Three friends - Tom, Jason and Zack - had a dream like so many spirit enthusiasts do. They wanted to create a product that they could not only call their own, but own it from beginning to end. A 100 gallon still helped them realize this dream, allowing them to create a line of flavored moonshines, gin, vodka, award-winning rum and now whiskey and bourbon in small batches.
This is the Wise Men Distillery Bottled in Bond Bourbon out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Most of you know the requirements for a bourbon to be labeled "bottled in bond", but if you're new here, we're going to share that with you. For a whiksey to be labeled Bottled in Bond (or better known as the acronym BiB), it must meet the following:
- The whiskey must be produced during a single distilling season (January - June) or (July - December) and it must be made from a single distiller at a single distillery.
- The whiskey must be aged for a minimum of 4 years in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision.
- The whiskey must be bottled at exactly 100 proof, or 50% ABV.
- The bottle label must clearly identify the distillery where the whiskey was distilled and, if different, where it was bottled. The label must also include the Distilled Spirits Plant (DSP) number.
So, if making distilled spirits didn't require a ton of laws and red tape to begin with, it always impresses us when any distillery of this size puts for the effort to create a BiB selection. It's an "easy" undertaking for the behemoth distilleries, but more of a challenge for the craft distillers.
This bottle has a medium chestnut color and isn't your typical 4 year bourbon offering. Great fall forest aromas with inviting butterscotch and dried fig candies. In the mouth is a satisfying and surpirising basket of dried spices, toasted mixed nuts, orange liqueur and caramel syrup, all creating a very palatable finish. Well done!
ABV: 50.0% (100 proof)
Distillery: Wise Men Distillery
Suggested retail price: $64.99
Drink The Bottles score: 91/100
