Brian’s Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Whiskey Review:
written on 20-October-2019
OAK & EDEN BOURBON & VINE CABERNET STEEPED WHISKEY REVIEW:
With great anticipation I opened this bottle of Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped (O&EB&V) whiskey. The reward: a beautifully dark brown juice with loads of Cabernet wine tannins, and a low dose of alcohol with lots of smoke on the nose, all of which pass along nicely to the palate. The bourbon and wine which make up this whiskey are well balanced and finish long and warm. Read on for my complete analysis.
OAK & EDEN BOURBON & VINE CABERNET STEEPED WHISKEY VITAL STATS:
– Distiller: sourced (curated from notable distilleries across America namely MGP.)
– Region: Texas, USA Producer: Sanctified Spirits (Oak and Eden)
– Distributor: Republic National Distributing Company
– Category: Small Batch Finished Whiskey
– Mash Bill: Corn 60%; Rye 36%; and Malted Barley 4%*
– Bourbon Barrel Char: undisclosed
– Spire Char: Fire and heat are used to toast the spire, extracting botanicals and additional flavor expressions.*
– Infusion: At bottling, a 5 inch long spiral cut piece of French Oak is added. The “Spire” rested in Marker Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon for 4-8 weeks before placement in the bottles, finishing the whiskey.*
– Age: 2 Years in New Oak Barrels*
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– Batch: 0002; BOTTLE: 0624
– ABV: 45% (90 Proof)
– Bottle Size: 750ml
– Price: $60.00 USD in Idaho
– Limited Availability: This whiskey is currently sold in CO, KY, LA, MI, OK, TN, and TX at this time.
*See < www.oakandeden.com > for more information.
DISCLOSURE:
This bottle of Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Whiskey was generously gifted to me by the producer for the purposes of this review. The donation did not influence my opinion, tasting notes and/or views offered below.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
For the evaluation, I shared the juice neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.
Check out her review for this bourbon here!
NOSE:
When the Glencairn is brought to the nose, O&EB&V offers plenty of Cabernet wine tannins and only a faint amount of alcohol; just enough to let you know it’s there. Prolonged nosing brings on a dark fruit leather essence, dusty cloves and bitter dark chocolate. There’s also a strong seasoned wood forward aroma which mixes nicely with damp dirt, musty old leather and smokey barrel char … and it works!
PALATE:
The aromas detected on the nose flow nicely into the mouth as O&EB&V drinks like a well aged Cabernet: soft and warm with plenty of deep red wine fruit. On the tongue, bourbon tickles with elements of dusty grain, clove and black pepper. Careful sipping can coax subtle graham crackers and an ever-so-faint dark molasses infused gingerbread. The high concentration of rye makes itself known only after a good mouth swish and chew. Thus enhanced, an earthy smokiness closes in a haze of seasoned barrel char, wet dirt and stirred campfire ashes.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
With a color of brown sherry, the mix of bourbon and wine are well balanced, making for a soft, smooth and pleasantly mellow mouthfeel. In the Glencairn, a veil of thick liquid hangs then droplets suddenly break into toothpick-thin legs which plunge back into the reservoir.
FINISH:
The finish of O&EB&V is lingering and warm. As the dram is downed, Cabernet tannins give way to those of the more earthy Morvedre grape. After each sip is gone the rye peeks in to play. When emptied, the Glencairn gives up its brown sugar and a slightly acrid, but not unpleasant sweet smokiness.
MY RATING: 87/100
Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
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