Blackback Bourbon is a product of the Silverback Distillery in Afton, Virginia. The distillery was founded by Christine Riggleman with the support of her husband Denver in 2014. I met Christine Riggleman at the first New Orleans Bourbon Festival and was impressed with her Bourbon back then. I gave her my “barrel entry proof” talk and she listened. She, as Master Distiller of the company, has been lowering her barrel entry proof from 118, when I gave her my spiel, to now a 105 barrel entry proof. She believes, as I do, that lower barrel entry proof gives Bourbon a better taste at a younger age. I picked up a bottle of her Bourbon while at this year’s festival and Matt and I sat down to taste it. Here are our tasting notes.
Blackback Straight Bourbon
Proof: 86
Age: Two Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Corn, vanilla, cardamom and oak wood.
- Matt: Buttered corn, honey and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Corn, vanilla, lemon zest, cardamom and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the oak and cardamom are enhanced. Tasted with a pecan the vanilla becomes a rich, French vanilla with lemon zest.
- Matt: Corn, grapefruit, red pepper flakes and oak wood. The dried cranberry added wild berry flavor to the taste. The pecan brought caramel and buttered corn.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood, vanilla and cardamom spice. The dried cranberry enhanced the oak wood in the finish. The pecan made the finish longer with oak and cardamom.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood, lemon zest, grapefruit and red pepper flakes. The dried cranberry added buttered corn to the finish. The pecan made the finish longer with oak and lemon.
I would pair this Bourbon with a cigar that has lots of vanilla and cedar spice in the smoke. I would reach for a Nub Connecticut wrapper cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller