Dark Arts Amburana Oak Stave Finished Small Batch Rye

If you know anything about whiskey, you know that blending the spirits is nothing new.  However, it truly takes an exceptional talent to have the senses needed to make this work successfully.  Nearly anyone can blend whiskey.  But only a handful of folks can turn blended whiskey into amazing products that blend seamlessly and like magic.  Chief Alchemist Macaulay Minton is completely dialed in when it comes to producing a product that is unique and also makes you as giddy as a school girl.

Today we taste and share the Dark Arts Amburana Oak Stave Finished Small Batch Rye which has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% barley.  While each batch is naturally different, the blends are from six to eight year age statements and contain three barrels for each small batch.  The whiskey is distilled in Indiana (most likely MGP) and the finishing and bottling happens in Lexington, KY.  We tasted this sweet treat neat in our favorite mini Belgian beer glass - again and again - from sample.

If you were tasting this blind, you might be surprised that this is a rye whiskey, depending on your tasting skills.  Light chestnut in color with sweet aromas of cinnamon, brown sugar, baked apples, baking spices and cinnamon.  Did we say cinnamon twice?  Yes.  Yes, we did.  The first and subsequent sips immediately greeted us with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and we will die on that hill all day long!  As stated previously, all batches are different but this one was incredibly reminiscent of the popular cereal.  There is a savory sweetness to this, but not overly sweet.  Sugar cream pie, warm apple cobbler, hints of pumpernickel and baking spices all lead us down a path to a persistent finish.  Dark Arts Whiskey House is doing some really cool things and we're glad to start seeing it on the shelves at stores when we travel.  Check them out!

ABV:  54.0% (108 proof)

Distillery:  MGP for Dark Arts Whiskey House

Suggested retail price:  $89.99

Drink The Bottles score:  91/100

 

Redemption Rye and Redemption Bourbon

The folks at Redemption Whiskey take their spirits very seriously.  We should emphasize that they are very passionate about what they do and they are obsessed with Rye whiskey in particular.  Their heavy Rye spirits celebrate the history of Rye being distilled as far back as the 1600's.   Many times when you run across someone who considers themselves "a bourbon guy or gal" they might quickly follow up with, "but I'm not big on Rye whiskey".  We get it.  There have been countless horror stories of Rye being too spicy or too hot.  But you'll never find this with Redemption Whiskey!

The Redemption Rye is a serious mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, resulting in a medium golden whiskey with mouth-watering, bold aromas of spring garden, spices, white pepper, toasted sourdough bread and citrus fruits.  Those aromas carry over to the palate and also carry hints of spring boquet and delicious grilling spices.  While this spirit comes in at 92 proof, it can certainly rest on its laurels, providing a very satisfying and lingering finish.  For those who "don't like Rye", they surely haven't tasted this one yet!  No wonder this is America's #1 favorite Rye whiskey.

ABV:  46.0% (92 proof)

Distillery:  Redemption Whiskey

Suggested retail price:  $29.99

Drink The Bottles score:  94/100

Master Blender Alan Kennedy continues to knock it out of the park with Redemption Bourbon.  The mash bill is 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley allowing this to be considered a bourbon but paying homage to the subtle rye spices that Redemption is known for in their spirits.  It's has a golden candy color in the glass with wafting aromas of plantains, caramel chews, toasted nuts and vanilla.  We tasted this neat, but there is no doubt that this 88 proof selection would be fantastic in a whiskey sour or whatever your favorite bourbon-based cocktail may be.

Hints of licorice are on the palate and carry through the medium spicy finish.  There's just enough peppery goodness to keep your tongue in check, combined with nutmet, allspice and butterscotch.  This is a bottle that should be on every bourbon bar in America as well as your home bar.  A bonus to this bottle is that is priced right and perfect for the amateur mixologist who wants to experiment with whiskey drinks!

ABV:  44.0% (88 proof)

Distillery:  Redemption Whiskey

Suggested retail price:  $24.99

Drink The Bottles score:  92/100

 

Two Souls Spirits Doubled Barreled Bourbon

The easiest way to explain what founders James Estrada and Chad Civetti do at Two Souls Spirits is they take already very tasty bourbon, sprinkle some magic on it, and make it better.  Ok, we know it's not that easy, but that's the Cliff's notes version of what this Florida whiskey house is doing with distinct and some of the finest whiskey barrels from distilleries across the US.

What we have today is the Two Souls Spirits Double Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, coming in a a whopping 128.58 proof!  The base of this palate pleaser is a bourbon from Watershed Distillery out of Columbus, Ohio.  We were already fans of Watershed and this double barrel bourbon shares the same mash bill as their 4 year offering:  72% corn, 21% rye and 7% malted barley.  A #4 heavy char barrel was used for this offering and this bourbon (tasted neat and from a sample bottle) immediately grabs your attention.

