By Richard Thomas
Ranking: B
Black Button Port-Completed Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon
(Credit score: Black Button)
Of the 2 single barrel reserves made by Rochester’s Black Button Distilling, my impression is that their Port Barrel-finish is best recognized than the Apple Brandy completed bourbon I took up a couple of weeks in the past. The pedigree is sort of related: Black Button made it with their 4 grain mash invoice, and aged it for considerably greater than two years earlier than placing it within the ending barrel for secondary maturation. The distinction is that it reportedly spent three years in a Port cask. It’s additionally a cask power whiskey, popping out at 118 proof.
The Bourbon
This Black Button bourbon takes a deep, darkish and really reddened amber tone within the glass. Since I used to be attempting this out in the summertime (and it was 98F exterior that day, no much less), I put a splash of water in by default.
The nostril tells you what you want to learn about this whiskey: it’s a nuke amongst Port bombs. The sweetness is black grapes and raisins; the woody facet is leathery. There’s a vanilla word there, with a present of pumpernickel model rye spiciness, nevertheless it’s the Port cask that actually sings right here. It’s akin to what Kavalan does to cowl for his or her (tropically pushed, essentially quick) growing older interval: don’t simply lean into, however lead with the cask flavors.
The vanilla comes extra ahead on the palate, and the spices and wooden flip into one another and merge right into a potent present of sandalwood. The end runs dry and continues within the sandalwood vein.
The Value
This merchandise is $150 a bottle.
