Wildcask Bourbon was created by the students of the James B. Beam Institute at the University of Kentucky. The students of the Institute learn how to make and market Bourbon under the leadership of Herb Henenan, an industry veteran with many years of experience. The students came up with the brand name, designed the label and got it approved. They took an eight year old traditional Bourbon with 13% rye from the Fred Noe Distillery, a five year old 20% wheat Bourbon from Bardstown Bourbon Company and 4.5 year old 39% wheat Bourbon from Bardstown Bourbon Company and married them together and bottled them at 100 proof. The profits from the sales all go to the James B. Beam Institute scholarship fund. It is a worthy cause to support and you get a very good Bourbon for your donation. I recently picked up a bottle and Matt and I sat down and tasted it. Here are our tasting notes.
Wildcask Bourbon 2025 Limited Release
Proof: 100
Age: Four Years, Six Months
Nose:
- Mike: Marshmallows, corn, apricots, pepper and oak wood.
- Matt: Vanilla, cotton candy, wild berries and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Caramel, marshmallows, apricots, white pepper and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and apple and cinnamon come out in the flavor. Tasted with a pecan and a nutmeg spice comes forward to join the party.
- Matt: Vanilla wafer cookies, raspberries, cotton candy and oak wood. The dried cranberry added a note of maple syrup. The pecan made the vanilla a rich caramel and added a note of coffee.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak and white pepper. The dried cranberry made the pepper spice a cinnamon spice. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, cinnamon and a hint of orange zest.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and tart raspberries. The dried cranberry added maple syrup to the finish. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, coffee and maple syrup.
I would pair this Bourbon with a cigar that has lots of vanilla and dried fruit in the smoke. I would reach for an Oliva Connecticut Reserve cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller and Mike Veach