Bourbon

Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey

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Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey

45% ABV
$40
Website
Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

This truly small-batch bourbon starts with traditionally grown corn, rye and malted barley. All of our staple grains are cultivated exclusively for us on the Omlin Family farm in Quincy, Washington. The grains are mashed, distilled, and barreled in our Woodinville® distillery, then trucked back over the Cascade Mountains to our private barrel houses, where Central Washington’s extreme temperature cycles promote the extraction of natural flavors from the oak. Prior to being coopered, the barrel wood is seasoned in open air, rain, wind, sun, and snow for eighteen months, softening the wood’s harsh tannins. The barrels are then slowly toasted and heavily charred to further enrich the wood’s desirable flavors. This meticulous process yields a truly hand-crafted spirit with aromas of crème brûlée and spice cabinet, as well as notes of rich caramel, dark chocolate, and vanilla bean on the palate with a sweet, lingering finish.

*Also available in Cask-Strength at distillery only.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, light caramel, corn, musty oak, peaches with a hint of cherries and brown sugar.
Palate:  Vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce, light baking spices and black cherries.
Finish:  Moderate in length, slightly dry with a bit of oak, baking spices and cherries.
Comments:  A decent enough pour, although the corn on the nose and lack of depth on the palate would lead me to believe it is young (being non-age stated ‘straight’, this would be four years and a day). The nose is nice, with a bit more to offer than the palate, but appreciate that this doesn’t “taste like craft” to me.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Barrell Bourbon Batch 029

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Barrell Bourbon Batch 029

57.94% ABV
$90
Website
Barrell Bourbon Batch 029
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

The base of Barrell Bourbon Batch 029 is an herbal and viscous blend of Indiana bourbons. The blend was expanded with 6 and 7-year-old rye-grain Kentucky bourbon, chosen for its exotic cinnamon spice note and floral 9 and 10-year-old wheated bourbon. Finally, a small amount of 6, 14, and 16-year-old Tennessee bourbon was added for a fruity nose and a long, oxidative finish.

  • A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys
  • Distilled and aged in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana
  • Selection of 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, and 16-year-old barrels
  • Aged in American white oak barrels
  • Bottled in Kentucky
  • 115.88 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES
An initial burst of fruit: Williams pear and dried papaya on the nose, lime cordial on the palate; then a lengthy evolution through rye-driven mulling spices and rich oaky lactones. Ultimately, the profile settles comfortably into an array of dessert notes including treacle tart, milk chocolate, and Boal madeira.

​Neat
Appearance: Roasted pumpkin flecked with bright gold.
Nose: A classical opening of brown sugar-laced oatmeal and freshly conditioned leather. As you swirl a Glencairn glass, Williams pear, cantaloupe, and mulled wine develop. Curiously, from a rocks glass the evolution is more tropical, leaning rather toward tangerine, dried papaya, and mint tea with honeycomb. In either case, herbs soon follow — basil, dill, and wasabi powder. The aroma finally stabilizes into something resembling Pedro Ximenez sherry, displaying rosewater, treacle tart, and boiled cider.
Palate: Unmistakably cask strength. A bright, pithy lime cordial note is rounded out by Mirabelle plum and sugar snap pea. Once the palate has acclimatized, more traditional flavors of affogato, molasses, and roasted mixed nuts emerge.
Finish: A bold salinity tugs at the taste buds, calling soft pretzel to mind. As it fades, soft flavors of milk chocolate and shredded coconut wash over the palate.

With a few drops of spring water
Leafy aromas of tarragon, pandan and celery come to the fore. Nutritional yeast and roasted parsnip reveal a lightly savory dimension. Meanwhile the palate grows much darker in character, as espresso beans and ripe puerh tea dominate. Levity returns on the finish, with unexpected notes of guava and cherry blossom.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich vanilla, caramel, berries, cigar paper, leather, oak, dark chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, a hint of minerality and tarragon.
Palate:  Rich and sweet toffee, chocolate, hazelnuts, light caramel, cinnamon, butterscotch, pepper spice and clove.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with cocoa, honey and baking spices.
Comments:  Have yet to try a batch I didn’t like, but I really like this one; just right in my wheelhouse. Delicious neat although gets even better with some water, thickening and bringing out a note of peanut butter. A robust, unapologetically brash while nicely balanced bourbon.

Rating: Must Try

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Baker’s 7 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

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Baker’s 7 Year Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Serial No. 000185720
Warehouse CL-O (or CL-D)
Date Barreled: 01-2011
Barrel Age: 8 Years, 6 Months

53.5% ABV
$60
Website
Bakers 7 yr Single Barrel
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Every bottle, as unique as the man it’s named for
From still to rickhouse to bottle, a lot of things happen with Baker’s® Single Barrel Bourbon. Weather, length of aging and rickhouse placement all shape the distinct notes and flavors of each barrel. See how and where your bottle was born.

Taste the difference between floor 5, rack 17 & floor 7, rack 21
\No two barrels of Baker’s are the same. Each is as unique as the man the bourbon is named for. Each barrel sits in its own unique place throughout our rickhouses, patiently aging for a minimum of seven years to extract the notes of vanilla trapped within the charred oak.

And with Baker’s there’s no batching or mixing. Each bottle is filled from one singular barrel. Which means inside each bottle is a big, bold bourbon, full of tiny subtle details that change barrel to barrel.

Every family has a rebel. Ours is baker.
He may be soft-spoken, but Jim Beam’s grand-nephew marched to his own drum. In his heyday, Baker would show up for work at the Clermont distillery on his motorcycle, wearing a black leather jacket and his wide-brimmed hat. When this sixth-generation distiller retired, his cousin Booker Noe created Baker’s Bourbon in his honor, inspired by his passion for bourbon and maverick nature.

Pull up a glass
There’s no wrong way to drink Baker’s – whether it’s neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail, you’ll notice strong, traditional bourbon cues, like oak, caramel and vanilla. Bottled at 107 proof, the flavors inside each single barrel really shine through. This full-bodied bourbon really stands out in any cocktail.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, vanilla, charred oak, cocoa, bit of anise and clove.
Palate:  Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, peanut brittle with a bit of honey, followed by anise.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with caramel and oak.
Comments:  I tried this sample side by side with an older Baker’s 7 yr Small Batch (bought in 2019). In late 2019 Beam Suntory announced the change for the Baker’s brand, shifting from a small batch to a single barrel (including a 7 year – same age as the former small batch; and a 13 year). I was a fan of Bakers, with the age and proof hitting my sweet spots (although I wouldn’t have turned my nose up at a barrel proof version!) so was curious how the single barrel variety fared. As a single barrel, there is more variation – and their website actually highlights this point since you can key in your barrel number to get the barrel details. As a geek, I really like that, although I would recommend they put some of those details on the bottle itself. They do give you the age and warehouse, but not the floor/rack on the label. If I’m in the store, having to plug each serial number into the web-site to see which floor and rack the barrel was at (as their site recommends) is more effort than most consumers are going to put into it. Adding those few details to the bottle would be a big plus, and frankly – I’d still go to the web-site when I got home for the other info. The sample I received incidentally was aged on Floor 5, Rack 47 for those keeping score at home. But back to the bourbon – I found the sample I received to be incredibly similar to the small batch, which isn’t a big surprise. That’s good, since I’ve been a fan of the other, but if you’re expecting the single barrel to be wildly different, you may be disappointed (or may not).

Rating: Stands Out

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Blood Oath Pact No. 7

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Blood Oath Pact No. 7 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in Sauternes casks

49.3% ABV
$100
Website
Blood Oath Pact 7
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Blender Says

Lux Row Distillers is launching Blood Oath Pact 7 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Finished in Sauternes casks, Pact 7 is the latest in a series of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey blends created by Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. Available at retail starting mid-April, Blood Oath Pact 7 has a limited allocation of just over 17,000 cases at a suggested retail price
of $99.99 per bottle.

In a blend only known to Rempe, Blood Oath Pact 7 features a combination of three Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys: a 14-year ryed bourbon, an 8-year ryed bourbon and an 8-year ryed bourbon
finished in Sauternes casks. Sauternes is a sweet white wine from the small town of Sauternes in the Bordeaux region of France.

“Finishing in a Sauternes cask brings additional tasting notes and flavor to the bourbon,” said Rempe. “In the case of Pact 7, expect a nose of caramel, oak and spice with flavor notes of apricots, honey and peaches. The balance of sweetness and spice is what sets this bourbon apart.”

The Blood Oath concept was created in 2014 by Rempe, who had an idea to make an exceptional blend of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey using three unique bourbons. He named the series Blood Oath, because he vows to be the only one who knows where these whiskeys have come from. He also promises to make the best bourbon for the bourbon connoisseur with each Pact.

“Creating an extraordinary and unique blend of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys is at the heart of the Blood Oath series,” said Rempe. “Pact 7 continues this tradition, and the result is a secret I can’t wait to share with bourbon lovers.”

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Caramel and strong oak, backed up with hints of honey.
PALATE: Caramel and oak.
FINISH: Apricots, honey, and peaches.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, oak, baking spices, fall leaves, notes of tropical fruit, mango, dried candied pineapple, a hint of ginger.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel with a fruity sweetness, mangos, apricots, peaches, caramel, honey, bit of cinnamon, pepper spice and a hint of anise.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with pepper, honey and apricot jam.
Comments:  Delightful dram, and a fine example of finishing done well. Compliments the bourbon nicely without overpowering it. I thought some water tamped the highlights, but thankfully it doesn’t need it (so I’d skip that). Each of the Blood Oath pacts I’ve had the pleasure to try have been nicely done, and this is no exception.

Rating: Stands Out

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Stellum Bourbon

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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

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