Average

Oak & Eden Wheat & Honey
Bourbon Whiskey Finished With A Honey Soaked American Oak Spiral

45% ABV
$60
Website

We would like to thank Oak & Eden and Champlin PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

DALLAS, Sept. 29, 2022 – Today, DFW-based indie whiskey brand Oak & Eden unveils Wheat & Honey, a small batch release blending the brand’s permanent wheated bourbon with a honey-soaked toasted American Oak spire. Honey is the first flavor that most people discern when drinking whiskey, making this infusion an obvious choice to take a good thing and make it great.

Oak & Eden is built on the foundation of innovation, believing whiskey should be constantly fresh and distinct, never the same. This pursuit leads the brand to constantly create new and unique whiskies that could only be achieved by its patented process of In-Bottle Finishing. Oak & Eden follows traditional distillation and aging to the letter, aging their whiskeys for at least two years in American Oak barrels. They then break tradition in the finishing (or double barrel) process, where instead of putting the fully aged whiskey in a second barrel to add more flavor coming naturally from the wood, they place in the bottle a Spire; a 5” long spiral-cut piece of oak fashioned from the same species and treatment as barrel oak.

With Wheat & Honey, the spire is paired with another libation, American honey, to infuse the oak with an additional element that adds an essence of flavor on the finish. Wheat & Honey, bottled at 45% Alc. by Vol., is available now exclusively online at oakandeden.com with a price of $59.99 for 750mL. Wheat & Honey will continue to roll out in select Oak & Eden retailers across 30 states in the coming months.

“Every Oak & Eden release reflects our pursuit in customizing the experience of whiskey in unique ways — not just with the products we create, but also with how they are designed to be used,” comments Co-Founder and CMO Brad Neathery. “We intentionally crafted Wheat & Honey to pair beautifully with a broad range of refreshing cocktails – cocktails that most people would never assume are whiskey based.”

As a naturally sweeter whiskey, Wheat & Honey lends itself as a go-to for cocktails. To complement the launch, Oak & Eden shares four distinct, easy-to-replicate recipes: Cloud Nine, Solar Flare, American Honey and The Gold Coast. Visit Oak & Eden’s Barkeeper’s Diary for full recipes, cocktail tips and more.

More on Wheat & Honey:
Whiskey: Wheated Bourbon – Wheat & Honey begins with a remarkably smooth combination of 51% corn, 45% wheat and 4% malted barley. Once distilled, the bourbon is aged in new American Oak barrels producing a rich, deep yet sweet spirit.
Wood: American Oak – Containing hundreds of naturally occurring botanicals, Oak & Eden uses a 5” American Oak spire in Wheat & Honey, which produces a rich, velvety whiskey full of caramel, butterscotch, and allspice notes.
Fire: Medium Toast – Before placing the spire into the wheated bourbon, it is exposed to fire, technically a Medium Toast, toasting the wood to the perfect degree that will produce a finish that is deep and rich with subtle notes of candied fruit, vanilla, toffee, and caramel.
Infusion: American Honey – Each spire is infused with American Honey before being
placed in the bottle for that naturally sweet finish.
Tasting notes: Honey, Marshmallow & Candied Fruit

Oak & Eden will debut additional expressions to its Infused Series over the next year as well as build upon its unique Bottle Builder program where customers can craft their own whiskey bottle using one of the maker’s four finished whiskey bases and over thirty infusion options. The Bottle Builder program is currently offered ($90/ 750ml bottle) at the brand’s Flagship retail location and nano-distillery in Bridgeport, TX.

Check out oakandeden.com for more information on Wheat & Honey as well as the brand’s full lineup of whiskies.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sponge cake, vanilla, oak, raw honey, hint of roasted marshmallow.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sweet with honey, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, oak, and subtle pear notes.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with honey, vanilla and a touch of oak.
Comments:  An interesting dram and enjoyable sipper. I do like honey in bourbon (especially when recovering from a sore throat), and this hits that note. Having done some experimenting with charred oak sticks in bottles, I wonder how time alters this.  Will the honey or oak notes continue to grow heavier? Will it improve? Will it get off-balanced?  I’ll post an update in a few months (didn’t want to delay this until then). This doesn’t need any water, which is good because it thins out rather quickly with a bit of it.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

Buzzard’s Roost Char #1 Straight Bourbon Whiskey

52.5% ABV
$55
Website

We would like to thank Buzzard’s Roost for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

OUR PROCESS
We start by sourcing the best aged whiskey we can find, but the real magic is in our barrels. We use only brand new, 53-gallon white oak barrels that are carefully toasted and very lightly charred. Each one is designed from the ground up to deliver a specific flavor profile.

