Jeptha Creed Distillery has been around for over four years now. Joyce Nethery, the Master Distiller and owner of the distillery, has always said that she wanted to release a bonded Bourbon. That day has arrived. This is a traditional mash bill with 75% Bloody Butcher corn raised on the family farm, 20% rye and 5% malted barley. It is to be released for sale on line in KY, ND, AK, and D.C. and in select stores in KY and IN on November 11. It will be available in select stores in IL, TN, and MO in March 2022.
I was sent a small sample to taste and review with Matt. We enjoyed it. I had the privilege of tasting this when it was two years old and really liked what I tasted. It has only improved with age. Joyce Nethery is a talented distiller with an interesting mash bill. Here are the tasting notes from the sample.
Jeptha Creed Traditional Mash Bill Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Proof: 100
Age: Four Year Old
Nose:
- Mike: Caramel and cherries with a little rye grassiness, a hint of baking spices and sweet oak wood.
- Matt: Corn with rye grassy notes, caramel, coriander and sweet oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Caramel, cherries, nutmeg and allspice with sweet oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the taste becomes more French vanilla than caramel and the baking spices are enhanced in flavor. Tasted with a pecan and the spice is reduced and notes of chocolate covered cherries come forward.
- Matt: Caramel and buttered toffee dominate the flavor with a little nutmeg spice and sweet oak. The dried cranberry brings our notes of mint, vanilla and cherries. The pecan adds notes of chocolate Andes mints and nuttiness to the wood notes.
Finish:
- Mike: Short to medium in length, but packed with sweet oak and baking spices. The dried cranberry adds a note of mint to the finish. The pecan has oak and spice with lingering notes of dark chocolate.
- Matt: Medium long with notes of sweet oak wood and cayenne pepper spice. The dried cranberry shortened the finish and made the spice more of an allspice and ginger with sweet oak wood. The pecan gave the finish lots of chocolate and mint with just a hint of sweet oak wood.
I would pair this Bourbon with a Padron 1926 Serie with a Maduro wrapper. The cedar spice and rich caramel and vanilla notes in the smoke would pair well with caramel and spice of the Bourbon.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller and Maggie Kimberl