Mary Dowling Tequila Barrel Finished Bourbon Review
This feather-light whiskey is a malt drinker’s bourbon, which, based on conversations I’ve had with Zamanian, who is a Scotch lover, may well be what he was after.
This feather-light whiskey is a malt drinker’s bourbon, which, based on conversations I’ve had with Zamanian, who is a Scotch lover, may well be what he was after.
But that’s not as fun as pointing to that classic nose of bubble gum, dried flowers and fruit pastries. The barrel has a say, of course, introducing spice and tannin sotto voce, while letting tropical fruit and bruleed sugar speak a bit louder.
If you’re a lower-proof, softer whiskey fan, this is made for you. It’s a cozy drink, a warming dram that will leave you cheerful and summoning someone to bring the bottle for more.
The nose is brooding and dark with a crispy foundation of chocolaty barrel char slathered in notes of dark berry jam, orange marmalade, and overcooked caramel. It’s one of the more intense Wild Turkey noses I’ve experienced.
Like those whiskeys, this is expressive and well-spiced. The nose shows more barrel notes than the wheated release, with plenty of oak and clove, but there’s a thick layer of caramel sauce and gooey apple pie underneath that makes for a silky, sweet aroma.
The aroma is initially a bit gritty and grain-forward, with lots of roasted cereal and creamed corn upfront. With time to unwind, silkier notes of butterscotch, vanilla pudding, and peanut butter arrive, but there’s still not a ton of depth.
The nose starts a little funky but intriguing, with warmed butter and mozzarella cheese drifting into herbal characters like spearmint and dried sage.
If you’re even semi-American whiskey savvy, you recognize the phrase in this bottle’s name: Cask Strength Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon. Well, it’s true: no water was added to achieve 100 proof; just the mingling of sub- and above-100-proof casks to attain that essential proof for BIB.
Its aromas begin with bright citrus, ripe fruit, a whiff of mint and some a solid serving of baking spice. Unexpectedly, toffee joins the party alongside maple syrup and caramelized brown sugar.
A quick small of this whiskey, and there’s no question about how it was finished. The nose is stuffed full of juicy apples. The Calvados barrel influence is big and bold without overdoing things. The juicy apple is mixed with brown sugar, caramel, and oak, resulting in a well-based aroma…