Old Hamer 80 Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey

A little background

Old Hamer is bottled at 80 proof and comes in at a retail of around $25. It is currently distilled by MGP in Lawrenceburg, IN and bottled by West Fork Whiskey Co. in Indianapolis, IN. The mash bill is 99% corn and 1% malted barley. The whiskey is aged a minimum of 2 years and is unique in the fact that the company has resurrected the Old Hamer brand that was once known for making some of the finest whiskey of the 19th century. The Hamers bought the brand in 1825 for $7000 and used a mash bill very similar to the one that is being used today.

Tasted neat from a Cradle Glass

Color

Honey

Nose

The nose on this bourbon was its best quality in my opinion and started off with notes of corn, vanilla, butterscotch, peach, and orange. The sweet notes of vanilla and butterscotch really shine as they rise up out of the glass. The scents of fresh fruits go nicely with the sweetness making for a very pleasant aroma. With the product being 99% corn, I was worried how much the corn note would come through, but it simply wasn’t a problem.

Palate

As the bourbon enters your mouth, it jumps straight to the back palate, but as the flavors develop, a very refreshing note appears on the front palate. The main notes that showed up on the palate were a sweetness that was mostly driven by vanilla as well as a light spice that was led by allspice and a nice full-bodied cinnamon.

Overall, the mouthfeel on this bourbon was a little thin.

Finish

The bourbon has a medium finish with a very prevalent peanut note that is accompanied by allspice and cinnamon that continues on from the palate.

Complexity

Old Hamer 80 proof was mildly complex as it did have a medium finish that was fairly pleasant along with some nutty, floral, and citrus fruit notes that were unique to this bourbon. It was refreshing throughout and would be a very nice bourbon to sip on a hot day. With a few drops of water, more of the orange notes become present on the nose, the palate loses a lot of its flavor, and the finish has even more of a peanut note.

In Conclusion

Old Hamer was a very refreshing whiskey and would be extremely good to drink on your porch on a hot summer day. It is not a whiskey that is going to blow your socks off, but at the same time, it hits all of the notes that it should and is a great value at $25.It is currently distilled by MGP in Lawrenceburg, IN and bottled by West Fork Whiskey Co. in Indianapolis, IN.