We work closely with our cooperage to tweak every parameter of the barrel – from the seasoning to the charring to the development of our custom toast profiles. All of our barrels are unique and proprietary to our company, giving Buzzard’s Roost a truly one-of-a kind flavor. After resting only a few weeks in our new barrels, the whiskey is purposefully transformed and ready for bottling.

Buzzard’s Roost Char #1 Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 4 Years | Proof: 105
Mash Bill: 59% corn • 36% rye • 5% malted barley

About: Buzzard’s Roost is excited to announce the launch of its third bourbon in celebration of three years of making exceptional whiskeys. Created from 4-year-old whiskey, then aged in our proprietary barrels, this bourbon is created from a mash bill of of 59% corn, 36% rye, and 5% malted barley.

The color is a rich bronze, and this bourbon is sure to stand out in your favorite whiskey cocktail or enjoyed straight on its own.

Char #1 Bourbon offers tantalizing aromas of brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla. The palate is a perfect blend of flavor and structure, with woody notes that are matched with cherry and dark fruit notes. The finish is long with just the right intensity. The fruit and vanilla hints are accompanied by a pinch of spice.

• Nose: The nose is full of brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla.
• Palate: Once on the palate, flavors of sweet vanilla and brown sugar lend themselves to a sweet and rich mouthfeel.
• Finish: A harmonious and subtle fade to cherry and blackberry.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Cooked corn mash with brown sugar, vanilla, touch of honey, oak and cinnamon.
Palate:  Vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, pepper spice with oak and cinnamon.
Finish:  Short with oak, pepper and vanilla.
Comments:  The nose definitely comes across as young (which at 4 years it is). I do appreciate the higher ABV, and this is one of those rare whiskies < 55% ABV where I actually prefer it with a bit of water – which amps the brown sugar on the nose to almost molasses, and tamps the edges on the palate with even more brown sugar.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

Buzzard’s Roost Toasted American Oak Bourbon

52.5% ABV
$75
Website

We would like to thank Buzzard’s Roost for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

OUR PROCESS
We start by sourcing the best aged whiskey we can find, but the real magic is in our barrels. We use only brand new, 53-gallon white oak barrels that are carefully toasted and very lightly charred. Each one is designed from the ground up to deliver a specific flavor profile.

We work closely with our cooperage to tweak every parameter of the barrel – from the seasoning to the charring to the development of our custom toast profiles. All of our barrels are unique and proprietary to our company, giving Buzzard’s Roost a truly one-of-a kind flavor. After resting only a few weeks in our new barrels, the whiskey is purposefully transformed and ready for bottling.

Buzzard’s Roost Toasted American Oak Bourbon
Age: 4 & 5 Years | Proof: 105
BLEND OF TWO MASH BILLS:
74% corn • 21% rye • 5% malted barley
59% corn • 36% rye • 5% malted barley

About: Buzzard’s Roost is excited to announce the latest addition to their bourbon collection. Created from a blend of 4- and 5-year-old double-barreled bourbons, Toasted American Oak Bourbon is made from a blend of two mash bills.

The color is a vibrant mixture of bronze and apricot. With elegant and enticing tasting notes, this bourbon is best enjoyed on its own or in a classic whiskey cocktail.

To the nose, Toasted American Oak Bourbon lends itself to caramel, coconut, and vanilla notes met with delicate candy aromas. The palate moves from the sweet notes from the toasted oak barrel finish, and notes of confectionary and baking spice flavors shine through along with hints of candied goodness found on the nose. The finish carries notes of butterscotch, toasted oak, vanilla wafer, and coconut.

• Nose: Aromas of caramel, coconut, and intense vanilla dominate, and a re coupled with sweet candy and floral notes.
• Palate: The palate moves from the sweet notes created by the toasted oak barrel finish toward baking spice flavors, accompanied by the pleasant candy notes found on the nose.
• Finish: The finish is a delight, with notes of butterscotch, toasted oak, vanilla wafer, and coconut.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, toasted oak, crème brûlée and dried coconut.
Palate:  Dark caramel, cinnamon, honey, pepper, oak and a hint of butterscotch.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with oak, vanilla and pepper.
Comments:  A very nice bourbon that takes water well. This is the first Buzzard’s Roost whiskey I’ve tried, but I’m encouraged by the quality and use of 53 gallon barrels. That said, the price point doesn’t seem reasonable when compared to a lower price point on a competitive (and while not age stated, certainly older) product. Age isn’t everything, but when aged properly it does increase the complexity on both the nose and palate, and while this is an enjoyable dram – it comes across as under 6 years old.

Rating: Average/Stands Out