Medium hazelnut color, we were surprised that this was as light as it was.  But the aromas and flavors stole the show on this one!  Completely mouth coating with aromas of caramel sauce, dusty country road, vanilla extract, asphalt and herbs.  It's big and bold but not offensive and over-the-top.  Restrained goodness is a representation of this spirit.  Medium oak, citrus, tobacco leaf, orange peel, sweet baking spices and a suggestion of clove near the finish really makes your mouth water.  It's unapologetically long in the finish and on the sweeter side.  It is ohhhhhh, so good!  This was a limited production, like all of the Two Souls catalog with less than 200 bottles available on release.  

ABV:  64.29% (128.58 proof)

Distillery:  Watershed Distillery for Two Souls Spirits

Suggested retail price:  $94.99

Drink The Bottles score:  91/100

 

High West Distillery Cask Strength and High Country Single Malt Whiskeys

 

High West Distillery was founded in 2006 by David Perkins, and his wife Jane and began distilling in 2007.  You've undoubtedly seen these eye-catching bottles at most alcohol retailers, but did you know that High West started all of those years ago with just a small 250 gallon still?  Fast forward to 2024 and you now have a world class, internationally-known brand that is producing fantastic spirits!

Today we're sharing our thoughts with you on two of High West's whiskey offerings - the Cask Strength Bourbon-Rye blend and the American Single Malt Whiskey, dubbed High Country.  Both were tasted neat in Glencairn glasses.

The High West Cask Strength Bourbon-Rye Blend is a combination of straight bourbon and straight rye whiskeys that carry an age statement of six to ten years.  As if the age statement wasn't impressive enough, add on a proof of 117.4, a beautiful label and a mahogany color that catches the eye and you have something special here.  Stone fruits and citrus blend with maple candy and dusty bookstore on the nose.  The higher proof welcomes you with a lovely hug and quickly brings baked peaches, marscapone, saddle leather, hints of passion fruit and mocha.  These flavors drift off to an impressive and noteworthy finish with sourdough toast and honey.  Delicious!

ABV:  58.7% (117.4 proof)

Distillery:  High West Distillery

Suggested retail price:  $69.99

Drink The Bottles score:  94/100

The High West High Country American Single Malt Whiskey is a limited-release offering comprised of a mash bill that is 85% base malt, 14% carmel 60 malt and 1% chocolate malt.  If you're a single malt fan, then we highly encourage you to take a look a this!  Don't let the low proof deter you as this is distilled on the grain, helping coax a myriad of flavors and character to this whiskey.  

Copper color with another impressive label, you feel like you're walking into a bakery in full production in a small village in the mountains.  There is no other way to describe the near-sensory overload you get with this - baked goods, farm fields in the fall before harvest, chocolate, vanilla and maple.  We're going to go back and give this a few drops of water at a later point and see what else this whiskey is cooking up.  Brown butter, honey flavored candy, shortcake, vanilla ice cream and mountain air round out the flavors, hitting all of the senses just right.  Single malt fans, this is YOUR whiskey!

ABV:  44.0% (88 proof)

Distillery:  High West Distillery

Suggested retail price:  $79.99

Drink The Bottles score:  92/100

Whiskey Acres Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Located in the heart of DeKalb, Illinois is a farm and distillery that promotes their "Seed to Spirit" way of life, growing their own grains and completely overseeing the complete process to creat a selection of fine spirits.  As midwesterners ourselves, we have an affinity for this team that grows everything that goes into their bottles.  They are use John Deere equipment, so there is that admiration as well as our family has been in the John Deere business since 1955.

The Whiskey Acres Bottled-In-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey was tasted neat from a 100mL sample bottle.  Golden sunset in color, this bourbon has an impressive basket of several aromas after some swirling - cinnamon stick, fresh earth, sweet corn and toasted nuts.  It's mouth-coating flavors of vanilla, coconut cream pie, cinnamon, mixed nuts and orchard fruits blend effortless and provide an exceptionally smooth finish - we mean REALLY smooth!  The mash bill on this is 75% corn, 15% soft red winter wheat and 10% malted barley.  The soft red winter wheat adds to the nuttiness of this whiskey and there is zero bitterness at all.  

We will be sharing some additional Whiskey Acres spirits with you soon.  This is a great first hand look at what these farmers-turned-distillers are doing!

ABV:  50.0% (100 proof)

Distillery:  Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.

