Bluebird Distilling Double Barrel Bourbon - Review

The Details

Bluebird Distilling

Double Barrel Bourbon

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Double Aged in Charred New American Oak Barrels

Aged 7 Years (5 years in charred new American Oak Barrels & 2 years in heavy toast lightly charred barrels from a different Cooperage)

Distilled and Bottled by Bluebird Distilling

Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

Alcohol by Volume: 50 / 100 Proof

Mash Bill: 60% Corn, 20% Rye, 10% Wheat, 10% Malted Barley

Price: $70

Poured Neat in a Stölzle Nosing Glass

Appearance: Mahogany

Nose: Leather, Tobacco, Dr. Pepper

Palate: Milk Chocolate, Marshmallow, Graham Crackers, Cinnamon and Honey

Finish: Warm medium linger with a sweet and spiced completion

Overall: I'm not going to lie, I had never heard of Bluebird Distilling until just a couple weeks back when their Sales Manager, Anthony (great name) reached out and asked if I'd be interested in trying what they had to offer. If you know me, you know my goal is to try as much as possible and it's very rare I turn down an opportunity like this. So, game on!

From the first "pop" of the cork to the initial drips hitting my glass, I could pick up so much flavor on the nose. Dr. Pepper was one of those notes. Now, Dr. Pepper boasts 23 flavors. I haven't a clue what most of those are, but I'm sure Cola, Sweet Cream, Dark Cherry and Vanilla are four of them. Between the cola and the Leather and Tobacco, I was already raising an eyebrow with a grin on my face. One of those happy grins, like I knew something special was coming. The first sip didn't carry those same notes, but rather notes I'm quite familiar when it comes to Double Barrel expressions. Those s'mores tones of marshmallow, milk chocolate and grahams mixed with a touch of cinnamon spice filled my palate. I did have a few sips to make sure the flavors didn't dry out or lose its luster. Sure enough, a delightful experience from sip to sip. The finish was perfect on this hot summer afternoon in the Carolinas. A warm, medium linger with a blend of sweet and spice closed out each sip.

There are some Craft Distilleries out there that I feel, "rush" the process. A Double Barreling generally tells me they were hiding something...like youth. I'll tell you, that's not the case of what's going on here. 5 years in the initial barrel, followed by another 2 years in the secondary barrel isn't the whole story. The second barrel is actually from a different Cooperage. I'm sure this plays a big part in soaking up all those different wood sugars through expansion and contraction for so long. A delightful pour and experience.

If you are like me and haven't heard of Bluebird Distilling until now, do yourself a favor and check out their detailed website by clicking HERE

A big thank you to Anthony and the rest of the team at Bluebird for reaching out and letting me try your product with no strings attached. I also can't wait to get into that coffee! Cheers.

Library Rating: 8.3 / 10

Lost Lantern Soaring Spice from Frey Ranch - Review

The Details

Lost Lantern

Soaring Spice

Nevada Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Single Distillery Series

Edition No. 2023-Frey-1

Aged 4 Years

Non-Chill Filtered

Distilled at Frey Ranch Distillery - Fallon, Nevada

Bottled by Caledonia Spirits, Montpelier, Vermont

Alcohol by Volume: 63.8 / 127.6 Proof

Mash Bill: 67% Corn, 11% Rye, 10% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley

1 of 900 Bottles

Price: $100 - Soon to be released - Check HERE for more info (JULY 26th)

Poured Neat in a Stölzle Nosing Glass

Appearance: Deep Copper

Nose: Cloves, Cinnamon, Orange Zest

Palate: Apple, Cinnamon, Pie Crust, Warm Caramel

Finish: Warm long linger with a viscous coating. Slight pepper and nutmeg spice.

Overall: For those that aren't familiar with Lost Lantern, they are "whiskey nerds, and we’re building an independent bottler that talks to whiskey nerds. We love hunting down whiskies that people haven’t discovered yet and sharing the stories of the distilleries we’re most excited about. Ultimately, we just want to share what makes the world of American whiskey so exciting."

Exciting is an understatement. I, along with many other "whiskey nerds" and Social Media Content Creators, had the unique pleasure of sipping through the Summer of Bourbon lineup via a Zoom Call with the Co-Founders, Nora and Adam. The lineup offered so many different flavors from all across the US. But it was this "Soaring Spice" that caught my attention from the get-go. As the name implies, the spices are noticeable immediately. From the nose to the palate, those spice dance around your tastebuds. The warmth of this blended bourbon plays a great part in the experience. From what I thought would be a pour specifically for the holidays, turned into something quite refreshing. A year-long sipper, if you will. That warmth reminded me of a hot toddy in the fall or winter, but also that of a warm apple pie a la mode in the spring or summer.

The four grains in this mash can be dissected if you sit down and let your palate take over. The corn provides that sweetness. The rye, the spices. The malted barley, the fruits and zest. And the wheat, a little extra sweet creaminess. Nerding out is fun, especially when the whiskey is this delicious.

A great big thank you to Paula and to the team at Lost Lantern for including me in the tasting and for this unique and delicious bottle. And also, thank you for being so transparent with all the information. That goes a long way!

Library Rating: 8.4 / 10

RY3 Cigar Series - Review

The Details

RY3 Whiskey Cigar Series

Rye Whiskey

Triple Cask Finish - French Oak Staves

Madeira, Rum and Naranja Casks

Cask Strength

Batch: PR#006 / Bottle 145

Handcrafted, Blended and Bottled by

Phenomenal Spirits - Virginia Beach, Virginia

60.6 ABV / 121.2 Proof

Mashbill: Not Specified - Blended

Price: $125

Poured Neat in a Stölzle Nosing Glass

Appearance: Chestnut

Nose: Apricot, Caramel, Honey, Oak, Orange Peel

Palate: Oranges and Cream, Candied Caramel, Molasses, Plum, Vanilla

Finish: Long, Spiced and Viscous

Overall: What's the first thing you think of when you see "Cigar Batch", "Cigar Cut" or "Cigar Series"? Many tend to think these titles describe the taste of the whiskey. Actually, these are meant to describe the fact a cigar would compliment the particular expression. Sure, some notes may be tobacco, earthy and leather heavy, but by no means is that what describes a lot of the Cigar Blends I've encountered, and personally blended. A lot of blends and batches include a lot of the same finishes as they tend to work so well complimenting the tobacco. This RY3 Cigar Series jumps in on the other side of the pool. Madeira, Rum and Naranja Casks (AKA Barrels) make up this incredible blend. Let's break these down for a moment:

Madeira: A fortified wine made on the Portuguese Madeira Islands, just off the coast of Africa. Produced in a variety of styles ranging from dry wines, as an apértiff and cheaper cooking wines generally flavored with salt and pepper but not used for consumption as a beverage.

Rum: A liquor made by fermenting and distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear spirit, is often aged in oak barrels.

Naranja: Meaning Orange in Spanish. Orange Wine is produced in Huelva and Málaga in Andalucia, Spain with white wine macerated with orange peel.

Let all that sink in. Now, combine Rye Whiskey along with all these unique casks. The result? A damn fine pour from sip to sip. The flavors seem to dance around the palate and the finish leaves your mouth well coated. Let me tell you, this is the perfect recipe for a cigar. With Master Blender, Matt Witzig knowing a thing or two about Cigar Batches from his days as the Master Blender at Joseph Magnus, the blend created here is another to celebrate and seek numerous bottles. My recommendation is to pair Cigar Series with a Light-Medium to Medium Cigar based on the profile and the proof. Being a person who enjoys a great challenge, I've already done both. The AVO Heritage and the Montecristo White Series were beautiful compliments to each pour. I did have a Full-Bodied Cigar as well, but I felt the boldness of the cigar took away the sweetness of the pour. Still delicious, but a tad flat.

There just may be a few more bottles available at retail and on the RY3 website. Click HERE for more info.

Karthik & Matt, thank you kindly for getting this bottle to me to try. You guys are Phenomenal! As always, my reviews are always unbiased and couldn't be any more genuine.

Library Rating: 8.3 / 10