Brian’s Horse Soldier Reserve Bourbon Review:
reviewed 12-September-2022
HORSE SOLDIER RESERVE BOURBON REVIEW:
Horse Soldier Bourbon Whiskey offers three varieties: Premium (high rye, matured for two years), and two wheated bourbons, Signature and Reserve. This review is for Reserve (the barrel strength offering).
I admit it, I am a bit of a push-over when it comes to bourbon with a good back story. Many times the story is a more of a marketing ploy than anything else. But not so for Horse Soldier Reserve Bourbon (Horse Soldier Reserve). This is a fine wheated bourbon and one I am happy to have on my shelf. Its nose full of dried fruit tree blossoms and dark stone fruits which blend nicely with baking spices, a dark sweetness and seasoned oak. These dark notes pass to the palate and on to the finish. This bourbon is dark and soft. Bring on the next pour!
HORSE SOLDIER RESERVE BOURBON VITAL STATS
Category: Wheated Bourbon
Region: St. Petersburg, FL
Distillery*: American Freedom Distillery
*Distilled by and stored in Ohio at Middle West Spirits
Mash Bill: 70% corn (yellow dent), 20% wheat (soft red winter), 10% malted barley
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas
ABV: 61% (122 Proof)
Price: $65.85 (Montana, Summer 2022)
HORSE SOLDIER RESERVE BOURBON BACKSTORY
Immediately following [the 9/11] attacks on our nation, the USA responded with a daring insertion of small teams of Green Berets into northern Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance successfully overthrew Mazar-i-Sharif, a Taliban stronghold, with the support of these brave men. This region’s inhospitable, mountainous terrain made efforts and enemy engagements on wild Afghan horses a necessity for one Special Operations team (ODA595). Nicknamed the “Horse Soldiers”, all these brave men are honored today by America’s Response Monument overlooking “Ground Zero” in New York City. [In addition,] our bottles … are molded with World Trade Center steel.
— American Freedom Distillery
*Website notes include the following statement:
“Due to federal alcohol regulations we must leverage a third party partner for fulfilment.”
Partner Distillery: Middle West Spirits in Columbus, OH
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
Taken out of the newly opened bottle, the first one and a half ounces mixed with the bourbon in our Infinity Bottle Project. Then, by alternating the pours, four once review amounts went into three Glencairns. My daughters and I enjoyed the bourbon neat as we prepared this review.
Click Hannah’s review and Elora’s review to check out their thoughts for this bourbon!
HORSE SOLDIER RESERVE BOURBON NOSE:
Horse Soldier Reserve has a pleasant bourbony aroma. I get a potpourri of dried fruit tree blossoms and stone fruits of dark cherries, currants, plum, and soft dried prunes. As I continue to nose, I smell allspice, ginger, and white pepper along with brown sugar dusted pastry. Additional sweets come in as caramel corn, dark brown sugar, and dark molasses while the woody elements present as walnuts, sweet, fresh cut and toasted oak, with some BBQ smokey sweetness. I also sense an additional darkness in the form of musty, old leather. This bourbon is soft and dark.
HORSE SOLDIER RESERVE BOURBON PALATE:
My first sip of Horse Soldier Reserve has a bit of heat, and a fairly warm bite. I taste the potpourri floral notes sensed on the nose as well as the stone fruits of currants and dark plums. As I sip, baking spices of cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper mix with vanilla and sweets of dark brown sugar, and dark molasses. This bourbon tastes rich and it’s chopped and crushed walnuts blend into dry seasoned oak, toasted wood and smoky sweet barrel char. These flavors are well anchored in musty damp leather.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Horse Soldier Reserve is simple and gentle with good balance from nose to finish. It is viscous and oily yet can prickle the tongue. In the Glencairn, thick, evenly spaced, long-lasting clinging legs transport the liquid back to the auburn pool. Left behind is a thin ring broken by a few small droplets.
HORSE SOLDIER RESERVE BOURBON FINISH:
Horse Soldier Reserve Bourbon offers a medium long soft and warm finish. As with other bourbons, I can sense roasted corn as well as the sensations of blueberry nectar and plum. Ginger and pepper warm the throat and light vanilla mix with dark brown sugar and subtle molasses flavors. As each sip is downed, seasoned oak, toasted wood and leather fade away. The empty Glencairn smells dark but fresh and is both caramelly and oaky at the same time. I look forward to the next pour.
MY RATING: 91/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
This bourbon makes me want to seek and try the other Horse Soldier offerings.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 91/100 to access Brian’s other whiskies with this score.
To access other reviews from this brand, click American Freedom Distillery.
WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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