I am not a big fan of mesquite in my Bourbon, so I have taken a long time to pick up a bottle of this whiskey. I was turned off to mesquite Bourbon back in the early 2000s when I tasted a mesquite finished Bourbon, I believe it was called Thetford or something like that. I have worked hard to forget that drink that tasted like someone had put a cigarette out in the glass. However, the Longbranch is an okay drink with just a hint of mesquite in the flavor. It is Wild Turkey Bourbon finished with oak and mesquite. Matt and I sat down to taste it the other day and here are our tasting notes.
Wild Turkey Longbranch
Proof: 86
Age: No Age Statement
Nose:
- Mike: Vanilla, pears, leather oak and mesquite smoke.
- Matt: Vanilla, confectioner sugar, prunes, hazelnuts and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, pears, leather pepper, oak and mesquite smoke. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the sweetness washes out most of the flavor leaving just vanilla and oak wood. Tasted with a pecan and lemon zest comes out and the pepper is enhanced.
- Matt: Vanilla, burnt peanut, dates, cardamom and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the vanilla. The pecan brought out tobacco and white pepper.
Finish:
- Mike: Long with oak wood, vanilla and lingering mesquite smoke. The dried cranberry made the finish short with oak and vanilla. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, pepper and lemon zest.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and tobacco. The dried cranberry made the finish short with oak and cardamom. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood and white pepper.
I would pair this Bourbon with a cigar that has lots of vanilla and tobacco notes in the smoke. I would reach for a NUB Maduro cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller