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