Tasting Notes: Chicken Cock Bourbon

This post sponsored by the Glencairn Whisky Glass

Chicken Cock Bourbon is a brand that has been revived in the past few years. The brand dates from before Prohibition and was listed in the Mida’s Criteria Registration of Trademarks book by the G.G. White who purchased the J. A. Miller Distillery of Paris, Ky. in 1860. It had an excellent reputation in the 19^th century as a fine Bourbon. According to the book Kentucky’s Distilling Interest, printed in 1893, The brand was created by J.A. Miller in 1848 who made it until his death in 1860. The brand died out during Prohibition and has only recently returned to the market.

This Bourbon is a rectified whiskey in that the owners of the brand are purchasing bulk whiskey to put in the bottle. They have done a decent job of finding good whiskey and the bottle price reflects that fact. It is not an inexpensive whiskey. There are a lot of barrels still in the bulk market, but not many that are 8 years old. Often, if you find a group of barrels that old in the bulk market, it means it was not top notch whiskey because if it was the distilleries would be putting it in their established brands. The owners of these barrels must have charged a premium price and that is reflected in the cost of the Bourbon.

Chicken Cock Bourbon (Single Barrel, Barrel 28, Bottler 20)

Proof: 90

Age: 8 Years Old

Nose: Strawberry cotton candy with a little oak and leather. The sweetness overpowers most other aromas.

Taste: Thin mouth feel. Lots of vanilla, a little berry fruit with some oak and a hint of white pepper spice. Tasted with a dried cranberry really brings out the vanilla and strawberry fruit. Tasted with a pecan and caramel comes forward with lots of oak but not much spice.

Finish: Long, dry and peppery. The cranberry made the finish shorter and sweeter. The pecan enhanced the oak and reduced the pepper.

Today I am pairing this with an Arturo Fuente “Curly Head” cigar. I find the smoke rich in tobacco with a hint of coffee and cedar spiciness. The Bourbon made the smoke a little sweeter with some vanilla notes while the smoke brought out a little citrus with the berries like a custard tart. Very nice pairing.