Baker's 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
From still to rickhouse to bottle, a lot of things happen with Baker’s Single Barrel Bourbon. Weather, length of aging and rickhouse placement all shape the distinct notes and flavours of each barrel. See how and where your bottle was born. No two barrels of Baker’s are the same. Each is as unique as the man the bourbon is named for. Each barrel sits in its own unique place throughout our rickhouses, patiently aging for a minimum of seven years to extract the notes of vanilla trapped within the charred oak. And with Baker’s there’s no batching or mixing. Each bottle is filled from one singular barrel. Which means inside each bottle is a big, bold bourbon, full of tiny subtle details that change barrel to barrel. There’s no wrong way to drink Baker’s – whether it’s neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail, you’ll notice strong, traditional bourbon cues, like oak, caramel and vanilla. Bottled at 107 proof, the flavours inside each single barrel really shine through. This full-bodied bourbon really stands out in any cocktail. This bottle is from Batch B-90001.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is matured in separate, charred oak barrels adding a rich and colourful flavour to their Kentucky straight bourbon. Before bottling, the second barrel is deeply toasted before a light charring - extracting additional amounts of soft, sweet oak character. The innovative approach to maturation has crafted a delicious and award winning bourbon whiskey.
Makers Mark Bourbon Whisky
Maker's Mark is a unique and full-flavoured, hand-made Bourbon Whiskey, made using the old-style sour-mash method and sealed with the iconic red wax.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon
In 1869, The Ripy family built the foundations of what is known today as the Wild Turkey Bourbon distillery. Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon is still produced using the same traditional technique, handcrafted by Master Distiller Eddie Russell alongside his father Jimmy Russell. Combined, the pair have over 97 years of experience and are the only active father and son Master Distiller team in the world. Rare Breed is abarrel-proof bourbon meaning it is bottled directly from a variety of barrels at the proof it reaches in those barrels with no added water to lower the proof or dilute the flavour. This bourbon is a unique marriage of Wild Turkey 6 to and 12-year-olod stocks, which give the whiskey a rich exceptional flavour that is remarkably smooth considering its high alcohol content.
Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
On a short list the most desirable, super premium American whiskeys, Pappy Van Winkle is usually near the top – if you can find it. But there’s another name in town: “Michter’s”, with roots going back to the 18th century. For scarcity, reputation and market value, Michter’s is now outdoing Van Winkle on every score. The ultra-aged releases are periodic and therefore actually far rarer than Pappy’s which are annual. Many consider older Michter's superior to the equivalent Van Winkles, especially if you prefer your whiskey to not be overly oaky. To top it off, a Michter’s 25 Year Old Rye has reached $8000 / bottle. Or there’s a 25 Year old for US $10,000 at Wally’s Liquor in the States. Take your pick. That’s the direction this brand is headed. The modern Michter’s was created in the 1950s (then owner, Lou Forman combined his son’s names – Michael & Peter). Later in 1989, the company declared bankruptcy, abandoning the original Pennsylvania operation. In the 1990s, two entrepreneurs filed for the Michter’s trademark and relocated the brand in Louisville, Kentucky. The “New” Michter’s whiskeys come with a swag of 5 Star / Highest Recommendations from respected critics that’s confirmed by a strong following amongst bartenders (now number two in top-trending American whiskey brands globally). There are four tiers in the range - which is a little confusing at first. The "US*1" expressions are the entry level, so named to honour Michter’s heritage, harkening back to America’s first whiskey company in 1753. Then come the limited releases (toasted barrel finishes and cask strength), then the age statements, and finally, there's a selection of ultra-aged 25 year old+ super limited bottlings. Master Distiller, Pam Heilmann, has extensive experience including time as manager at Booker Noe Distillery in Boston and 15 years with Beam Global. She’s helped out by Andrea Wilson, whose role is Master of Maturation. These ladies are very specific about the seasoning and toasting regimes of the wood they employ. They toast barrels before charring, which helps to make the wood’s sugars more accessible. They insist on barreling at a lower proof (103 instead of the standard 125), a practise which is claimed to get the sugars in oak to dissolve more readily into the distillate as it cycles in and out of the wood. Chill filtration is undertaken but customised to each whiskey's style. All Michter’s whiskeys are either ‘single barrel’ or ‘small batch’. Because “Small batch” is not a legally defined term in US whiskey regulation, many respected “small batch” brands are actually composed from hundreds or thousands of barrels, which helps to ‘lose’ sub-quality barrels in the blend. At Michter’s, the maximum “small batch” size is twenty full barrels. It explains why Heilmann and Wilson are more than a little fanatical about quality control, and you can sense it in the taste. Tasting note: [Lot L146456 tasted] Brassy gold. Opening aroma is peppery and true to style with lovely whiffs of dark rye bread; Further air contact draws out wax, dried apple, cinnamon and vanilla. Third pass finds suggestions of herbal tea - think peppermint and chamomile. Great complexity. A somewhat hollow entry leads into a powerful, peppery rye attack with ryvita biscuit, dried apple and peppermint tea flavours carried by vibrant spices. Hints of vanilla and toffee apple in the drying fade. Solid, text-book styled rye. 42.4% Alc./Vol.
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Made in the traditional style of Kentucky Ryes, Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey delivers bold flavours of pepper and tobacco with a long fruit and sweetly spiced finish. Grain the first of the Five Sources is exactly sourced to produce the defined taste we're looking for in every bottle of Woodford Reserve. Our mash bill contains 53 percent rye, resulting in a liquid with pronounced spice notes that are sweetly hinted with fruit before a long finish.
Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Elijah Craig are another of Heaven Hill's successful brands. When a surge in popularity for the 12 year led to an inability to meet demand, it was removed from US shelves in 2016 (no surprise, age statements are now sought after). The core whiskey has since been re-labelled “Small Batch". Typically made from a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley, rumour has it this contains a fair proportion of whiskeys in the 8-12 year old range.
Angel's Envy Bourbon
Angels Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon is finished in port wine casks for an award-winning spirit. Angels Envy is a Louisville-based craft distiller that produces small batch, finished whiskeys. Co-founded in 2011 by the late Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson and his son Wes Henderson, it began as a passion project that combined their familys deep-rooted passion for and knowledge of the industry with an innovative outlook on bourbon making and finishing. The key difference here is the bourbon is finished in port casks, imparting a depth of flavour that other bourbons just dont have. On the palate, notes of vanilla, ripe fruit, maple syrup, toast and bitter chocolate are present before it finishes with a clean and lingering sweetness and a hint of Madeira that slowly fades.
Maker's Mark 46 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Uniquely finished to deliver a more elevated experience, Maker’s 46 is aged longer with special seared French oak staves. With subtly layered bourbon notes and balanced complexity, 46 is the legacy of Bill Samuels, Jr., son of Maker’s Mark founders Bill and Margie. Released in 2010, Maker’s 46 was the first new major expression to be created at Star Hill Farm since classic Maker’s went into production in 1953. The first new bourbon since opening their doors had to make a statement. And Maker’s 46 did, as the first offering from the distilleries breakthrough wood-finishing series. Today, they continue to experiment with the effects of wood finishing to craft new expressions of Maker’s Mark, always remaining true to the original Maker’s – and the expertise, passion and persistence of Bill and Margie.
Michter's US 1 Sour Mash Whiskey
Michters is Americas first distilling company, dating back to 1753 when they started out making rye whiskey. They take a 'Cost Be Damned' approach to the production of every barrel, using various methods including air drying for 36 months, toasting the barrels before charring them, using a low barrel-entry strength, heat cycling to encourage ageing during the frigid winters and using specific filtration types for each whiskey they make. The Sour Mash is their original recipe whiskey.