Augusta Buckner’s 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Review (HAZMAT)

Augusta Buckner’s
13-Year
Single Barrel
Cask Strength
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
141.1 Proof 🔥 HAZMAT
SRP: $230
Review by Ray Marcano

Please enjoy our Augusta Buckner’s 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Review by Ray Marcano!

Short take: This is a Jerry Lee Lewis bourbon because goodness gracious, it’s a great ball of fire (in a good way).

History

The Augusta Distillery launched in 2018, so it’s relatively young. It started as a bottler but broke ground on a $23 million facility in Augusta, KY, on the banks of the Ohio River. The company gets its product from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery, but now distills its own product on-site.

Mash bill: N/A

Tasting Notes – Augusta Buckner’s 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn glass

👉🏻 Nose: Maple, caramel, vanilla, crisp apple, oak
👉🏻 Taste: Maple, cream, vanilla, orange zest, caramel
👉🏻 Finish: Maple, cinnamon, cardamom, oak, pepper

Summary – Augusta Buckner’s 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Review

Bourbon lore claims a group of enthusiasts coined the term HAZMAT to denote any whiskey over 140 proof because it’s so dangerous the FAA won’t let you fly with it. Seems alcohol that strong is classified as a hazardous material. Really. In other words, we drink a beverage that’s so potent the federal government thinks it could explode and take down a passenger jet. Nice.

Of course, that’s led to a boom (no pun intended) in the ultra-high proof market. These are bourbons not for the faint of heart. My friend, Larry, would likely need a gallon of ice just to consume a thimbleful.

But for something as powerful as John Wick tearing up bad guys, Augusta Buckner’s 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon is fairly smooth neat. That’s how I had my first taste, and it takes a minute to get through. It’s as thick as honey straight from the bees, with a pronounced maple dominating the nose, taste, and finish. The secondary flavors bring a smooth and light texture that softens the pour.

Add a little ice, and the flavors don’t pop, they explode (there I go again). Now, when I say little, for me, that means the smallest ice cube I can find. A drop or two of water would have the same impact. The whiskey transforms into a deep, rich delight that coats the mouth like good gelato. I took a sip and didn’t take another for 17 minutes (I timed it) because the complexity danced with the grace and power of a ballerina performing Swan Lake.

Conclusion

I was lucky. An acquaintance came across a few bottles of Augusta Buckner’s 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon and sold them at MSRP. I got one and my friend Bob another. It’s worth every penny. In today’s bourbon market, even with the downturn, $300 is becoming the top point for exceptional bourbon, like the Russell’s Reserve Rickhouse, Russell’s 15-Year, or the Barrell Craft Spirits 15. I’m going to buy a second bottle since, as of this writing, the Augusta Buckner’s Limited Edition 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength bourbon was available on the website for about $270, including taxes and shipping.

Understanding that’s a steep price for many, do this instead of buying a bottle for yourself. Find a group of friends and split the cost of the bottle. Have a great steak with it. You’ll talk about this for years.

Have you tried the Augusta Buckner’s Limited Edition 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength bourbon? What do you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our Augusta Buckner’s 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Review by Ray Marcano! Ray publishes a free monthly newsletter, The Bourbon Resource. You can subscribe here.

Would you like to read about other HAZMAT whiskeys? Check out these other reviews: Jack Daniel’s Tanyard Hill Rye Review, Copper & Cask 20 Year Hazmat Cigar Blend Whiskey Review and World Whiskey Society Wyatt Earp Hazmat 13 Year Whiskey Review.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!