Straight Edge Bourbon

This is the red wine finished division of my barrel finished bourbon bracket. This was a blind taste test between Slaughterhouse Straight Edge and Hooker’s House 7/21. Golf claps will be accepted but are not required. Both are good, and value/dollar, this one definitely wins (less than one third the price of a good Hooker’s). But if you have more dollars than sense, the Hooker’s House is where you want to go. Nose for this guy won, but I greatly prefer the body of my Hooker’s. And the finish on my Hooker’s was truly spectacular. In the category of overall enjoyment, I enjoy Hooker’s more. This ends the double entendre section of the review. Next blind taste test will be Hooker’s House v Bardstown. The tasting of Straight Edge: The bottle doesn’t tell you what type of finish this has, and it’s borderline deceptive on the fact that it’s finished at all. You want to assume the best about the distilleries who produce the products you like, but when the front of this bottle has “Straight Edge Bourbon Whiskey” boldly on the front and “finished and bottled by Splinter Group” on the back in tiny letters, it makes you wonder if there was any intent. No, it’s not “straight bourbon whiskey,” and it is finished in Cabernet casks, though you’d have to look it up to know that. If there was intent, I’d discourage against it in the future. It’s a solid product, and a barrel finish done well is something to be proud of, not something to hide on the back of the label. If there was no intent, and y’all just go for the minimalist look, cool. You do you. Nose is intriguing. Much like Boondocks did for port, this nose seems to have been completely dominated by the red wine influence. I like Cabernet so I don’t mind, but it’s strange to sniff this and know you’re in for a bourbon. Body definitely tastes like red wine, but a new flavor creeps in. I raided my wife’s spice cabinet to make sure I was right about this: it’s almond extract. It’s too intense to be a natural almond flavor, and IMHO it’s too intense to be enjoyable. There’s also caramel, yeast, and vanilla, but that almond flavor takes the reigns from about halfway through the body to the end of the finish. That finish makes me want less. There’s cinnamon and sugar, but the almond extract is the main player for sure. I’m finding that the longer I try to hold on the Cabernet flavors onto the body, the shorter I can make the almond on the finish. When done this way, the overall impression of the finish is raw dough for a cinnamon roll. It’s a very gentle drink, with next to no heat throughout. I guarantee you there are people out there who will love this. I can’t say it’s poorly made, but it’s not where I want to be when drinking a bourbon. It’s unique enough that I’d recommend anyone who is into barrel finishes to give it a shot. I’d also say anyone really into Cabernet could use this as a gateway bourbon if needed. If you’re super into almonds for some reason, this has the potential to be your favorite whiskey. I won’t shy away from making this a “man down” in the near future, and I won’t avoid Slaughterhouse‘s other products because I really can taste the talent here. Still, when it comes to Straight Edge, I won’t buy again.

The nose is subdued and balanced with a nice hit of vanilla and a little fruit amidst the richness. It's fairly smooth to drink with a bit of spice coming through. The flavor is nice and balanced with wood and toffee notes. It's definitely packing in the vanilla and some anise. Is on the sweet side and doesn't taste as old as 8 years. It's soft, but enjoyable. I'd have preferred something more robust, but I'll take this. With the softness and sweetness, it's a bit like an American Single Malt. This is sippable but not a stellar expression. It's a good deal for the price though. It has a bitter, herbal smell. It smells rich, but also smooth. There's a dark cherry scent that reminds me of Cognac and there's also some rye with a little bit of spice. At only 42%, it's on the watery side, but there is still some nice flavor. It has a bit of prickly spice throughout that is nice rather than overwhelming. There are rich red fruits that are neither fresh nor dried nor soaked in syrup. Some orange zest comes out and there is a dark chocolate wood backing with some toffee that is subtle and not overwhelming. It would be better if it were a bit stronger and richer and less sweet, but it's quite good. I'd prefer some more complexity as well, but the flavor itself is quite good. There's some rye-like mineral that comes out and detracts from the richness but adds another dimension without dragging the thing down. I like the flavor in general; it's sort of like a more refined Old Forester Signature that is also lighter and smoother with a few extra notes. That said, that doesn't make it excellent. It's solidly drinkable, but it doesn't have the bourbon character I'd really like.

