Wilderness Trail, CVW&S Barrel Pick 2020, High Rye, Cask Strength Bourbon (Kentucky) 750ML
This is the FIRST “BARREL PICK” for CVW&S and the partnership with Wilderness Trail has been an epoch experience. Wilderness Trail quickly became one of “TOP-SELLING” BOURBON/RYE labels here at CVW&S being released in California (first time ever) in 2019! With the ever-growing demand for their Whiskey’s and being propositioned with our own possible “Barrel Pick” it seemed, well, serendipitous.
On SAMPLING Day 1, we tasted blind and created notes based in the order of which we tasted, and then selected our favorites samples 1-4 (one being the best). With over 18+ years’ experience tasting/buying wine, and seeing how oxygen effects it’s overall composition, and noticing a similarity with spirits, we opted to wait on deciding and give them some time to rest. Oxygen is not the “Kiss of Death” for spirits, like it is wine, but it does slowly influence the spirit and in this case, the three-week break between our initial sample tasting, to our SELECTION DAY tasting, made a huge difference!
When making our selection, once again blind, the ONE we chose, the ONE that stood out over all the rest, finished dead last in the initial tasting. Why?!? Because it was to wound up in the small bottle and at 118 PROOF came out HOT! Real hot.
The three-week hiatus allowed this CASK STRENGTH, AGED 5 YEARS & 5 MONTHS, HIGH-RYE BOURBON to turn into an ABSOLUTE STUNNER! It revealed flavors or orange peel, toffee, caramel, all while living up to an elegant 118 PROOF, that now released a delightful, full-flavored, MEMORABLE FINISH. Having that three-week break from SAMPLING DAY 1 to SELECTION DAY, without a doubt, allowed us to make the best decision choosing the correct BARREL PICK!
Well, our first ever “BARREL PICK” finally has arrived and we have 208 bottles to be sell! Anxious to taste this 64% Corn, 24% Rye and 12% Malted Barley, CASK STRENGTH, 118 PROOF Bourbon, we cracked a bottle. Maybe it was a couple more months in barrel (we tasted our sample at 5 YEARS & 3 MONTHS, but this was bottled at 5 YEARS & 5 MONTHS), the larger bottle, more resting time, but whatever the case, the first DRAM we poured was DOWNRIGHT DELICIOUS!
~ MEMBER DISCOUNT APPLIED AT CHECKOUT ~
