Southern Star Paragon Bourbon Review

Southern Star
Paragon
Cask Strength Single Barrel Wheated
Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Fletcher Select Barrel #107
Southern Distilling Company
Statesville, NC
114 Proof
Presumed to be at least 4 years
MSRP: $69.99 (at NC ABC Store)
Review

Please enjoy my Southern Star Paragon Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon Review!

Who is the Southern Distilling Company

The Southern Distilling Company is a fairly large contract distiller, but they also produce their own line of whiskeys under the Southern Star label. In addition, under the Southern Star label is the Paragon series of wheated bourbons. There’s a 92 proof version, a Bottled-In-Bond and a Cask Strength Single Barrel. It is the latter that I am reviewing today.

A North Carolina ABC Store Pick

This bottle was purchased at a North Carolina ABC store outside of Asheville thanks to the recommendation of one the employees. It bears no age statement, so is presumably at least 4 years old. The mash bill is: 70% corn, 16% wheat & 14% malted barley.

Tasting Notes – Southern Star Paragon Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon

Let’s taste it:

🛌 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉Nose: Apricot leather candy, burnt caramel, black cherry soda, vanilla & milk chocolate; noticeable alcohol
👉Taste: Caramel and light honey sweetness; the sweet dried apricot candy continues…
👉Finish: …into the long finish. Some char and spice develop. There’s a bit of an herbaceous earthiness, too. Noticeable burn with a long, warm, North Carolina hug!

Summary

In my experience, wheated bourbons really develop rich full flavors at higher proofs, and Southern Star Paragon Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon is no exception. Probably because I needed to get acclimated to the higher proof, its flavor, in both the taste and the nose, changed over the course of multiple sips. By the second or third sip, the sweet dried apricot leather candy flavor is omnipresent. There are some of the classic bourbon flavors in there as well, but also a creaminess and a bit of milk chocolate. The herbaceous earthy flavors that I get later on and in the finish are a bit of a surprise, but a nice contrast to the earlier flavors.

Conclusion

It always surprises me how variable the flavors can be from wheated bourbons. I do like this one very much. However, it is a single barrel, so your results may vary. Hopefully there will always be some similar flavors to this one in the other barrels. Have you had any of the Southern Star Bourbons? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

I hope you have enjoyed my Southern Star Paragon Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon Review! Would you like to see a short video about the Southern Distilling Company? Check out our Virtual Video Tour of Southern Distilling Company! Also, read our Southern Star American Single Malt Whiskey Review!

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