Bourbon

High West Bourye (2016) Review

The original bourbon and rye whiskey blend, High West’s Bourye hits shelves again in a limited release.  The first batch several years ago was a big hit for the Utah distillery.  Though High West distills whiskey, a large percentage of the current releases include sourced whiskies, something the distillery is very open about.

High West Bourye

All of the whiskies in this blend are sourced from MGP in Indiana.  They include a 9-year-old bourbon (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley), 13-year-old rye whiskey and 17-year-old rye whiskey.  The mashbill for the rye whiskies is 95% rye, 5% malted barley.  High West isn’t disclosing ratio of each whiskey in this blend.  Bourye is non-chill filtered and bottled at a very sippable 92 proof.  The suggested retail price is $79.99.

The rich nose comes across as more high-rye bourbon than rye whiskey upon pouring the glass. After a few moments, the aromatic rye whiskies make you stand up and take notice.  The older rye whiskies provide lovely baking spices, fruit and a not-quite-sharp rye grain, alongside toasted oak.  Corn and caramel come to us courtesy of the bourbon this blend.  The complex entry is full of cinnamon, cloves, rye grain and corn mingled together beautifully over a bed of dark brown sugar and old but not overly-dry oak.  I initially hoped for a higher bottling proof, but here 92 proof is spot on.  I don’t care to add water to this.  The medium-long finish is the weakest part of this whiskey.  It’s pure rye spice over a small amount of saccharine sweetness.  That odd sweetness is slightly disappointing, but still worthy of the whiskey overall.

Folks, I have a feeling this will make my Top 10 favorite whiskies list at the end of the year.  High West founder David Perkins and Head Distiller Brendan Coyle have done a fantastic job of balancing a nicely aged bourbon and older rye whiskies.  You really get the best of both worlds.  The strong nose and full-bodied palate cover the slight shortcomings of the finish, and at the end of the day it’s a whiskey I’m glad I tasted.  This batch of Bourye is highly recommended.

9/10
(Note: A small review sample was provided by High West.)

Col. E.H. Taylor Seasoned Wood Bourbon Review
Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Buffalo Trace Distillery just announced the eighth addition to the Col. E.H. Taylor line – Seasoned Wood.  Just like its brethren, Seasoned Wood is bottled-in-bond, which means it’s bottled at 100 proof and is at least four years old (among other things).  According to press materials, this release is “aged well over a decade”.  This the first wheated bourbon in the Taylor lineup.  Seasoned Wood is a one-time, limited release.

What is seasoned wood exactly?  According to Buffalo Trace:

The barrels in this release underwent a variety of special seasoning processes,   including barrels made from staves that were immersed in an enzyme rich bath with water heated to 100 degrees.  After spending time in this proprietary solution, these staves were then placed into kilns and dried until they reached an ideal humidity level for crafting into barrels.  Other staves were seasoned outdoors for six months, and still others were left outdoors for a full 12 months before being made into barrels and sent to Buffalo Trace Distillery to be filled and aged.  All barrel staves were seasoned, dried, and crafted at Independent Stave Company, who consulted on this project with the premiere expert on oak maturation, Dr. James Swan.

Onto my tasting notes:

The aromatic nose leads with a strong honey note.  Dried cherries, fresh orange peel, and a floral note follow.  In an odd way, it sort of smells like an Old Fashioned cocktail.  There is little to no alcohol vapor to speak of, considering this is a 100 proof bourbon.  The entry is soft, with spiced honey starting things off.  That citrus note and dried fruit from the nose also finds its way to the palate, cutting right through the creamy mouthfeel.  Some oak is present providing a touch of astringency in the back-palate.  The finish is long and warm, leaving citrus, baking spice and honey behind to slowly fade away.  It leaves your mouth watering for more.

You can guess I’m a fan of this one.  Seasoned Wood is a very welcome addition to the good-to-excellent range of Col. E.H. Taylor whiskies.  It’s overall softer but richer profile stands out among others in the lineup.  This is a very well executed bourbon from Buffalo Trace that receives a high recommendation.  Seasoned Wood will be available starting late March for a suggested retail priced of $69.99.  The fact that it is limited won’t help your chances of finding a bottle.  In the rare instance you do see one, pick it up.

9/10
(Note: A small review sample was provided by Buffalo Trace.)

Barrell Bourbon Batch 006 Review

Barrell Bourbon Batch 006

Batch 006 of Barrell Bourbon hit shelves soon after the excellent Batch 005 release.  We don’t know what distillery this comes from, but here’s what we do know.  It’s distilled in Tennessee and its mashbill is comprised of 70% corn, 26% rye, and 4% corn.  It’s also 8 years old and 122.9 proof.  So far, on paper it’s the same as the previous batch.  Batch 005 was aged 3 months longer and carries a slightly higher proof. Batch 006 was aged on lower floors of the rick house, where maturation is just a tad slower compared to whiskey aging on higher floors.

Compared to Batch 005, the current Batch 006 is more mellow.  Toffee and sweet roasted corn jump out of the glass.  Diving deeper, I pick up oak, vanilla extract and fruit.  Taste-wise, there’s a very brief alcohol hit.  Again it’s brief, and not as bad as you’d think from barrel proof bourbon.  What immediately stands out is how oily and creamy this bourbon is.  It’s like sweet buttered corn bread with maple syrup.  The rye spice compliments and cuts through these rich flavors.  On the backend leading to the finish is a touch of vanilla and Red Hots.  The finish is long, and leaves behind a combination of barrel char, orange peel and cinnamon candy.

Barrell Bourbon founder Joe Beatrice makes it a point that each batch of bourbon is unique.  The release of Batch 005 and Batch 006 is basically an exercise in barrel maturation location.  Beatrice has selected some outstanding barrels for both batches.  Batch 005 comes across as spicier, with that spice showing up as cinnamon.  Batch 006 is just a touch richer and better balanced, but you won’t go wrong with either release.  Highly recommended!

8.5/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by Barrell Bourbon.)