True Story Whiskeys are the newest products from Wes Henderson and his sons. Wes is best known as founding, with his father Lincoln Henderson, Angel’s Envy Bourbon and Rye finished whiskeys. He sold that brand and distillery to Bacardi and has started a new company finishing sourced whiskey. True Story Whiskeys are in hexagonal shaped bottles with a matte finish that does not let you see the whiskey in the bottle. The Bourbon is in a black bottle and is a five to six year old bourbon finished in White Muscatel barrels. The rye whiskey is in a white bottle and is aged for five to eight years before being finished in Amburana and Oloroso Sherry barrels. I picked up a couple of bottles the other day and Matt and I sat down to taste them. Here are our tasting notes.
True Story Bourbon Finished in White Muscatel Barrels
Proof: 90
Age: No Age Statement
Nose:
- Mike: Caramel, raisins, a hint of oak. It has a very light nose.
- Matt: Caramel, marshmallows, raisins and a hint of oak.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, raisins, allspice and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the raisin comes forward and the spice and oak step back. Tasted with a pecan and the vanilla is enhanced and the allspice takes on a bit more cinnamon.
- Matt: Caramel, raisins, marshmallow and oak wood. The dried cranberry brought out a little mint flavor to join the party. The pecan brought out notes of milk chocolate and peanuts.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak, vanilla and a lingering hint of raisins. The dried cranberry made the finish shorter and sweeter with a lot of raisin flavor. The pecan made the finish longer with lots of oak wood and allspice.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and caramel. The dried cranberry added some mint to the finish. The pecan added milk chocolate and peanuts to the finish.
True Story Rye Finished in Amburana and Oloroso Sherry Barrels
Proof: 100
Age: No Age Statement
Nose:
- Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, apples, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Creamy vanilla, chai spices, lavender, cinnamon and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, apples, cardamom and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the rye grass and apple notes and reduced the oak wood. The pecan made the spice a floral white pepper.
- Matt: Rye grass, vanilla, lemon zest, cinnamon and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the rye grass and the lemon zest. The pecan enhanced the cinnamon and added a little nutmeg spice.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood, cardamom and lingering apple. The dried cranberry made the finish mostly rye grass and apples with a hint of oak wood. The pecan made the finish longer with oak wood, white pepper and lingering apple.
- Matt: Medium long with oak and cinnamon. The dried cranberry made the finish shorter with less oak and more cinnamon. The pecan made the finish longer with oak and nutmeg.
I would pair these whiskeys with a cigar that is full of vanilla and cedar spice in the smoke. I would reach for a Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller