Forged Oak
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co.
15 year
90.5 proof
.
Nose: Leather, maple syrup, and caramel, some chocolate and oak; a little musty but sweet, and a bit of alcohol makes itself known
.
Taste: chocolate, caramel, oak, and a bit of barrel char
.
Finish: continues with chocolate, oak, black pepper and sweetness, which then turns dry, and the barrel char returns. Moderate burn, moderately long lasting.
.
This one is a bit of an enigma, but the folks at Diageo and Orphan Barrel are not known for being particularly transparent. It is on the older side, and those characteristics are definitely there, although the oak is surprisingly light for the age. In fact everything is a bit light, but that is probably a reflection of the relatively low, 90.5 proof. It’s an OK bourbon, or maybe more of a “meh” bourbon, and it just seems a bit lacking for its age and alleged pedigree of being from “the racks of barrels in the historic Stitzel-Weller rickhouse”. Although that statement is a bit vague and open ended….Orphan Barrel doesn’t say that this is actually a Stitzel-Weller bourbon. Many sources suggest that it was actually distilled at the New Bernheim Distillery and aged at Stitzel-Weller. The folks at Orphan Barrel always leave you guessing…🤔
Cheers! 🥃
15 year
90.5 proof
.
Nose: Leather, maple syrup, and caramel, some chocolate and oak; a little musty but sweet, and a bit of alcohol makes itself known
.
Taste: chocolate, caramel, oak, and a bit of barrel char
.
Finish: continues with chocolate, oak, black pepper and sweetness, which then turns dry, and the barrel char returns. Moderate burn, moderately long lasting.
.
This one is a bit of an enigma, but the folks at Diageo and Orphan Barrel are not known for being particularly transparent. It is on the older side, and those characteristics are definitely there, although the oak is surprisingly light for the age. In fact everything is a bit light, but that is probably a reflection of the relatively low, 90.5 proof. It’s an OK bourbon, or maybe more of a “meh” bourbon, and it just seems a bit lacking for its age and alleged pedigree of being from “the racks of barrels in the historic Stitzel-Weller rickhouse”. Although that statement is a bit vague and open ended….Orphan Barrel doesn’t say that this is actually a Stitzel-Weller bourbon. Many sources suggest that it was actually distilled at the New Bernheim Distillery and aged at Stitzel-Weller. The folks at Orphan Barrel always leave you guessing…🤔
Cheers! 🥃
