This Bourbon is bottled by Leiper’s Fork Distillery and honors the 250th year of our military. I say bottled and not distilled as they purchased some barrels for this commemorative bottling. They are a small distillery and they don’t have a lot of their own whiskey to spare for a special bottling, so they used Bourbon distilled elsewhere in the bottle. However, Lee Kennedy has an excellent palate and has bottled some very good Bourbon here. Matt picked up a bottle when he visited the distillery the other day and we sat down to taste it. Here are our tasting notes.
Leiper’s Fork Freedom & Whiskey
Proof: 100
Age: Six Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Vanilla, apples, tobacco, pepper and oak wood.
- Matt: Caramel, a hint of chocolate, pears, almonds and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, apples, tobacco, black pepper and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the apple and pepper are enhanced. Tasted with a pecan and caramel and cinnamon come forward.
- Matt: Caramel, peanut butter, cherries, ginger and oak wood. The dried cranberry added a note of cola. The pecan added a note of chocolate.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood, tobacco and black pepper. The dried cranberry made the finish longer and more peppery. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, caramel and cinnamon.
- Matt: Medium long with oak and ginger. The dried cranberry made the finish longer. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood and cinnamon.
I would pair this Bourbon with a cigar that has vanilla and rich tobacco in the smoke. I would reach for a Rocky Patel Special Reserve Sun Grown Maduro cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller