Stellum Bourbon

Stellum Bourbon
Cask Strength Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies

57.49% ABV
$55
Website
Stellum Bourbon
We would like to thank Stellum Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

Stellum Spirits is a new national brand created and produced by Barrell Craft Spirits® (BCS). Please see this release for additional details!

Stellum Spirits, a new national brand created to celebrate the modern-day whiskey drinker, today officially launched its inaugural flagship offerings, including bourbon (blue label), rye (green label), and single barrels, which are all bottled at cask strength. By embracing the vitality of American whiskey today, Stellum is focused on creating the next generation of classic whiskeys that include all facets of the American story in its vision.

Stellum Bourbon finds its flavor in the tension of three Indiana Bourbon mash bills, two of which are high-rye, with the third being almost exclusively corn. Older barrels from both Kentucky and Tennessee are folded in slowly, through a multi-step blending process. This brings added layers of depth and complexity, ultimately allowing us to round out a uniquely Stellum flavor profile.

TASTING NOTES
Appearance: Amber gold.
Nose: Intense clove and allspice immediately jump out of the glass, supported by creamy macadamia nuts and light tobacco. As the whiskey opens up, sweet aromas of honeysuckle, green apple, and nectarine begin to show, rounded off by toasted rye and oak.
Palate: The tip of your tongue is met with a hint of vanilla, marshmallow, and cotton candy. The whiskey quickly transforms as it spreads across your tongue, revealing spicy notes of black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon baked apples. The spice is supported by tart underripe blackberry and apricot that contrasts perfectly against the initial sweetness.
Finish: The spiciness of the palate carries over into the finish with candied ginger and more black pepper before slowly fading into a syrupy sweet honey.

With the Addition of Water: The strong pepper notes are more subdued, allowing for sweet cinnamon streusel and stewed apples to come to the forefront of the palate.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, oak, orange zest, vitamins, cinnamon and clove.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel, vanilla, bit of milk chocolate, baking spices including clove, nutmeg and cinnamon followed by cracked black pepper and tart berries.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with berries and pepper with honey.
Comments:  Wow! The nose on this was nice, but was a bit deceptive in that I wasn’t expecting the intensity and richness that the palate delivered. Having tried several products from the folks at Barrell Craft Spirits who are behind Stellum Spirits, I shouldn’t have been surprised. The Dickel notes are present but not prominent on the nose, and I found the palate on this to be comparable to some of their Barrell Bourbon releases. A bit of water brings out some caramel corn on the nose, and tamps the edges of the palate – although it doesn’t need water in my opinion. Given the trend in prices of premium brands and labels in recent years, I found this priced incredibly reasonably. I hope that they’re able to keep this profile fairly consistent – although if so they’ll probably struggle to keep up with demand!

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

2 thoughts on “Stellum Bourbon”

  1. I’ve enjoyed every Barrell batch from 21 to 28, so I picked up two Stellum (sounds like a body part, though, right?) bottles as soon as they were released. Your review is spot on! This is a really, really good blend.

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