Union Horse Distilling Co. Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey

A little background

Union Horse Distilling Co. Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey is produced by the artisanal Union Horse Distilling company located in Kansas City, MO. Locally sourced ingredients are processed in-house to make a sour mash recipe of corn and rye that will be distilled in a copper pot still. This spirit is barreled at 110 proof and ages up to five years in new Missouri oak barrels. Union Horse’s artisan carefully select each barrel and blend them to their ideal taste. Each bottle is hand labeled. Union Horse Distilling Co. Reserve is bottled at 92 proof and can be purchased for $44.99.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Amber

Nose

The nose was astringent with subtle hints of caramel, butterscotch, maple, and burnt char.

Palate

The first sip was astringent and punchy with a faint taste of tree nuts. The second sip had the same astringency, however, some char and smoke notes shone through. The third sip had faint notes of butterscotch and tree nuts. After 10 minutes, the next sip revealed vanilla, cinnamon, and faint barrel char.

Finish

The finish was medium and improved with time. This bourbon drank higher than 92 proof. I found it necessary to let this bourbon sit and open up in order to get many tasting notes to come through.

In conclusion

Union Horse Distilling Co. Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey leaves something to be desired. The nose was astringent and took some time to open up only to reveal faint nutty and butterscotch notes. The finish wasn’t anything to write home about, but did have some enjoyable aspects to it. Again, it took some time for this bourbon to open up and for the flavors to become evident. It’s clear that Union Horse Distilling Co. is producing some high quality distillate. However, when it comes to their Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey, some additional time in the barrel would do it well.

Note: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Union Horse Distilling Co. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review this bourbon!