Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Oak

A little background

Oak & Eden is doing something a bit different with their “Bourbon & Vine” series. They teamed up with Marker Cellars Winery to create this unique wine finished whiskey. Once distilled, this whiskey spent a minimum of two years in the barrel. Oak & Eden then bottled the bourbon at 90 proof, along with a Marker Cellars Winery Cabernet soaked “spire” for secondary in-bottle finishing. For this expression, Oak & Eden added a 5-inch french oak spire with a “medium roast” that has been soaked in Cabernet Wine for 8 weeks. This is how Oak & Eden finishes their bourbon and refers to these spires as their “finishing agent.” The spire is left in the bottle to continue finishing the whiskey. This is a limited release of whiskey with a MSRP of $64.99.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Burnt Umber

Nose

The first notes on the nose are full bodied fruit and citrus. Rich notes of black currant come off as the whiskey sits in the glass. Additional notes of toasted oak and pecans are present as well.

Palate

The palate is sweet, oaky, and full of dried fruits. Notes from the Cabernet come through with vanilla, black currant, clove, and the slightest amount of dark chocolate. The more this whiskey opened up the more the fruity notes came through, especially the dark grapes, blackberries notes.

Finish

The finish was short. The aftertaste came through heavy wine notes.

In conclusion

Oak & Eden’s Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Oak is unlike most. My palate was not left feeling dry, which is unlike most wine finished whiskies. The lower proof makes it very easy to drink and the smoothness from the wine was a great pairing. I do wish that the finish was longer, as it left me feeling like something was missing.

Overall, this is one of the better wine finished whiskeys I have had. I think this one will only get better the longer the Spire sits is in the bottle.