Suggested retail price:  $54.99

Drink The Bottles score:  93/100

 

Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Mizunara

 

We're going to tell you right up front that everything we have tasted from Barrell Craft Spirits so far has been delicious.  The Mizunara Oak Cask Finish Series we are tasting today is no exception to our expectations.  It is the color of pure, unrefinded honey and the 100 mL sample bottle proves that good things come in small packages.

Barrell Craft Spirits are the leaders in blended whiskeys, producing winner after winner, often using unique mash bills and differing aged whiskey to create something that is definitely palate pleasing.  The mash bill on this bottle is 76% corn, 20% rye and 4% malted barley.  This "Edition 001" release is comprised of the following bourbons:  Indiana - 6, 7 and 9 years old, Tennessee - 8 and 14 years old and 8 year old Kentucky bourbon.  The final blend is then matured further in Mizunara (Japanese Oak) barrels, further adding to the flavors and memorable drinking experience.  Mizunara Oak must be a minimum of 200 years old before it can be used for aging casks.  In many cases, the trees can reach an age of 500 years.

Tasted neat, this selection presented clay earth, maple syrup, ripe strawberries, honey and leather.  There is a lot going on here and we strongly encourage you to play with this by adding a drop or two of water or tasting it with a singular ice cube.  It's almost insane what other aromas and flavors come to the surface with the water addition.  Honey, barn wood, mint, cookie dough and herbs are dominant flavors, but that also changes with a couple of drops of water.  This whiskey has a considerable finish that invites you back for another sip.  Love this!

ABV:  58.21% (116.42 proof)

Distillery:  Barrell Craft Spirits

Suggested retail price:  $84.99

Drink The Bottles score:  94/100

Bull Run Distilling Pinot Noir Finished American Whiskey

Lee Medoff, founder and head distiller at Bull Run Distilling Company in Portland, Oregon, is setting the Pacific Northwest on fire with his distinctive spirits.  While being a professional distiller since 1998, he started Bull Run Distillery in 2010 after setting his sights on creating a pure malt Oregon whiskey.  The distillery currently produces a barrel strength bourbon, vodka, gin and a nice selection of whiskeys.  Today we look at the Bull Run Distilling Pinot Noir Finished American Whiskey aged 15 years.  

The age statemen from Bull Run on the Pinot Noir finished whiskey varies, depending on the batch.  But we tasted the 15 year offering that includes an additional 8 month of finished aging in Pinot Noir casks.  The initial mash bill of 99% corn and 1% malted barley spends the first part of its life in former bourbon casks.  We are fans of finished bourbons (especially in red wine casks) so we were excited to taste and provide our thoughts on this one.  Bull Run used the prestigious Seguin-Moreau cooperage for the aging casks and the result is a huge hit!

Medium to dark crimson color with mahogany colors and stunningly beautiful.  Aromas of cherry syrup, ripe berries, barn wood, vanilla and tea offered a mouth-watering introduction.  Tasted neat in a Glencairn, inviting flavors of fine leather, oak, cherry compote, clove and herbs brought a very welcoming potpourri that really dance on the taste buds.  The finish was impressively smooth and satisfying.  There are some great whiskey and bourbons coming out of Oregon currently, and this one is no exception.  For the finished whiskey fan, this is your wake up call.  Check out Bull Run Distilling Company!

ABV:  58.17% (116.34 proof)

Distillery:  Bull Run Distilling Company

Suggested retail price:  $48.95

Drink the Bottles score:  95/100

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Mizunara Barrel

 

We won't lie.  This was a fun one for us!  It's not every day you get to taste a 6-year-old Kentucky bourbon that is finished in Mizunara Oak Shochu barrels.  We're going to break that down in just a second. There's a lot to unwrap here.

The World Whiskey Society (WWS) has only been around since 2020, but they are creating a huge footprint in the whiskey world with their extremely unique and innovative products.  First of all, you can't help but notice their exquisite packaging.  If ever there was a "cool bottle" story, it resonates with the offerings from WWS.  The labels are sophisticated and appealing.  The unique bottle toppers are secretly sought after by collectors.  So what about what is in this bottle?  Let's take a look.

So what is Mizunara Oak and what in the heck is Shochu?  Mizunara oak, or Japanese oak, is incredibly expensive and rare.  It grows in distinct pockets in northern Japan and it is very difficult to work with.  We should mention that you also have to be patient, as it can take between 200 - 400+ years for the Mizunara tree to mature so it can be used for barrels.  Let that little fact sink in!  And what about the Shochu?  Shochu is a distilled spirit from Japan that is commonly made from rice, buckwheat, brown sugar, barley, sweet potatoes, carrots, chestnut, sesame seeds or potatoes (or any combination of these).  

