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I was recently asked to be hired by an author of historical fiction on her novel about a woman in the distilling industry of today and her great aunt who had worked in the distilling industry when Prohibition was enacted. It is an interesting work of fiction with solid history behind the story. She came to Louisville to visit me and consult on some facts and she and she brought me a bottle of Bourbon from a distillery in Atlanta, Old Fourth Distillery. I had not heard of this distillery or it’s Bourbon, but there was before me, a bottled-in-bond Bourbon to try. My guess is that it is a very regional brand at this point. It is a very good Bourbon and here are our notes.

Next we tasted one of the Barton 1792 Distillery’s newer products – the Thomas S. Moore Chardonnay Finished Bourbon. This is one of three finished whiskeys that have been released by Barton 1792 Distillery. I was assured that this was the one of the three that was less dominated by the finishing product’s flavor.

Old Fourth Distillery Bottled-in-Bond

Proof: 100

Age: 4 Years Old

Nose:

• Mike: Very sweet with caramel, citrus fruit, pecans and sweet oak wood.
• Matt: Honeysuckle flowers and citrus fruit with some pecan nuts and oak.

Taste:

• Mike: Caramel and citrus – maybe tangerine or orange zest, with a little floral white pepper spice, pecan nuts and sweet oak. Tasted with a dried cranberry causes the spice to be reduced but the citrus is enhanced and adds a little vanilla. Tasted with a pecan and dark chocolate notes come forward to join the party.
• Matt: Honey and caramel with some citrus fruit, leather and oak. The dried cranberry brought out notes of toasted corn, tangerine and caramel. The pecan added some cherry notes to the taste.

Finish:

• Mike: Long and dry with oak and spice with hints of chocolate and pecans. The dried cranberry shortened the finish and made it less dry with more chocolate. The pecan made the finish longer and spicier with the white pepper lingering into the finish.
• Matt: Medium long with leather and oak with a hint of chocolate. The dried cranberry added a little spice to the finish. The pecan made the finish longer and spicier.

Thomas S. Moore Chardonnay Finished Bourbon

Proof: 97.9

Age: No Age Statement

Nose: 

• Mike:  Wine heavy nose – raisins, dates, caramel, apples and pears.
• Matt: Chocolate, raisins and caramel.

Taste:

• Mike: Very wine forward – raisins, cherries and chocolate with some oak and a hint of black pepper spice. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the chocolate covered raisin flavor dominates the taste. Tasted with a pecan and it becomes a cherry Jolly Rancher candy with a little black pepper spice.
• Matt: A Raisinet candy with a little oak. The dried cranberry enhanced the chocolate. The pecan added a note of black pepper spice.

Finish:

• Mike: Short with chocolate and oak with some lingering notes of raisins. The dried cranberry made the finish very peppery. The pecan made the finish very strong in black pepper.
• Matt: Spicy – cayenne pepper with a hint of oak. The dried cranberry made the pepper more of a floral white pepper. The pecan made the finish strong in black pepper with a hint of oak.

I would pair these Bourbons with a flavorful cigar. I think they both have strong enough flavors to hold their own with the smoke. I would reach for a RoMa Craft Neanderthal cigar with its earthy flavors with a hint of chocolate in the smoke.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller