We like the O.H. Ingram Bourbons. The company was founded by Hank Ingram several years ago. They purchase barrels of whiskey and move them to a barge floating on the Ohio River in Columbus, Kentucky. There they age them where the motion of the river and the additional humidity play a role in the aging process, similar to what Jefferson’s Reserve is doing with their Ocean Brands, but without the salt air. O.H. Ingram’s goal is to mimic the effects of shipping the whiskey down the rivers to New Orleans in the 19th century. They sent me a sample bottle of this six year old Bourbon a few months back and Matt and I really liked it. It was in the running for our Whiskey of the Month, but lost out to Michter’s Bomberger’s Declaration and I am just now publishing our review. Here are our tasting notes.
O.H. Ingram River Aged Six Year Old Bourbon
Proof: 117.7
Age: Six Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Vanilla, pears, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Caramel, cherries, coffee beans, brown sugar and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, pears, raspberries, allspice and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the wild berries come forward with blackberries, and raspberries with cinnamon and nutmeg spice and oak wood. Tasted with a pecan and caramel, apples, and cinnamon red hot candy and come out in the flavor.
- Matt: Caramel, cherries, coffee beans, cardamom and oak wood. The dried cranberry brought out notes of cinnamon. The pecan brought out ripe apples.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood and allspice. The dried cranberry made the finish longer with oak wood, wild berries and cinnamon. The pecan made the finish long and spicy with lots of cinnamon spice.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and cardamom spice. The dried cranberry added a note of coffee to the finish. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood, coffee and lingering caramel.
I would pair this Bourbon with a cigar that has fruit notes in the smoke. I would reach for Don Pepin Garcia Original cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller