Broad Branch Barrel Finished Series - Big Winston Bourbon Finished in Port Barrels - Review

The Details

Broad Branch

Big Winston

Barrel Finished Series

Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels

Single Barrel - Barrel 0147

Non-Chill Filtered (NCF)

Aged 6 Years

Barreled: 7.27.17

Dumped: 9.25.23

Distilled, Aged & Bottled by Broad Branch Distillery

Winston Salem, North Carolina

55% ABV / 110 Proof

Mashbill: 86% Corn, 6% Rye, 8% Barley

Price: $74.95

Poured Neat in a Glencairn Glass

Appearance: Old Oak / Dark Ruby

Nose: Dark Cherry, Ripe Plum, Flaky Pie Crust, Hint of Vanilla

Palate: Warm Dark Fruits, Holiday Spices - Clove & Cinnamon, Buttery Pastry, Sweet and Savory

Finish: Sweet and Smooth to a Warm Sweetly Spiced Hug. Long Lasting Warmth

Overall: It's Warm Cherry Pie, folks. I don't know any other way to describe what's going on here. I love it when jotting down notes and I turn the bottle around to see most of the same notes on the label. I swear that happens more often than not. The amazing team at Broad Branch nailed the notes down on this one: "...an impressive range of mature flavors including notes of cherry pie, stewed fruit, clove, plum and cherry cola."

What a delicious second release in this Barrel Finished Series. Now, if you know me, you know I love the details when it comes to the production, the finishing and obviously, the outcome of everything I try. Well, Don Jenkins and I can "geek out" all day long on these details and the entire process. He graciously provided a "few" steps y'all might enjoy and really open your eyes to what is happening with each of these bottles.

It all started with 24 month air dried staves that became a Medium Toast, Char 4 Barrel. The Big Winston entered the barrel in 2017 at 123.2 Proof where it rested until being moved to a freshly dumped Ruby Port Barrel from RayLen Vineyards here in North Carolina for another 3 months. That barrel was then dumped 9.25.23 at 133.7 Proof and was proofed down to 110 using reverse osmosis water for a period of one week. The slow addition of water during proofing is quite vital and also shows the passion and quality of Broad Branch. As you know, there's no rushing whiskey!

If you'd like to learn more about Broad Branch, check them out HERE.

I'd like to personally thank Don and the amazing team at Broad Branch for always keeping me in mind when it comes to these fantastic releases. Keep up the amazing work!

Library Rating: 8.1 / 10

Lucky Seven The New Yorker - Review

The Details

Lucky Seven

The New Yorker

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Finished in Toasted Virgin Amburana Casks

Barrel 01

Distilled in Kentucky

Bottled by Bardstown Bourbon Company

For Lucky Seven Spirits - Bardstown, Kentucky

Full Proof 58.6 ABV / 117.2 Proof

Mashbill: 70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Malted Barley

Price: $79.99

Poured Neat in a Glencairn Glass

Appearance: Burnt Umber

Nose: Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Coffee Cake

Palate: Cinnamon, Toasted Brown Sugar, Baking Spices, "Oatmeal Raisin Cookie"

Finish: Viscous with a Long, Warm Lingering Hug

Overall: Amburana finishes are all the talk right now. But with flavors like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies finishing a delicious base bourbon, the hype is quite real. This time of the year also plays into this finish just as Lucky Seven's Holiday Toast did for me a couple years ago. Something about those baking spices on a cooler crisp day that hits right. The New Yorker is a gem. Immediately the smell of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies filled the Library upon popping the cork. Warm and inviting, the amburana finish is perfect and without any sharpness or off-putting tanins. A beautiful compliment all the way around and a great tip of the cap to Master Blender, Ashley Barnes. A lighter, creamy cigar is next in line with this tasty pour.

How Lucky Seven Started: "Co-founders Michael Lahalih and John Pals have been best friends since their college years and share a common bond of bourbon and cinema. In fact, the Lucky 7 namesake is derived from the infamous Stage 7 in Hollywood, CA, where some of the greatest movies in cinema history were filmed. The warehouse-sized stage produced so many award-winning films that the industry started calling it “Lucky Stage 7.”

