Rosemary and I first tasted this wheat recipe Bourbon at the Art Eatables tasting room in Louisville. Kelly Ramsey was talking about how good it was and at an affordable price, so we tried it. We agreed with Kelly and bought a bottle from the Art Eatables bottle shop.
The Casey Jones Distillery is located in Western Kentucky, near the “Golden Pond” region of Kentucky. During Prohibition, the region was known for their fine moonshine. I have heard that during Prohibition, moonshiners were stealing aged whiskey from an established distillery in the area by emptying barrels into milk cans and replacing the whiskey with moonshine. They would sell the aged whiskey mixed with their moonshine and it became known as “Golden Pond Milk”. Casey Jones was the distiller of much of this moonshine. It was a premium product that fetched as much as $20 a gallon and Al Capone was a steady customer. Casey Jones made stills for many years after the repeal of Prohibition and made his last still in 1967. This moonshining heritage inspired his grandson, Arlon Casey Jones to get into the Bourbon business about seven years ago.
This Bourbon is billed as a four grain Bourbon with a mash bill of 26.5% Bloody Butcher corn, 26.5% Yellow Dent corn, 35% wheat, and 12% malted barley. It is aged for four years in Kelvin Cooperage barrels with a number four char level. Matt and I sat down and tasted this Bourbon and here are our tasting notes.
Casey Jones Four Grain Bourbon
Proof: 95
Age: Four Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: A simple nose of vanilla, oak and a hint of spice.
- Matt: Brown sugar, maple, pepper and oak.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, apples, nutmeg and oak wood, Tasted with a dried cranberry and honey notes come forward. Tasted with a pecan and cinnamon joins the nutmeg and the apple is enhanced.
- Matt: Cereal grains, caramel, maple and oak wood. The dried cranberry brought out notes of blueberry jam. The pecan made it taste of blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and a touch of black pepper.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak and nutmeg. The dried cranberry added some lingering vanilla to the finish. The pecan made the finish long with oak and cinnamon.
- Matt: Medium long with oak and maple syrup. The cranberry enhanced the sweetness of the maple syrup. The pecan added some black pepper to the finish.
I would pair this Bourbon with a RomaCraft Neanderthal cigar. The rich vanilla and tobacco notes of the smoke would complement the sweetness of the Bourbon.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller