Chicken Cock 15 Year Barrel Proof Master Distiller’s Pick

A little background

Chicken Cock 15 Year Master Distiller’s Pick is made from handpicked barrels by Master Distiller, Gregg Snyder, using only the best and oldest barrels he could find. This limited release bourbon is bottled at barrel proof (57% ABV) in a replica pre-prohibition Chicken Cock bottle with a metal overcap. The mash bill consists of 78.5% Corn, 13% Rye, and 8.5% Malted Barley. Only 1,350 bottles of Chicken Cock 15 Year Master Distiller’s Pick were produced and have a suggested retail price of $300 USD.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Dark Gold

Nose

Bready yeast, dark dried cherries, candy corn, lime, caramel, and a touch of molasses.

Palate

Cinnamon, dark dried cherries, chocolate syrup, caramel, and molasses. The palate packs a burst of flavors!

Finish

Dark baking chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, red hots, and oak. The finish is very long and slightly drying. Very impressive!

In closing

Limited Releases should be special, and Chicken Cock 15 Year Master Distiller’s Pick is nothing short of special! This barrel proof bourbon is complex and filled with wonderful notes from the nose all the way through to the finish. Sometimes you can tell when the barrels of whiskey that went into a release were dumped at their prime, and that’s exactly what is going on here. Chicken Cock 15 Year Master Distiller’s Pick is rich and flavorful with just the right amount of oak influence. The price point on this bottle is certainly on the high end of what you’d expect to see for a 15-year limited release bourbon. But for someone looking for a special high-quality bottle of aged bourbon, this would be a wonderful choice. I for one would be very happy to have a bottle of Chicken Cock 15 Year Master Distiller’s Pick on my bar shelf!

NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Chicken Cock. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.