What fun to taste a wine barrel whisky! Another great one from Oak and Steel. Oak and Steel - a wonderful whisky, craft beer, and wine bar here local to me in the KC area. They have over 50 different whiskies and only serve neat, or with one hand cut ice cube on request. No drink mixers. Just the way it should be! Here is what I thought of Straight Edge... Nose: Red Wine comes straight out like a shot to the senses and it was wonderful. Low alcohol burn which I prefer, peaches, cream and banana. Flavor: A bold cream presents first followed by butter, spice and then a surprising amber resin! How interesting! Finish is raisin. This is an oily and heavier body which also added to the full mouthfeel. I truly enjoyed this one and am glad I tried it on the recommendation of the owner of the establishment. I asked about it as I had checked their whisky menu and reviews here on Distiller prior to going in. Yet this one was on my MAYBE list. He could tell from my feedback on the other whiskies I had tried and loved that this one was for me and he was dead on! Will buy this one. (Edit: BOUGHT IT) Ratings have nothing to do with cost - just my impressions.

I put this one on my "buy" list well over a year ago, but I never saw it in a store and I didn't get around to an online order. In the meantime, I found the other Savage & Cooke offering, Slaughter House, on a shelf at one of my preferred liquor establishments, so I bought it. In short, I thought it was good but not great, so I bumped the Straight Edge from the buy list. It turns out that was a mistake. I recently had an excellent visit to The Copper Still in Manhattan, and they had Straight Edge. Still curious, I ordered a pour. My favorite bourbons are usually smooth, a bit sweet, with some vanilla/caramel and limited spice. Straight Edge squarely hits the mark. Unlike the Slaughter House, the wine barrel finish is almost imperceptible on the Straight Edge, and certainly doesn't cover up any of the lovely bourbon flavors. It's not complex, but that's part of the appeal for me. I suspect that most fans of wheated bourbon will like this, and I also agree with other commenters that it's a great option for people who are usually put off by the intensity of straight spirits.

Nose: Caramelized brown sugar and vanilla, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove. Dark fruits. Sweet red apples with orange. Slight cream cheese cake frosting thing going on. Barley in the back - slightly toasty cereal grain character. Toasted sesame seeds. Palate: Smooth, undoubtedly 80 proof. Grain is much more up front - the barley is doing a dance. Honey, oak, tannin. Stone fruits. Luxardo cherries. Roasted peanuts/almonds. The slightest cave mustiness. Distant vegetal note. Other notes: This was the first bottle I bought without knowing anything other than what the label says. The nose offers up plenty to explore, and though the palate is relatively muted, the total experience is well worth the price of admission. My only real criticisms here are that the palate does not deliver what the nose suggests, and there's a lot of bass and midrange without much treble. As always, my rating is an attempt at being as objective as possible without my subjective biases swaying things too much in one way or another.

The nose on this is very subtle.. you get a little hint of those smells you expect in a bourbon; vanilla, caramel, and some spice from the 17% rye mash. However they are very muted, and just when you think there is not much there, a red wine scent makes itself known. Palate starts off sweet, with brown sugar and a very pleasant mouthfeel. Oily and smooth, yet light. Mid palate continues into familiar territory, more vanilla and caramel, some oak, dark fruits, and something that reminds me of dark chocolate. Finish then does a 180 from palate and it’s wine all day long. You expect it but once your in it it’s like your having another drink. Overall I think this is a bit overpriced, but I’m also in Canada so getting something like this from a smaller maker from California is bound to cost more. I had already finished my glencairn before I remembered I was doing a tasting so yes it’s quite good.