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

 

Westward Single Malt Whiskey

If you don't have the three of four minutes to read our entire review of this whiskey, we will cut to the chase.   This is quite possibly the best single malt whiskey we have tasted in 2024.  Now, if you want to know why then keep reading.  The Westward Single Malt Whiskey is what they call their original whiskey.  It is 100% malted barley from the Pacific Northwest and aged in heavy and light charred oak barrels.  The great northwest is known for exceptional barley crops and that is evident in what we are tasting today.  

Medium to dark copper in color, this single malt whiskey carries distintive aromas and flavors that represent the waters of the Pacific Northwest, which is the foundation for what Westward produces.  Aromas include a basket of fresh picked peaches, orange bitters, maple candy, roasted nuts, lemon-lime soda and tree bark.  There is a lot going on here!  In the mouth is a mesmerizing and colorful palate consisting of caramelized sugar, peaches, lemon zest, macadamia nut, hints of caramel and hay field.  It's mouth filling and you embrace this with each sip.  The finish is on the fruity and floral side and is absolutely stunningly smooth.  

We take several factors into consideration when determining an overall "score" for a bottle.  We always tell folks not to get too caught up in scores.  Hopefully our descriptions will tell the story.  The bottled product, packaging, label, availability, price, value and more go into helping us calculate a score.  This one is nearly perfect in the single malt whiskey category.  It's absolutely a standout and delicious.

ABV:  45.0% (90 proof)

Distillery:  Westward Whiskey Distillery

Suggested retail price:  $74.95

Drink The Bottles score:  99/100

 

Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Oak Series: French Oak

 

A Smith Bowman Distillery out of Fredericksburg, Virginian has been turning some heads with their limited edition whiskey offerings.  This is the Abraham Bowman Limited Oak Series: French Oak Whiskey that was available through the distillery via lottery due to its exclusive nature.  The distillery has crafted about two dozen special limited release bottles and you quickly understand why these are so popular with whiskey enthusiasts and collectors.

Gorgeous saddle brown color, this twelve year aged whiskey is a blend of their best barrels aged in French Oak, with and without char.  Tasted neat, aromas of freshly baked biscuits, vanilla extract, cherry cobbler and chewy caramel dominate the the nose.  This is instantly mouth-watering and equally matched by the beaming flavors of cherry cordial, lightly tanned leather, vanilla cream, spice cabinet and stone fruits.  It covers the tongue and leaves a very long and lovely finish.  We had the opportunity to share this with some local bourbon and whiskey lovers and it was an instant hit!  While this particular bottle was only avaialble for a limited time via online lottery, you'll want to be on the lookout for future limited edition releases.  Incredible!

ABV:  50.0% (100 proof)

Distillery:  A Smith Bowman Distillery

Suggested retail price:  $79.99

Drink The bottles score:  96/100