Saint Cloud Kentucky Bourbon Batch 1

A little background

Well here is a beautiful bottle that came out of nowhere and took Instagram by storm earlier this year.  Saint Cloud Kentucky Bourbon was started by Ray Walker and is contract distilled by an undisclosed Kentucky distillery. It’s then aged in white oak from the Limousine Forest in France.   Batch 1 was distilled in the Spring of 2016 and bottled in March of 2019 at the cask strength of 120.8 Proof. Retail price of $100 and a bottle count of 3000.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn.)

Color

Light Copper

Nose

A unique amalgamation of Juicy Fruit gum, Mint Chiclets, and citrus peel.

Palate

Red Hots, peppermint, toffee, caramel, allspice, and clove.

Finish

Burst of cinnamon with vanilla laced throughout that unfortunately doesn’t last long.

In closing

This is a young bourbon that is bursting with interesting flavor combinations that just needs a few more years in the barrel before it really will begin to shine.  What’s there now is impressive and we’re glad they bottled at cask strength, as we believe the heat helps mask some of the green notes associated with it being so young.  Our only gripe at this point is we would have liked to see it priced around $20 cheaper than its current MSRP. Should you be interested in trying it for yourself, it can be purchased online here.

NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Saint Cloud Kentucky Bourbon.  We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review their wonderful bourbon!