Lucky 7 Spirits brings together a complex mix of qualities; each flavor highlighting our unique tone of voice. We are classy, confident and curious. We always tip our hats, invite the outsider to join our table and embrace the notion that life is a precious gift. We are quirky, fun and relaxed yet we know our stuff, inside and out. We are professionals, connoisseurs, fanatics, friends and ultimately family. We love good bourbon, good people and good times." - Lucky Seven Website

Interested in The New Yorker or other Lucky Seven offerings? Check them out HERE

A huge thank you to Jordan and the team at Lucky Seven for this delicious bottle to genuinely review in The Library.

Library Rating: 8.4 / 10

ASM American Single Malt Whiskey Finished in Sherry Casks - Review

The Details

ASM

American Single Malt Whiskey

Finished in Sherry Casks

Aged at least 3 Years prior to Secondary Finishing

In Sherry Casks and Pot Smoked Oak

Produced and Bottled by ASM Brands

Zebulon, North Carolina

42% ABV / 84 Proof

Mashbill: 100% Malt Barley

Price: $65

Poured Neat and with 2mL of Water in a Copita Nosing Glass

Appearance: Gold

Nose: Malt, Bright Fruits, Plums, Honey and Vanilla

Nose with Water: Fruits forward, Honey and Vanilla

Palate: Well Balanced, Red Apples, Pears, Honey, Light Baking Spices and Vanilla

Palate with Water: Much more prominent Red Delicious Apples, Honey and lighter Baking Spices

Finish: Warm, Lingering and Oily with Sweetness coating the throat

Finish with Water: Refreshingly Sweet and Warm

Awards:

Double Gold - New York International Spirits Competition 2022 / 96 Points

Double Gold - San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022

Gold - The South's Best Spirits Awards 2023

Overall: Surprised in the best way possible. A well balanced nose, palate and finish brings this refreshing bottle a new home in the Library. It just may not last too long.

American Single Malts are starting to become a bit more popular amongst the whiskey community and I couldn't be happier. There just something special about the process and the flavors that come from distilling one grain. Sure, I'm a huge fan of just about every genre of whiskey, but aside from Jack Daniel's, my love started with both finished and unfinished Highland Scotch. A typical finish you find on many Single Malts is Sherry. Why you may ask? Well, the beautiful bright fruits tend to be put on display with a bit more emphasis when interacting with the single grain and the wood sugars. The profiles are hard to miss when lined up. A few drops of water tends to open these flavors a bit more as well. You'll always see that I include those drops when sipping these single malt expressions.

ASM is fairly new on the scene and is coming from my new home state, North Carolina. I love the NC whiskey scene and truly feel it needs its place in the limelight. Established in 2021 and already a decorated brand, there is an extra sense of pride when chatting with Founder, Luke Raymond. Browsing their WEBSITE should have the seasoned whiskey enthusiast chuckling a bit while playing the video, But on a more serious note, they drive the point home that this whiskey should "Tell A New Story", and that it does. While I'd be quick to start comparing this 3+ year expression to some 12 year bottles from overseas, I try to look at the bigger picture: This is a local distillery and the product is delicious. This is certainly a bottle I'd be thrilled to put in a blind lineup for visitors. Imagine the stories that could stem from those tastings.

I took the liberty of pairing this ASM Whiskey with a medium-bodied Macanudo Inspirado. Although I tend to fire up a bolder cigar with lower proof whiskey, this pairing was speaking to me upon first sip. The creamier tobacco and earthiness of the stick helped to accent the fruit tones even prior to adding those few drops of water. On the other side, the 84 proof proved to be a perfect companion to create a sense of creamy texture with each puff.

I want to thank Luke and ASM for the opportunity to try this with absolutely no strings attached. As always, I pride myself on being fair, honest and genuine when it comes to reviews and posts.

Library Rating: 8.3 / 10