Bourbon

Chicken Cock 10-Year-Old Double Barrel Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Chicken Cock 10-Year-Old Double Barrel Bourbon
Batch #3 of 6
52% ABV
$250
Website

What the Producer Says
Charleston, SC (October 2018) Grain & Barrel Spirits (“G&B”), an innovation-driven craft spirits company, brought Chicken Cock Whiskey back to its rightful place as a heritage-driven American Whiskey in 2012, when CEO Matti Anttila discovered the “Famous Old Brand.” Since that time, G&B has fully returned the brand to its ancestral home in Kentucky and continues its quest to resurrect the historic pre-prohibition favorite with the introduction of a limited-edition release of 10-Year-Old Double Barrel Bourbon.

Originally established in 1856, in Paris, Kentucky, (ten years before Jack Daniels), Chicken Cock rose to fame as the house whiskey at the Cotton Club, one of the most legendary speakeasies, during Prohibition. Known as “The Famous Old Brand” and “The Whiskey in a Tin Can,” Chicken Cock was smuggled in sealed tin cans and ceremoniously opened tableside. After prohibition ended, the brand enjoyed a resurgent couple of decades before a distillery fire put it out of business for more than 40 years.

The brand’s latest limited-edition release arrives just in time for the holiday season. Chicken Cock 10-Year-Old Double Barrel Bourbon is the brand’s most unique and special limited release yet. Master Distiller and 40+ year veteran Gregg Snyder selected twelve barrels of 10-year-old bourbon, marrying two barrels at a time to create a perfectly balanced, extremely smooth, small batch bourbon (only 1,980 bottles were produced). Through countless samplings, he determined the “perfect proof” at 104-proof, with a slight amount of pure water to open up the flavors, and non-chill filtered to retain the rich amber colors and exquisite taste profile. Featuring the Pre-prohibition Era Style Bottle with sipping glass cap and a Mash Bill of 70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley, the coveted expression was distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and aged and bottled in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Chicken Cock Whiskey is now being produced at the Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo) in the bourbon capital of the world. Through BBCo’s collaborative distilling program, G&B’s Gregg Snyder will collaborate with Bourbon Hall of Fame Master Distiller Steve Nally and BBCo’s first-class distilling team, to produce its high-quality, small-batch whiskey, bourbon, and rye for many years to come. BBCo and G&B concluded their first distillation of 616 barrels at the end of August.

“From the day I discovered Chicken Cock Whiskey, my goal was to eventually return the brand to its ancestral home,” said Matti Anttila, CEO of Grain & Barrel Spirits. ”The historic brand is now officially 100% back home in Kentucky, a mere 80 miles from Paris, where its story began 162 years ago. The legend of Chicken Cock never died. In fact, we believe that the brand’s best years are still ahead of it.”

Only 330 cases of the 10-Year-Old Double Barrel Bourbon limited-edition release will be available beginning this month in select markets including CO, GA, FL, KY, NY, SC and TN, and online at https://chickencock.passionspirits.com/chicken-cock.html. The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle is $250, which may vary by market.

Tasting Notes
Appearance: Beautiful, Warm Rich Amber Color
Aroma: Robust Sweetness, with distinctive Caramel and Vanilla aromas, nicely complimented with the perfect amount of Oak Lactones.
Taste: Simply stated: “AWESOME”, full bodied bourbon at the Perfect 104 Proof that highlights a beautiful balance of Sweet Caramel, Vanilla and Toasted Oak, with a hint of Dark Chocolate.
Finish: Wonderful, long Rich and Flavorful Finish with a lingering of Sweetness

What Gary Says
Nose:  Sharp, vanilla crème brûlée with oak, fall leaves and a hint of cocoa.
Palate:  Biting salted caramel with vanilla, toasted honey, cinnamon, cracked pepper with subtle bitter chocolate.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with a pepper bite.
Comments:  On the nose this felt higher proof than 104, so this definitely has some bite to it. A fair amount of oak, more than I get in most other 10 yr bourbons. If you’re a fan of sharp/spicy bourbon with a good deal of oak, this might be right in your wheelhouse. The packaging looks well done, and if you’re a fan of collecting for the bottles, or the rarity of a limited release – more power to you. I think this is priced mainly for that market. If you’re just looking for a bourbon to sip and enjoy, and couldn’t care less about the packaging or bottle count, I think you’re likely to find it cost prohibitive.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank Grain & Barrel Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

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Yellowstone 2018 Limited Edition

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Yellowstone 2018 Limited Edition
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Finished in No 3 Char Wine Cask

50.5% ABV
$100
Website

What the Producer Says

Limestone Branch Distillery introduces the 2018 variety of Yellowstone® Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon, the third and final barrel finishing experiment by Limestone Branch Distillery, set to hit the market in October. This year’s final limited edition combines hand-selected, Kentucky Straight bourbons, ranging from four to 12 years in aging and finished in No. 3 char wine casks. Same as with the 2017 edition, this year’s special edition also includes Limestone Branch Distillery’s own distillate, carefully made with their signature heirloom white corn.

“The Yellowstone Limited Edition variants have been an incredible outlet for my creativity and flair for experimenting,” says Steve Beam, president and distiller of Limestone Branch Distillery. “We started the process in 2016 and I am proud of the three limited editions we created – and how they are linked to each other.”

Beam tells the story of the evolution of these three variants. “In 2016, we finished our Limited Edition bourbon in specially selected new wine barrels, which lent their special flavor to that year’s celebrated bourbon, but their journey had barely begun. Later that year, after the bourbon was dumped and bottled, the same 28 barrels were lightly charred and we filled them with our 2017 Limited Edition bourbon. This year, we took the very same barrels – now rich with complexity – and deeply charred them before filling them with our 2018 Limited Edition.”

