Rosemary and I recently visited the MB Roland Distillery in Christian County, Kentucky, and picked up this bottle of single barrel Bourbon. It is made in pot stills with a mash bill of 78% white corn, 17% rye and 5% malted barley. This single barrel expression of their Bourbon is bottled at barrel proof. Matt and I sat down and tasted it and here are our tasting notes.

MB Roland Single Barrel Bourbon

Proof: 113.8

Age: No Age Statement

Nose:

  • Mike: Corn, vanilla, baking spices with hint of berries and oak.
  • Matt: Buttered corn, caramel, cherries and oak wood.

Taste: 

  • Mike: Corn, vanilla, nutmeg, allspice, orange zest and blackberries with oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the vanilla and orange zest are enhanced and the spice becomes cinnamon and nutmeg. Tasted with a pecan and the vanilla becomes more of a caramel and the oak wood is enhanced.
  • Matt: Oak wood, caramel, and cotton candy. The dried cranberry enhanced the caramel. The pecan brought out notes of cocoa and nuts.

Finish:

  • Mike: Medium long with oak, spice and lingering orange zest. The dried cranberry added cinnamon to the finish. The pecan made the finish very long with oak and lingering caramel.
  • Matt: Long with lots of oak and tobacco. The dried cranberry reduced the oak and added a lingering caramel. The pecan made the finish very long and dry with oak and tobacco.

I would pair this Bourbon with a NUB Habano cigar. The rich tobacco and cedar spice in the smoke will pair well with the spices of the bourbon.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller