Ampersand Opimus Review

Ampersand Opimus
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in Tokaji Casks
15-Years-Old
117 Proof
SRP: $150 Review

Please enjoy our Ampersand Opimus Review!

Ampersand Opimus Review

In November 2025, Foley Family Wines & Spirits announced the launch of Ampersand, a collection of small batch spirits crafted by Chip Tate, who joined the company as Master Distiller for Innovation in January 2024. The Ampersand lineup includes three expressions—Malus, Vinea, and Opimus—each built around the concept of combining complementary spirits and barrel influences.

Ampersand Opimus (Latin for “rich” or “abundant”) is a 15-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished for nine months in Tokaji wine casks from northeastern Hungary. Bottled at 117 proof and released in limited quantities, Opimus represents the most mature expression in the initial lineup.

Details – Ampersand Opimus Review

• Brand: Ampersand
• Expression: Opimus
• Type: 15-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Tokaji Wine Casks
• Mash Bill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
• ABV: 58.4%
• Proof: 117
• Aged: 15 years; finished 9 months in Tokaji casks
• SRP: $150 (750 mL)

Tasting Notes – Ampersand Opimus Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn

🎨 Color: Dark amber – the deep color is quite inviting

👉🏻 Nose: Full, rich, and mildly sweet; red wine character at first with dark stone fruits, like dark plums; apricot leather candy, caramel, and a subtle dusty note; mild tart orange citrus; alcohol vapor is appropriate for the proof; hints of sweet milk chocolate appeared after a few sips
👉🏻 Taste: Moderately sweet; tannins; dark stone fruits like cherries and plums; tart citrus; sweet dried apricots; dark caramel
👉🏻 Finish: Moderate black pepper spice; moderate tannins; increasingly dry; subtle orange citrus later on with mild char and sweet oak; lingering stone fruits and dried apricots; long; lasting deep warmth with mild sweetness, spice, and fruit lasting for quite some time

Summary

The nose of Ampersand Opimus opens with red wine notes and a range of dark stone fruits, particularly plums. Apricot leather candy—only a fruit in the broadest sense—is quite noticeable as well. The tannins on the palate took me a bit by surprise at first, but they are balanced by the variety of fruit flavors, moderate almost syrupy sweetness, and caramel.

The finish brings a moderate degree of black pepper spice and becomes increasingly dry with mild barrel char later on, which is not surprising given the age and proof. However, many of the earlier flavors linger on as well.

Overall, Ampersand Opimus is quite the complex and enjoyable bourbon. The flavors are layered and vary from sip to sip. In fact, it takes a few sips to fully appreciate many of them. The palate initially showed noticeable tannins, but after a few sips it became sweeter and revealed additional flavors. The apricot leather candy note may be a product of the Tokaji finishing, as apricot is a flavor often associated with Tokaji. Although Tokaji is a sweet white wine, it likely contributes to the red wine-like character and dark stone fruit notes that I am finding, as well.

Tokaji Influence and Layered Fruit and Spice

If I have ever had Tokaji wine, I do not have a strong recollection of its flavor profile, beyond what I have read. So, I did not go in with preconceived notions regarding what flavors it would bring. Nonetheless, I was a little skeptical of finishing a 15 year old bourbon (rumored to be “Buff-Turkey”) in sweet wine barrels. However, the combination works, creating quite the delicious flavor profile.

If you enjoy a complex, layered bourbon that balances sweetness and spice, dark stone fruits, dried apricots and citrus, Ampersand Opimus is one you will want to try! Have you tried the Ampersand Opimus? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our Ampersand Opimus Review! Next, read our review about another whiskey in this series in our Ampersand Malus Review and about another new whiskey from Chip Tate in our Gambit No. 6 Review.

Note: This sample was graciously provided by the Brand for my review. I appreciate it!

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