The barrel journey, and the hand-selected bourbon used in these products, created a rich flavor profile. Beam notes that the heavy char over bourbon-wet oak produced a rich palate of burnt sugar, deep caramel and a lingering essence of crème brulée.

Bottled at 101 proof and available in 750ml bottles signed by Steve Beam and nestled in commemorative tubes, the 2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition marks the final piece of this award-winning trilogy.

Approximately 12,000 bottles of this bourbon are being produced this fall at Limestone Branch Distillery, and the suggested retail price is $99.99.

What Gary Says
Nose:  Vanilla, caramel, allspice, sour oak with hints of cigar paper, hazelnuts, milk chocolate with a subtle wine twang.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, honey, salted caramel with hazelnuts that sharpens with spicy wine notes and dried apricots.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with some pepper spice at the end.
Comments:  A lot of folks are experimenting with different finishes, and bourbon has such an intense flavor – some folks I think wind up going over the top.  This is not one of those cases.  The wine cask finish is done very well, hot heavy handed in the least, but not so light that you don’t recognize it is there.  In my opinion, this is where “finishing” is meant to be.  I imagine that this would be a delicious bourbon even without that extra bit, but I’m delighted that they’ve taken care in the balance.  I hadn’t tried the previous Yellowstone limited editions so unfortunately can’t compare, but on its own this is a very well crafted whiskey.  If you are a fan of finished bourbons in particular, I’d push this up to a ‘Must Try’.
Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

We would like to thank Limestone Branch and Common Ground PR for sending us samples to review.

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Old Ezra Barrel Strength

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Ezra Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Aged 7 Years
58.5% ABV
$40
Website

What the Producer Says

Luxco introduces Old Ezra Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey this fall. Aged a full seven years for a more robust flavor, this bourbon is bottled at barrel strength of 117 proof. This allows the bourbon to develop bold, intense flavors with the perfect balance of oak, caramel, cinnamon and pepper, with a long, warm finish.

TASTING NOTES
Sweet floral notes with undertones of vanilla, cinnamon, and fine wood, ending in a warm, buttery finish.

INGREDIENTS
Corn, rye and barley

What Gary Says
Nose:  Sharp, oaky spice, salted caramel with vanilla, hints of chocolate and toffee; bit of water brings out the spice notes more with allspice and nutmeg.
Palate:  Warm, sweet vanilla toffee with caramel drizzle, dark chocolate, some citrus spice followed by cinnamon with an edge; bit of water amps up the toffee and chocolate while taming the spicy edge.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with some pepper spice notes.
Comments:  I’ve always been a fan of Old Ezra 7yr 101 bourbon, which is (or was) an incredible value at $17.  If you’re familiar with that, picture that bourbon with the volume cranked all the way up. Just a classic bourbon nose and palate, but with more toffee and on the spicier/edgier side (which I particularly like).  Takes a bit of water well, and is nicely balanced – and all things considered quite reasonably priced.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Luxco and Common Ground PR for sending us samples to review.

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Old Bardstown Bottled In Bond

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Bardstown Bottled In Bond
50% ABV
$22 – $25
Website

What the Distiller Says
Tasting notes courtesy of Bill Thomas, Jack Rose Dining Saloon
The nose is “Fun Dip” candy, that sugary stick dipped into cherry flavoring. The palate is a cherry hard candy, an oily mouth feel, vanilla caramel candies and notes of oak. This is the best value in Bourbon for 2016.
Please Note: This Bourbon is exclusively available in Kentucky.

What Gary Says
Nose: Vanilla wafers, grape bubble gum, young malt, a hint of anise with a sharp oakey solvent note.
Palate:  Tart cherries, caramel, a fruity/grape juice note with cracked pepper; a thin mouthfeel.
Finish:  Short and dry with pepper.
Comments:  I’m a fan of bottled-in-bond bourbon. While four years old may still be on the young side, there are a lot of solid bourbons that carry the bottled-in-bond designation. This didn’t remind me of any of them. Honestly, if given this blind and asked to guess what it was, “bourbon” wouldn’t be one of my first three guesses! Some have posted the mashbill for this as having 15% malted barley, which if true is a higher barley content than most other bourbons out there – and may account for the unique aroma and flavor. I’m not sure I can say it is exactly off-putting, since I particularly enjoy finding unique and interesting drams to ponder over! But if you’re looking for a classic bourbon profile – I think many might be disappointed.
Rating: Probably Pass

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Wild Turkey 101 – 8 Years Old (Dusty, 1984 Decanter)

/ / Bourbon, Review, The Collector's Cabinet /

Wild Turkey 101 – 8 Years Old (Dusty, 1984 Decanter)
50.5% ABV
$80
NOTE: This was a decanter I purchased in 2014 in Georgia with an exceptional fill level and decanted.


What Gary Says
Nose:  Rich salted caramel, oak, allspice, brown sugar, dark chocolate, vanilla, a hint of cinnamon and smokey fall leaves.
Palate:  Sweet but sharp, deep caramel bomb with honey, vanilla, some bitter chocolate notes, cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of clove and pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with cracked pepper spice.
Comments:  I love older Wild Turkey, and this decanter was not an exception. Buying a sealed decanter is a gamble – it is difficult to tell how full it is, or if the contents will be drinkable. I’ve seen a few that were fairly full but clearly contaminated (looking dark like coffee and smelling “off”). I was very fortunate; this had less than 5% loss in the 30 years it spent in the decanter, and its color was a lovely dark copper. The risk of a low fill or contaminated contents is the only reason I wouldn’t rate this a ‘Must Buy’, since there is absolutely some risk you have to accept. But when you get lucky – it is well worth it!
Rating: Must Try

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