picks at barrel proof. The hunt will begin Monday, May 2nd at “select liquor stores throughout the state.” I was fortunate enough to taste all 6 and I will have comments on those later in my final comments section but I am doing a full review on what my guess will be the most sought after bottle of the bunch. The bottle that is named, “Ohio Dutch Apple” that comes in at a robust 140.6 proof. Let’s see if it is as good as grandma’s apple pie or will it be like drinking grandpa’s gasoline.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

 

NAME – Watershed Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Strength – OHLQ Ohio Dutch Apple

 

PROOF – 140.6

 

AGE – 4.3 years

 

COLOR – caramel drizzle (1.5 auburn, polished mahogany on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Not going to tell you there isn’t ethanol on the nose, but I have had much more in other pours. I was quickly able to move paste the alcohol and get to caramelized bread. Reminds me of a dessert my mom made that was called monkey bread that had caramel, cinnamon, pecans and apples in a yeasty bread. I also get a slight chocolate chip note and vanilla also.

 

TASTE – No doubt that you must pull up your big boy or girl pants on when you drink this. Especially the first sip the ethanol is powerful. Once your palate acclimates to the high proof then you get the charred oak, chocolate hot cocoa, red delicious apple, roasted pecan, dark caramel, roasted coffee and cinnamon.

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. Chocolate, pecan, oak stick around and some black pepper shows up.

 

REVIEW – This bottle did give me a lot more than what you anticipate with a Haz Mat bottle. The proof is obviously evident, but I have had hotter tasting Bookers that are 14 proof points lower. This gives a very desserty feel with the chocolate and caramel mixing with the apples and pecan. This is a good pour that may be better with a few drops of water or over ice to beat back some of the ethanol and open up the other notes.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Really appreciate Watershed Distillery to be invited to evaluate all these bottles. Of the 6 bottles, 5 are using the new mash bill of 3 grains with 22% rye with one bottle using the original 5 grain mash bill. They sampled through 15 barrels to end up deciding on these 6. Here is the list of bottles with short tasting notes and information on the other bottles:

 

  • Confectioner’s Cask – 126.3 proof – 4.3 years – I got a very quick but interesting powdered sugar note at the very beginning. Then a very balanced pour with caramel and rye spice playing ying and yang. This was probably my favorite or the next one Bourbon Buckeye.
  • Bourbon Buckeye – 126.2 proof – 4.3 years – Peanut Butter and chocolate like the name suggest. This rivaled Confectioner’s Cask as my favorite
  • Malt Shop – 130.7 proof – 4.5 years – I think for most this will be your absolute favorite or you will hate it. Very malty with rye spice. Reminded me of some Balcones Single Malt that I have had.
  • Rich Lemon Pie – 128.3 proof – 4.5 years – This name didn’t fit for me as I didn’t get any citrus until maybe at the very very end and it was barely noticeable. I even asked others I was there with to just make sure I hadn’t lost it and they agreed. Had some rye spice and vanilla and little chocolate. Least favorite of the 3 grain mash bill bottles.
  • Crème de la Crème Brulée – 121.49 proof – 5 years – This is from the only remaining barrel created from its original five-grain mash bill. This to me is a nostalgic pick as this reaffirmed why they changed mash bills. Again, this is a personal opinion as there were others in the group that loved it. If you were a fan of the 5 grain bottles that Watershed produced in the past, then jump on it because it is a last of a kind.

 

Couple dates and things to keep for your calendar.

 

May 2nd these bottles hit the OHLQ Agency shelves. If you want to try all six you can attend a special dinner at Watershed Kitchen + Bar on Wednesday, May 11th. Tickets to the dinner include a sampling of all single barrel bourbon offerings and the option to buy up to four of the six expressions in the bottle shop.

