A few weeks ago, I received two bottles of whiskey from 13th Colony Distillery, located in Americus, Georgia. I had tasted their corn whiskey before, with Susan Riegler for the American Whiskey Tasting Notebook, and I liked that whiskey. Their Bourbon has a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley and aged for four to six years. Their rye has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley and is finished in French Oak barrels. Matt and I sat down and tasted these whiskeys the other day and here are our tasting notes.

13th Colony Bourbon Whiskey

Proof: 95

Age: No Age Statement, but their website states four to six years.

Nose:

  • Mike: Corn, vanilla, tobacco and oak wood.
  • Matt: Caramel, chocolate, cumin and oak wood.

Taste:

  • Mike: Corn, vanilla, nutmeg, cherry, leather and oak. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the cherry notes are enhanced and the spice becomes a white pepper spice. Tasted with a pecan and the vanilla becomes caramel and milk chocolate with black pepper spice.
  • Matt: Caramel, chocolate, raisins, chili pepper spice and oak wood. The dried cranberry made the caramel a rich, buttery caramel. The pecan made the chocolate come forward and enhanced the chili pepper spice.

Finish:

  • Mike: Medium long with oak and lingering vanilla sweetness. The dried cranberry added a peppery note to the finish. The pecan made the finish very dry with oak and lingering dark chocolate.
  • Matt: Medium long with oak and pepper. The dried cranberry added lingering chocolate notes to the finish. The pecan made the finish long and dry with oak and pepper spice.

13th Colony Rye Finished in French Oak Barrels

Proof: 95

Age: No Age Statement, but their website states four to six years.

Nose:

  • Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, apricots and peaches, baking spice and oak wood.
  • Matt: Vanilla, rhubarb, lemongrass, cedar and oak wood.

Taste:

  • Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, apricots, cinnamon and oak wood. The dried cranberry reduced the cinnamon spice and enhanced the vanilla and apricot. The pecan brought out citrus notes and changed the vanilla to a rich caramel. 
  • Matt: Vanilla, cherry, citrus, cinnamon, cardamom spice, and oak wood. The dried cranberry brought out notes of a vanilla latte, lemons and ginger spice. The pecan brought out flavors of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, with pecans and a cherry on top.

Finish:

  • Mike: Medium long with oak and cinnamon spice. The dried cranberry added a lingering vanilla note to the finish. The pecan made the finish very long with oak, citrus and cinnamon spice.
  • Matt: Medium long with oak, cedar and pepper spice. The dried cranberry added a lingering vanilla. The pecan made the finish long and dry with oak, pecan and lingering cherry.

I would pair these fine whiskeys with a cigar that has a lot of rich vanilla and tobacco notes in the smoke. I would reach for a Don Pepin Garcia cigar.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller