Saint Cloud 7 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

“Pegasus” 123 proof, bottle 119 (of an unknown total). So, to begin with, the bottle is outstandingly sleek and the cork rather hefty. The details are above average for an NDP bourbon - its KY distilled (pot still nonetheless - more on this in a minute), at least 7 years, single barrel, NCF and barrel proof. Corn, rye and malted barley (so no wheat). I read up a bit on Ray Walker’s fiascos and almost ran. I want so badly to believe this will be good and that the packaging isn’t sheep’s clothing... The pot still component leaves me wondering. There are only so many KY distillers that utilize a pot still. Willet (which on statistics and hubris alone this cannot be), Woodford reserve and Makers are the big 3. Can’t be makers without wheat. Town branch is a possibility, along with several other smaller distilleries. Would they have contract distilled this? Do they actually have enough aging stock to part with a handful of 7y barrels? When all else fails, drink it and guess! On the nose there is moderate stone fruit and caramel along with sawdust, sweet rye bread (think Outback Steakhouse if you dare), bubble gum, mint and a bit of ethanol. The proof beings this alive on the palate. Bubblegum, pineapple, vanilla, faint mint, maybe coriander and orange creamsicle. The mouthfeel is medium in viscosity but leave a light, oily finish where the oak shows up for the first time and the sweet notes ride along for several minutes. This isn’t bad but it’s just not for me. I’m left wishing there were more earthy and spicy notes. This is so bright. The sweet notes all work together but the balance isn’t there for me. There are no real flaws though. What I will say is that the proof saves this. It drinks like Peerless bourbon, which is half the age this is. For $200 I would be furious with myself. For $150 I would he highly disappointed. I managed to snag this for $80 and will say it comes nowhere even close to an widely available $80 Barrell Craft bourbon blend, Bookers, Remus reserve or even a Makers Private selection if we are considering age and proof. Nothing about this says Woodford and certainly not Willett. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a Town Branch product. Admittedly though I have no clue on this one. Fancy bottle is definitely compensating for something. Other barrels sound better than mine but Pegasus is a donkey passing itself off in expensive, mythological clothing.

To change things up, @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington sent me a series of samples that have either shapes or some code on them to prevent me from being able to know what they are until after I’ve tasted them. Will I mistake a rye for bourbon or completely miss a finish, who knows, but I’m dying to find out so let’s continue this blind challenge with the vial that has a B7 on it. The nose is thick and rich starting with caramel pecan clusters covered in dark chocolate followed by fruits of grapefruit, pears and nectarines that transition to spices of dill, anise, cardamom, cloves, leather and antique polished oak with high ethanol burn. The taste is a viscous mouthfeel starting with caramel pecan clusters covered in dark chocolate followed by fruits of grapefruit, pears and nectarines that transition to a medium spice mid palate that slowly fades to spices of dill, anise, saffron, cardamom, cloves, leather and antique polished oak with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with dark chocolate orange, poached pears, dehydrated cherries, candied pecans, spearmint, anise, cardamom, cloves, leather and antique polished oak that linger for minutes. This is exactly the way I like my bourbon with those traditional bourbon notes, along with some different fruits and spices than normal that are turned up to a 10 with a viscous mouthfeel that maintains the same notes as the notes before a long lingering finish that once it fades brings me back in for another taste. Well this is gunning for a 5 for me, so time for a whiskey cage match. The first round was with Lux Row 12 year which was close, but the Lux Row came out ahead due to its better balance whereas the faults of this started to show with more of a spice on the mid-palate than the Lux Row 12 year. The second match was even closer with the Heaven’s Door 10 year Redbreast finish, but again that spice was the Achilles heel in the match that made it lose. Still this is an amazing whiskey that deserves a high score and I can’t wait to find out what this is. So Lex, what is this mystery whiskey that’s incredibly delicious but just shy of perfection………….. Saint Cloud 7 year “Pegasus”.

This was our fourth taste of the evening and the highest proof. Hope this is a fair review as our first one was a stellar offering and I am always concerned as to whether my palate has been sufficiently cleansed after three. I, like @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington wonder about the source of this one. There is another off-beat pot still operation in KY. Copper and Kings distill brandy in pot stills. Might they have contract distilled this? Boone County is a pot still operation but not sure if they were actually distilling 7 years ago. This one is very grainy and hot on the nose. There are other fragrances looming but hard to get past the primary. Vanilla and caramel are there but not as much as would be expected from a seven year bourbon. The nose on this one vaguely reminds me of the Boone County 5 year I just tasted but with a hotter nose. The palate is once again very grainy, powered by hot rye new make. Hard to believe it's seven years old and I am having difficulty getting the hotness to pick out any flavors. This one is an enigma to me. Wonderful color and texture but the graininess overwhelms other properties. As you hold it in your mouth the heat dissipates and the finish bleeds to sweet oak. For me, it's got no balance and I expected something spectacular for my friends $150

Well here we have an interesting find. Marketing did its job on this one for sure with a great minimalist bottle. The price is a bit steep here though so the contents have a high bar to contend with. Let's see how it goes..... Nose is damn fine to be honest. Vanilla in droves, a bit of caramel thrown in, and a hint of brown sugar to round it off. So we are off to a good start here, but again at this price it should be damn fine! First sip is full on flavor. The caramel and vanilla notes are strong here followed immediately by a cinnamon burn. There is almost a pecan or peanut sticky bun thing going on here with a toasted nuttiness laced with sugared icing. The interesting thing I am finding is the burn is mostly on the front end with an almost soft butter toffee finish. Overall this is pretty spectacular. At $100 a bottle I might even hit 5 stars, but as we get close to the $200 mark you have to blow me away to get a full rating. Still I would love to have this one on the shelf to share with friends on special occasions. If you can afford it don't pass one up.

123.3 proof local pick. Ethanol on the nose, very faint hint of caramel. Palate is the same, not a lot going on. Soapy. Slight caramel. Finish is the same. Not much happening. Residual soap and a little caramel. This was a sample from a friend in a sample bottle, possible the soap flavor came from that, but I received other samples and no others had the soapy taste.

Barrel name: Good Shi7. Bottle #11. Hot nose of brandy, figs, cinnamon, clove, caramel and grain. Sweet and fruity on the palate, with toasted caramel, berries, dark chocolate, brandy, butterscotch, vanilla, cinnamon, raisins and grain. Long hot and peppery finish. Quite a bit of heat on this one, but some water exposes deep richness and complexity.