 

To purchase tickets to the dinner, please visit Watershed’s OpenTable Experience page

To find out more check it out here – Watershed Distillery

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed

The Mattie Gladden Bourbon Review

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Sunday Evening Review

 

This week we venture to French Lick, Indiana to take a taste of The Mattie Gladden from The Spirits of French Lick Distillery. There are some really interesting aspects to this bourbon but let’s find out if those aspects make it a good tasting bourbon.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – The Mattie Gladden Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 

PROOF – 103

 

AGE – 4 years

 

COLOR – toasted corn bread (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – The nose is of a well-crafted fruit salad with whiffs of peach, cherry, blackberry, and apple. It is difficult to nose anything of fruit but a little of cinnamon and toasted oak but this is a fruit bomb on the nose.

 

TASTE – Unlike the nose the rye spice comes front and center along with anise, and herbal notes. The fruit doesn’t disappear with notes of dried apricot and Red Delicious apple.

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. In a twist of the norm, the sweetness of caramel comes at the finish along with the rye spice hanging on. I also get some cinnamon and roasted coffee.

 

REVIEW – Really interesting pour with that fruit basket bomb on the nose that screams summer. The palate gives you something else where the rye comes forward and adds interest and leaving just enough fruit. The real twist is the caramel sweetness coming at the finish which is almost always a first taste on any bourbon. Really complex and interesting bourbon especially for 4 years in the barrel.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – I really think Spirits of French Lick is an under the radar powerhouse distillery. Really doing some interesting stuff with different grains. I don’t know how they are going to continue to be a secret for very much longer as they continue to put very quality spirits.

 

A little confession as this is a store pick from Papa Joe’s in Richmond, Indiana. The normal Mattie Gladden is a bottled-in-bond 100 proofer that was I have seen gets just as good of reviews. Hate doing a store pick but wanted to get this out for everyone to know about.

 

Mashbill on this is interesting with 55% corn, 35% rye and 10% Victory malt. The also use 2 separate yeast strains. One is their “house yeast” and then a brandy yeast which no doubt explains the fruity notes on the nose. They go into the barrel at 105 proof and use a lighter the normal char of a number 2 char.

 

The naming of Mattie Gladden is to pay homage to a famous 19th century madam of a house of ill repute. Her popular bordello on Salem, Indiana’s  Main Street, catered to lots of travelling businessmen, men of the town and even included the showman P. T. Barnum which is rumored that Mattie Gladden was Barnum’s mistress.

 

To find out more check it out here – Spirits of French Lick

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed

Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Review

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Sunday Evening Review

 

Since starting to do the Sunday Evening Review in 2020 I have reviewed all different kinds of bourbons and to my surprise when looking through my review history I have never reviewed Old Forester 1920. That gets solved today as this is consistently a bottle that whiskey lovers rank as one of their favorites. Let’s find out if we should follow the crowd or go down a less traveled path.

 

Don’t forget to post in the comments any whiskey you would like me to review in the future.

 

NAME – Old Forester 1920 (Prohibition Style)

 

PROOF – 115 Proof

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – worn football (1.7, burnt umber on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – The traditional Old Forester chocolate is up front and center. Also, dark fruits like stewed plums, raisins, Bing cherries, and fig newton. Also, dark roast coffee and charred oak.

 

TASTE – Chocolate follows from the nose along with a stronger presence of barrel char. Dark roasted coffee, black cherry, dark brown sugar, and sweet tobacco.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. Chocolate and barrel char just continues to hang around for a good bit of time.

 

REVIEW – When this bourbon hit the shelves, I thought it was a game changer. At 115 proof, this quality, at $60 and highly available at the time it was in a class by itself. I still think this is very hard to beat for a widely available bottle that I feels is better than even some of the Birthday Bourbons that have come out. If you are someone that only wants a small collection of 10 bottles, this should be one of them. No one you share this with should be disappointed and when you finish it you know it is an easy trip to any liquor store to replace it.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style was the third release in the Whiskey Row series and paid tribute to a moment in time in whiskey. The Volstead Act of 1920 initiated the thirteen years of Prohibition. During that time only 6 distilleries were allowed to produce whiskey under a medicinal license. The Old Forester held Kentucky permit KY-3. At this time, the barrel entry proof for Old Forester was 100 proof. During the maturation process the Angel’s Share increased the aging whiskey’s barrel proof, which ended up around 115 proof.

To find out more check it out here – Old Forester 1920

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed