Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, Kentucky, comes out with a different version of their Whiskey Row Bourbon every year. The 2023 version is a marriage of their own distilled Bourbon with some sourced barrels from Indiana. I have always enjoyed their Whiskey Row brand and this latest expression is no exception. I picked up a bottle the other day when I was at the distillery and Matt and I sat down to taste it. Here are our tasting notes.
Whiskey Row Small Batch Flagship
Proof: 88
Age: No Age Statement
Nose:
- Mike: Vanilla, orange zest, apricots, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Vanilla, cotton candy, baking spices and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, apricots, cinnamon and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and it enhances the cinnamon and adds some nutmeg spice. Tasted with a pecan and the vanilla becomes a nice caramel with citrus and white pepper.
- Matt: Caramel and vanilla with raspberry, cinnamon and oak wood. The dried cranberry added a creamy vanilla note. The pecan added buttered toast and maple syrup notes to the flavor.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood and cinnamon spice. The dried cranberry added some lingering apricot fruit. The pecan made the finish longer with oak wood and white pepper.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and lingering vanilla. The dried cranberry made the finish spicy with oak and cinnamon. The pecan made the finish long with oak and lingering maple syrup.
I would pair this fine Bourbon with a Fuente Rothschild Maduro cigar. The rich tobacco, cedar spice and a hint of caramel in the smoke would pair well with fruit and spice notes of the Bourbon.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller