Boone County Single Barrel Wheated Bourbon Cask Strength

According to Boone County Distilling Company, they came across these barrels in 2015 and purchased 66 of them. This bourbon is now 6 1/2 years old when bottled. It has an unusual mashbill, being 45% wheat, 51% corn and 4% malted barley. In little tiny letters on the label it says “Distilled in Indiana”, so we will assume that means it was distilled by MGP (aka Midwest Grain Products or MGP Ingredients, Inc).

A cask strength version was released only at the distillery and may also go to a very limited number of retailers. The rest will be proofed down to 108.8 and be available at select retailers. My bottle was purchased at the distillery and is 120.4 proof (60.2 ABV). They will all be released as single barrels. The barrels are all #4 char, and the bourbon is non-chill filtered.

TASTING NOTES

TASTED neat in a Glencairn on 2 occasions: when I first opened the bottle, and then again a week later

Nose: Sweet, sweet fruits, like dates, figs & black cherries, caramel, baking spices, hints of mint, anise & leather, and some alcohol burn.
Taste: Medium body. Sweet, graham cracker, black cherries, hint of chocolate.
Finish: Long. Sweetness, graham cracker, black cherries and chocolate linger, with moderate alcohol burn and a bit of a Kentucky Hug. Later the finish becomes dry with a touch of barrel char.

When the bottle was first opened and first poured, the alcohol was noticeable throughout, although this mellowed after sitting for 10-15 minutes, and even more when tasted a week later. The complex flavors in the nose shine through, and with time the alcohol becomes a little more subdued, and the flavors emerge in the taste and finish. A small amount of water smooths it out a bit more, and the flavors remain. Therefore this bourbon should not suffer from being reduced to 108.8 proof. I enjoyed this bourbon. Like many cask strength bourbons, this one will probably continue to develop as the bottle has been open for a few weeks or months. Since these are all single barrels, there will likely be some variation from barrel to barrel, so your results may vary. Cheers!🥃

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