Bottle Banter:
The phone rings. . .seems we’ve been summoned for a Booze Bully Bottle Break. Short notice. . .gotta decide fast. As I stare at the inventory shelf, I notice the odd shaped bottle in the back and I realize, “Holy Smokes, I must’ve purchased this one 10 years ago.” What better time to break this seal than among a bunch of thirsty party-goer’s. So I hastily grabbed the bottle and a box of weecairns as my business partner is getting impatient waiting outside as we’re late to the party.

Whiskey Description:
Calumet Farm Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey Single Rack Black 10 year
Rack #O2410.07, 92 proof, 46% ABV

MSRP:
This bottle has been discontinued. You might get lucky and score a bottle on a liquor store shelf, but not likely. We found a few instances on the secondary market for $60 - $70.

About the Distillery and Mashbill:
Bottled as the extreme small batch (19 barrels), Calumet Farm Single Rack Black 10 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey selects a specific center cut rack. Each chosen rack of charred white oak barrels provides the optimum level of temperature and humidity shifts, ensuring the best balance of flavor. The result of this bourbon craftsmanship is a bold, vigorous and luxurious Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Calumet Farm is located in Bardstown, Kentucky. The Calumet Farm brand pays homage to the historic and storied Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. William Monroe Wright established the farm in 1924. Through the years, the farm produced many of the most well-known racing horses in the sport

Conditions:
This bottle has sat on the shelf unopened for approximately 10 years. Fresh crack at a private party. This was a ”Bottle Break” tasting with about 13-14 other people in glencairns.

Appearance:
Deep amber, has some nice viscocity

Aroma (nose):
Caramel, Banana, crème brulee, butterscotch

Taste:

• Initial - Cinnamon, honey, oak, caramel.

• Mid Palate - Chocolate covered bananas that they sell on the beach, cinnamon, brown sugar.

• Finish - Drinks hot for a 92 proof, heat sticks around, still getting quite a bit of brown sugar finish

• Ice Melt - Poured over 2 cubes of ice. This changed the profile so much that it was no longer very enjoyable. It went from a smooth, fruit/cinnamon/brown sugar taste before ice to a fairly smoky/bitter taste over ice.

Final Thoughts:
As one of our tasting guests put in, “Oh my gosh, this smells amazing!” And we concur. This one was delightful on the nose. The taste continued to be delightful. The initial sip was full of sweetness and fruit where we were met with a nice thickness/viscosity. This thickness was appealing to some of the guests, but the thickness turned some of them off (who are newer to bourbon). The brown sugar taste became stronger with time. We noticed the heat lasted for awhile and the general consensus was that this bourbon drank hot for 92 proof. A few of us decided to see how the profile changed over a couple of ice cubes. One person thought the ice killed the burn and improved the overall profile, but many thought it turned the profile to a smoky/bitter taste. All-in-all, this was a nice sipper. At the price mentioned on the secondary market, this bourbon is starting to go toe-to-toe with some heavy hitters in this price category.