Kentucky Owl Bourbon (Batch #8)

The back story to this brand is as follows. Charles Mortimer Dedman created Kentucky Owl Sour Mash Bourbon Whiskey in 1879 and saw it do well until 1916’s pre-Prohibition days. He, like many of his peers, was ordered to cease production and ship his barreled liquid to government warehouses. To add misery to that madness, those warehouses mysteriously burned, Dedman never received payment for the lost whiskey, and he never returned to distilling. Long story short 98 years later his great great grandson resurrected the label got sourced stock and hey presto. I took my first sip straight as I do with drams, get the essence and then often spit it out and wait till my tounge has acclimatized. This even at 60% plus needed none of that. Very well balanced between ethanol and flavor. I put a liberal dose of water in and it really opened up. Now as I harp on about, Dr pepper cough syrup and menthol are not flavors I enjoy and this is what the dram is about....and I still like it! That is brilliant execution when you can take flavour profiles someone doesn't like and make a dram that they do. Hats off! I looked up the price as was like woah no wonder the sample was not cheap. Even more impressively this is batch 8. Usually with sourced whiskey you get a cracker first few batches or runs and then over a short or long time they get watered the shite down quality wise. Not this one. Apparently they don't have a fixed flavour profile they blend to they just get good stock and create the profile around that. Definately helps keep quality up. Now the longer I drink the more my aversion to the flavour overcomes the excellent effort of blending so started 4.25 by the end 3.75 to 4. Still if you see it in a bar definitely try it

We had the pleasure of trying this $300+ bourbon at Old Owl Tavern, the bar/restaurant at the Beaumont Inn. The owner of the Inn and Tavern is the same person who revived the Kentucky Owl line and selects the batches that go into this highly coveted product (although it's since been bought out by Stolichnaya). Essentially, what we have here is a sourced bourbon picked by a person with generations-long connections in the industry, but which goes for a sky-high price. Online sources suggest that it's a blend of at least four different batches, ranging in age from 5 years -- which is quite young! -- to 14 years. Its impressive start recalls a berry-picking trip to a gentleman's farm, with ephemeral early chords of strawberry, brown sugar, buttercream frosting, and shortcake that emphasize that this is going to be a sweet pour showcasing the fruit-forward nature of young, high-quality juice. After about 15 minutes, a decent amount of dry cedar and guaiac wood announce their presence. Its nose is its highlight, as the palate reverts to a classic but spicy profile: caramel, charred oak, some chili oil and cinammon, no significant tannic grip. It almost tastes better after the swallow, when dark fruit and cherry flavors reemerge to duet with the charred oak and chocolate swirling around the back of the throat. This is a great bourbon but a bad value.

I can see the appeal of Kentucky Owl now. It is unlike any bourbon I've ever had. I had this blind, and initially didn't think much of it...but as I sipped, it grew on me. Nose: Cherry pie, corn dust, caramel, spice, an earthy minerality. Palate: Initial burst of heat that zaps the front of your palate...it almost comes off as a codeine cough syrup type of tingling. Think menthol. I love barrel proof bourbon, but I've never had one like this. This tingle carries itself throughout the rest of the tasting experience. You will be able to decipher some other notes, but this is the star of the show. The mouthfeel is fairly thin compared to what I was expecting. It's NOT thick and unctuous...I was expecting a caramel bomb with a luxurious mouthfeel...I was expecting like a Knotter 12 type bourbon. Finish: The finish on this dissipates quickly, but then stays with you for the rest of the pour. As I said, it's really a singular experience. Not the best mouthfeel...not the best nose...however, the culminating experience is unlike anything I've ever tasted.

The nose falls somewhere on the spectrum between old dusty leather, a deep, dark caramel, buttercream frosting, and freshly baked blueberry pie. Well damn. I was really hoping this wasn’t going to be that good. The palate is similar, coming across like Riesen chocolate caramels, burnt sugars, and a heavy hit of vanilla, allspice, and toasted walnuts. There’s also a note that reminds me of a slightly overcooked blueberry pie, where the filling has bubbled through the crust and overcooked slightly. The palate, while delicious, doesn’t quite match up to the promise of the nose, which is really the star here. The finish is long and spicy. Surprisingly hot even for its 121 proof, but laden with baking spices, caramel, and barrel char. After a moment though it transitions into toasted marshmallow, campfire, and slightly burned pie crust. A long amazing finish. A delicious pour, though perhaps not worth the $300 asking price. Definitely worth trying in a bar though.

At 121 proof, every pour of Batch #8 brings forth fire from the front and complexity of character across the finish. The burn is but a false front to ward off those whose palettes prefer a less-wise bourbon whiskey. Studious sippers will uncover layer after layer of balance and subtlety perfectly blended to provide notes of leather, caramel, nut, and vanilla. The corn on the nose hints of sweetness that settles smoothly after all else has faded out.

The nose starts off with rye spiciness, brown sugar, a touch caramel and vanilla, all held together by oak. The palate is mouth coating with oak, strong rye spiciness and cinnamon, underlined by brown sugar, caramel, vanilla and cherry syrup. The finish is long and spicy with oak and cherry syrup which lingers and gives way to vanilla and toffee.