This post sponsored by the Glencairn Whisky Glass

Calumet Farm is a very well respected farm for breeding race horses. They have bred several Kentucky Derby winners over the years and have name recognition throughout the United States and the world. Horse racing and Bourbon go hand-in-hand in Kentucky and it was only a matter of time before someone decided to name a Bourbon for this farm. 

This Calumet Bourbon is a small batch whiskey and all 19 barrels used in bottling the brand came from the same barrel rack in the warehouse. Where that warehouse is located is not revealed, but the label does say does say that it is a Kentucky Bourbon. It is not labelled straight. I am not sure why it is not labelled straight because to add anything other than water to the whiskey means it would not be Bourbon and the whiskey is over two years old. 

Calumet Farm Single Rack Black Bourbon

Proof: 92

Age: 10 Years Old

Nose: Caramel with a hint of fruit – pears and ripe apples, with some oak and a hint of baking spices.

Taste: Caramel and corn, pepper spice with oak and a little of the apples and pears. Tasted with a cranberry and there is less pepper, more vanilla rather than caramel and lots of pear. Tasted with a pecan and the oak comes forward and the fruit takes on a hint of lemon zest.

Finish: Medium long with oak tannins and pepper spice. The cranberry made the finish shorter, sweeter and removed the pepper spice. The pecan enhanced the oak tannins and made it very dry.

I have paired this Bourbon with a Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial cigar. I find the smoke to be a rich tobacco with some caramel sweetness balanced by a little barnyard and cedar spice. The Bourbon enhanced the hay and barnyard notes of the smoke while the smoke brought out a French vanilla coffee note in the Bourbon. A very nice pairing.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller