This is not just another craft distillery bourbon, but then Todd Leopold is not just another distiller. His 25 years of experience appears to have given him and his brother the confidence and clarity of vision to ignore the mainstream industry's conventions and take a path that he says prioritizes quality and the environment over economic efficiency. Their atypical mash bill comprises 64% corn, 17% malted barley and 15% Abruzzi heritage rye. An open fermentation process allows wild yeasts from the distillery's garden to mingle in the distillery's wooden tanks. Entry proofs and temperatures are lower and fermentation times longer compared to the bigger producers. All of this adds up to a bourbon with a distinct flavor profile that I would take any day over most Four Roses or Buffalo Trace products. The nose leans so much towards rye that I would never have identified this as bourbon in a blind tasting: there's clove and black tea, like a chai blend. In the mouth it starts dry and then blooms into orange rind, with a dash of sweetness and a hint of oak spice. The finish is dry with orange notes. The proof keeps everything in balance and while the five-year version dials it up to 50% I preferred this version. I don't drink much bourbon, but if I were to keep a house bottle it would be this.
About this bottle
This expression is a straight bourbon made from an open air-fermented mash bill of 64% corn, 17% 2-row barley that is floor malted on site, 15% Abruzzi heritage rye, and 4% brewer's malts. It is matured a minimum 4 years in an unheated dunnage-style bonded warehouse. It is bottled at 90 proof.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 10 parsed reviews.
Nose - malt and caramel with some distinctive spicy notes Taste - toasted baking spices and caramel, with a bit of chocolate and nuttiness Finish - lingering spice and some dryness, minimal burn
Solid solid burb. Intense. Corny caramel on the nose, with a hint of herbal licorice. Subtle up front with a slight spicy finish. Maybe a sticky syrup on the back end. Unique but comfortable.
Solid solid burb. Intense. Corny caramel on the nose, with a hint of herbal licorice. Subtle up front with a slight spicy finish. Maybe a sticky syrup on the back end. Unique but comfortable.
Classic bourbon nose. Tastes of grain and a little sour. Fine for drinking or old fashioneds
Youthful, green apple, light oaky medium finish. An enjoyable dram.
4 more reviews were collected for this bottle. The longest ones are shown first.
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