Norm Hooten, US Army MSG (Ret) is a co-founder of the Hooten Young Whiskey brand. He is a real-life hero who not only spent time on the battle lines but also in the battle of the opioid crisis as a pharmacist for the Department of Veterans Affairs. They take patriotism very seriously, committing to support non-profit organizations for veterans and the military.
Like many iconic brands, this one started with a dicussiopn and a "what if" dream by a fire. As whiskey and cigar enthusiasts, Hooten and his small team knew what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go. And so eventually the Hooten Young brand was born and they are building a legacy to last a lifetime.
This is the second expression from Hooten Young that we have had the pleasure of tasting. This is their Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon. We have long been fans of BiB bourbon, partly because of the specific guidelines imposed by Uncle Sam that allow a distillery to bestow the Bottled-in-Bond label.
We tasted this neat and it quickly put a smile on our faces. Subtly sweet from beginning to end, the chestnut colored whiskey provided us with apple spice cake, toffee, peppercorn and hints of eucalyptus on the nose. First sips introduced us to layers of caramel, brown sugar and cinnamon toast, allspice, white pepper and baked earth. While we don't smoke, the folks at HY recommend pairing this with one of their Ma Deuce Cigars and sipping this slowly with friends. We think that's a fine idea.
You can use code DRINKTHEBOTTLES at checkout for free shipping from their website!
ABV: 50.0% (100 proof)
Distillery: MGP Ingredients for Hooten Young
Suggested retail price: $41.99
Drink The Bottles score: 92/100
