A little background

Spirits of French Lick Mattie Gladden is a bottled-in-bond bourbon that is made from a mash bill of 55% corn, 35% rye, and 10% victory malt and 2 unique yeast strains. Their house strain is designed to pull intense grain character, while a brandy yeast is used to pull more fruity, herbal, and spicy notes. The fermentation is completed in stainless steel fermenters for 4 days, where the mash is “soured” using citric acid. When fermentation is complete, the distillate reaches an average proof of 130 and it is then proofed down to 105 before being placed in 53 gallon barrels with a #2 char. As a bottled-in-bond bourbon, this is aged for 4 years and bottled at 100 proof. This bottle retails for roughly $50.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Burnished copper

Nose

Some sharp notes of roasted corn and rising bread dough come through, revealing some youth on the nose. However, there is also plenty of rye spice, anise, and bruleed sugar, which are quite pleasant. With time, the grain notes softened and revealed some notes of stone fruit (think warm peach tart).

Palate

This whiskey has an oily viscosity which provides a nice coating from the first sip. Some grain notes are present initially, but a relatively sharp spice begins to develop on the front of the tongue along with notes of molasses, tobacco, and a few hints of more stone fruit.

Finish

The finish is medium-long with intensifying heat and a peppery spice on the tongue. I found more tobacco, rich caramel, and the slightest touch of mint and citrus peel. The finish becomes slightly bitter and tannic toward the end.

In closing

A lot of hard work and ingenuity went into creating this bottled-in-bond bourbon and overall it paid off, as this bottle provides some interesting and unique flavors at a favorable price point. However, the nose was grain-forward and definitely displayed some youth, and the finish was slightly tannic and bitter, which required some effort to work through. Nonetheless, I think the Spirits of French Lick is making some quality bourbon and I think we can expect great things from them as their products continue to age and develop.