Oppidan Bourbon Smoke + Sea

I recently visited my first Binny's - the Lincoln Park location in Chicago - and it's a great liquor store.  The selection is fantastic overall, and they've obviously taken a lot of time curating their craft whiskey offerings, particulary those from Chicago-area and Midwest Distillers. A few months ago, I had noticed the Oppidan Bourbon Smoke and Sea here on Distiller (thanks @PBMichiganWolverine for the add) and threw it on my BOLO (be on the lookout) list.   Oppidan is based outside of Chicago in Wheeling IL, so multiple Oppidan offerings are stocked at Binneys. The Smoke and Sea is a mix of Oppidan's Four Grain and Solera bourbons, finished in French Oak casks and oak casks that previously held Islay whiskies.  It's bottled at 46% ABV.  At $40, it was a go. With two different bourbons, four different grains, and two finishing casks, there's a lot going on.  Fortunately it all works very well together. The nose has cherry, smoke and some caramel.  It's nice, but the palate is where things really heat up.   There's more cherry, a surprising amount of peat given that all of the smoke comes from the barrels as opposed to the malt, some spice notes that are just a tad bitter but not at all unpleasant, and a milk chocolate note that is particularly strong on the finish.  There's a bit of heat, possibly a sign of youth, but the heat meshes well with the other flavors.   A note about the cherry on the palate because I found it really interesting - it's more like a cherry wood note, which I can only recall in the Corsair Triple Smoke.  The Corsair is aged partially in cherry wood, so the Oppidan is apparently getting this note elsewhere.  Regardless, I like it.  I'm really glad I included this bottle in my Binny's haul.  It's a great whiskey, unique, and at $40, the VFM is exceptional.  I plan to maintain a bottle in my collection, and I'm looking forward to future Oppidan offerings!

Nose: Not a typical bourbon on the nose; dark fruit jump out before any of the subtle vanilla and oak. Plums and other dark stone fruit along with nutmeg and cocoa powder remind of a black forest cake. Very gentle smoke is accompanied by earthier notes of dry twig and dirt. Sweeter maraschino cherries and chocolate, darker than milk chocolate, follow with blackberries and dried mangoes. Adding water brings about a strong almond notes. Letting it air out gives a strong toffee flavour. Taste: stronger oak cask influence and earthier tones of dry soil are followed by a much more apparent smoke from the islay cask influence. Stone fruit are ever present with ginger spice and malt. Light caramel and chocolate come through with cherries. Finish: medium length, dry with stronger oak and vanilla, subtle smoke and ever-present dark stone fruit flavours

Uncorking- Nose- More bourbon notes than smoke initially but then the smoke and phenols kick in. Not sweet on the nose at all. Dry twigs. Fresh dirt. Several layers here to explore. Taste- wow right off the top char and ash. Way more than the nose betrayed. Islay levels here. But then it's all bourbon on the back side. This is less a mix than layers. You do get that bandaid flavor, sea salt, peat smoke and even a bit of grass and spice. Smoked italian meats. Swear Finish- The smoke chills quickly for me and it's a great bourbon lingering after along with a bit of heat. Overall I'm impressed. I keep going back for a bit more Tastes a bit hotter than it's proof. As a huge fan of Islay and bourbon this is really interesting. I'm surprised this bottle doesn't get more attention.

The nose hits me with street corn right away. Nice charred flavor along with corn sweetness. The palate is plenty velvety and spicy, like French oak tends to be. It has a little bitterness on the tail end from the barrel that detracts some. The finish is medium with some pretzel or salted popcorn. There’s a bit of blackberry and pomegranate too. It’s not an absolute banger, but it is unique.

Gorgeous, live for these type of releases. Definitely a bourbon with some amazing campfire smoke and light earthiness. They meld together well, not overpowering the solera cask bourbon flavours. Would buy again to have on the shelf albeit a bit pricey here in Canada. 6+ months later: A lot less smoke/peat and more bourbon notes. Not sure why, palate changed?

Nose - stone fruit - dark fruit - plum - baking spice - maraschino cherry - vanilla - gingerbread - chocolate cake with vanilla icing - cherry blossom chocolate bar Palate - campfire smoke - chocolate - stone fruit - cherry - nougat - caramel - oak - almonds - blackberry Best bourbon I’ve had so far. 15/10/2019