Taconic Distillery Barrel Strength Bourbon

A little background

Taconic Distillery was established in 2013 in the Hudson Valley of New York. According to their website, they handcraft their bourbon and rye whiskies in small batches including grains grown in New York using the natural spring water from their farm.  The Barrel Strength Bourbon comes from a high-rye mash bill and is bottled at 115 Proof without chill filtering. Retail price of around $65-70.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn.)

Color

Light Copper

Nose

Ethanol forward but with an underlying sweetness of black cherry cola, caramel, vanilla, and a hint of butterscotch

Palate

Wood varnish and allspice take the place of the sweetness of the nose. While spice forward touches of vanilla wave in and out of the palate.

Finish

Short and tannic with not as much going on as the nose and palate.  Spices take full control of the experience.

In closing

This Barrel Strength Bourbon was a little rough around the edges when I first poured it in the glass. However, after several minutes of rest the rough spots began to smooth out creating a much nicer experience. This makes me very curious as to what a few months in the opened bottle will do for this whiskey.  There are certainly things to be appreciated with this bourbon, but more time in the barrel will help immensely.