When WWS society set out to offer this finished bourbon, they thought the entire process through and kudos to their marketing folks.  Obviously we're going Japanese-themed here, right down to the Samurai bottle stopper.  

Auburn and medium brown in the bottle, aromas of dried Asian cooking spices, floral incense, toasted nuts and sweet oak are dominant.  Tasted neat, we went back and forth on what each of us tasted - sweet chilis, coconut, light oak, toasted bread, hard maple candy, cinnamon stick, vanilla cream, molasses and mixed berry compote.  Like we said previously, there's a lot going on here.  We argued back and forth (in fun) a bit about who was right.  But, at the end of the day, you have to just accept that this is a delicious bottle.  

The brown water in this bottle was sourced from Bardstown Bourbon Company with a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley.  At 108 proof this is in a great spot with the age statement and extra finishing.  If you're a finished bourbon fan or have always been curious about Mizunara Oak finished whiskey, you need to check this out!

ABV:  54.0% (108 proof)

Distillery:  Bardstown Bourbon Company

Suggested retail price:  $124.00

Drink The Bottles score:  94/100

McLaughlin Distillery 3799 Bourbon

 

In a quaint house-turned-distillery (or world headquarters as the sign states) is a local Sewickley, Pennsylvania distiller who is producing local craft bourbon, whiskey and flavored moonshines.  Owner Kim McLaughlin follows his family's distilling traditions and pours his heart and soul into each barrel.  McLaughlin Distillery will tell you up front that they aren't the biggest and they don't have the fanciest machinery.  But what they do have is a passion for making distilled spirits that represent this southwest Pennsylvania borough while using oak from the North to age their spirits.

The 3799 Bourbon has a beautiful dense chestnut-orange color.  While we don't know the age statement of this bourbon, it is the distillery's most popular offering.  The nose presents chocolate covered almonds, green earth, vanilla and dark tea.  Swirling really opens this up and we tasted this neat.  In the mouth was almond crunch, hayloft earthiness, hints of semi-sweet chocolate and carmel.  The initial sip gives you a hug and then quickly falls off to a smoother finish that leaves you curious about the next sip.

We will be re-visiting this with a few drops of water and a cube at a later date.  The McLaughlin Distillery team offers four cocktail recipes on their website for this bourbon, so that might be a fun way to share this with friends as well.  We like what Kim and company are doing and we would love to see what some older bourbons are offering from them.

ABV:  45.0% (90 proof)

Distillery:  McLaughlin Distillery

Suggested retail price:  $69.99

Drink The Bottles score:  88/100

Town Branch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Town Branch Distillery is Lexington, Kentucky's first new distillery built post-Prohibition.  Located on the banks of the Elkhorn Creek, the area's limestone water is rivaled to be some of the best in the world for distilled spirits.  Town Branch is part of the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co and they make one of our favorite beers, which we tasted many years ago - Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.  We will fight anyone who thinks that isn't one of the best bourbon aged beers on the market!

This is the Town Branch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and one of their first released distilled products.  Pleasant dark honey color with aromas of caramelized sugar, biscuits, dry earth and bright fruits.  You get a really warm Kentucky hug from this bourbon and flavors of cedar box, cherry preserves, green chiles with a semi-sweet and long caramel finish, including a hint of orchard fruits.  Tasted neat, as always.  This is a solid daily drinker and one that would be great for cocktails.

ABV:  45.0% (90 proof)

Distillery:  Town Branch Distillery

Suggested retail price:  $39.99

Drink The Bottles score:  90/100

 

2023 Flora Springs Soliloquy White Wine

The long days of summer are here and that means it is white wine season!  Historically, we have only tasted red wines from Flora Springs Winery, so we were excited to have the opportunity to try something new to us and this one was timed perfectly with the hot weather.  The Flora Springs Soliloquy White Wine is a blend of primarily Sauvignon Blanc with Chardonnay and the lesser known Malvasia added for complexity and flavors.  This is one of Flora Springs flagship wines and it is quickly noticeable why it carries that identity.

Pale gold in the glass with hints of greenish blue on the rim, this wine is immediately identifiable as primarily Sauvignon Blanc by the familiar meadow grass, floral and stone fruit aromas.  We tasted this slightly chilled to take advantage of the full tasting experience, but there is no doubt this would be a porch sipping or pool party wine served well chilled.  Citrus fruit, vanilla, and apples are dominant with honeycomb and sea salt showing up in the very pleasant and medium finish.  The acidity is perfect and this isn't overly bright like some Sauvignon Blanc wines tend to be.  We love what Flora Springs has done here and think this is a real winner!

ABV:  14.2%

Napa Valley, CA

631 cases produced

Suggested retail price:  $70.00

Drink The Bottles score:  92/100