This Bourbon is made at the MB Roland Distillery in Pembroke, Christian County, Kentucky. I have always liked the whiskeys that come from this distillery and when I saw this bottle at Westport Whiskey & Wine the other day, I had to make the purchase. I am glad I did.
MB Roland is very open as to what is in their bottles. The label has the mash bill of 78% white corn, 17% rye and 5% malted barley. The barrel is a new oak barrel with a number four char. The batch number is 81. It has a two year old age statement, but I suspect that there is older whiskey in the bottle as well as two year old Bourbon. It has a very nice amber color and simply tastes older than two years old. The whiskey is uncut and unfiltered.
MB Roland Still and Barrel Proof Bourbon
Proof: 108.8
Age: Two Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Corn, vanilla, ripe pears, a floral with pepper and sweet oak wood.
- Matt: Corn, lemon zest, buttered pecans and sweet oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Corn, vanilla, ripe pears with a squeeze of lemon juice, white pepper and sweet oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and it brings out notes of raspberries, blackberries and lemon zest. Tasted with a pecan and the vanilla and spice notes are enhanced.
- Matt: Corn and caramel with notes of lemon Evian water and sweet oak wood. The dried cranberry and the lemon becomes tart. Tasted with a pecan and the caramel and lemon are joined by some white pepper notes.
Finish:
- Mike: Long with sweet oak wood, pepper spice and lingering notes of lemon zest. The dried cranberry made the finish longer with more pepper spice. The pecan added a lingering note of vanilla to the finish.
- Matt: Long with smoky oak char and citrus notes. The dried cranberry added notes of white pepper to the finish. The pecan made the finish long with oak, citrus and caramel – like a caramel candy.
I would pair this fine Bourbon with a cigar that has cedar spice and vanilla in the smoke. I would reach for Fuente Short Story cigar.
