2022 Sixteen Days of Whiskey Protocols
Welcome to the 2022 iteration of 12 (or 16) Days of Whiskey! The 16 whiskeys we are tasting are detailed below. I did my best to track down age, proof, mash bill, and other relevant details.
We’ll taste whiskeys 1-8 (one per day) from December 1st – 8th and whiskeys 9-16 from December 19th-26th.
Every fourth day, we’ll find out which four whiskeys we just tasted.
I’ll try to go in every day and start a new thread for that day’s whiskey. If you are drinking before I have created one, feel free to create. Then ideally, we can all reply to that message so that we keep each whiskey together. Does that make sense?
Lost Ark Caribean Rum Cask
Style: Bourbon
Proof: 86
Age: Four year-old bourbon aged for an additional 21 months in rum barrels
This one of a kind bourbon has been nearly 6 years in the making! It is a wheated bourbon, originally barreled in December of 2016. We then moved that bourbon, at 4 years old, into used, still wet, freshly dumped Jamaican rum casks. For the last 21 months, the bourbon has rested and continued to age in the rum-soaked wood pulling out amazing Caribbean rum flavors. With notes of molasses, burnt sugar, bright grassy sugar cane, and enhanced caramels and vanillas to make a flavorful, well rounded, and interesting pour.
Dogfish Let’s Get Lost Whiskey
Style: Other
Proof: 102
Age: Three Years
Mash Bill: Pale Malt, Crystal Malt, Coffee Kiln Malt, high ratio of Applewood smoke Malt
- · Same high-quality ingredients used in Dogfish Head Ales
- · 4 grains blend, selected over 20 years of brewing: Pale Malt, Crystal Malt, Coffee Kiln Malt, high ratio of Applewood smoke Malt
- · We selected Applewood Smoke Malt in lieu of Peat Smoke often associated with Scotch, because it ‘domesticated’ the profile a bit.
- · Fermented with doggie ale yeast, to add a banana sweet note.
Let’s Get Lost, American Single Malt Whiskey'. Distilled from scratch using a custom blend of malted barley and aged over three years in charred oak barrels, it's an intensely immersive whiskey, layered and nuanced, both warming and enticing! Like with music, a good whiskey has an alluring, inviting quality which draws you in and fuels your soul. It rouses your senses and invites you on an introspective journey. Each sip can energize you, calm you, excite you – expressing itself better than words can articulate. This contemplative whiskey is meant to be shared and sipped slowly.
Whistlepig Smokestock
Style: Rye
Proof: 86
Age: No Age Statement
This limited-edition whiskey is aged in American Oak No. 3 char barrels and smoked with Traeger’s Apple barbecue wood, which the brands say imparts flavors of campfire smoke and subtle savory notes alongside WhistlePig’s bold and spice-forward style.
Angel's Envy
Style: Bourbon
Proof: 86.6
Age: No Age Statement
Mashbill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Angel’s Envy Port Finish is blended in small batches of 8-12 barrels at a time. The company states that the bourbon is typically aged up to 6 years, and then is finished in ruby port wine casks for an additional 3-6 months. For the finishing process, the company uses 60 gallon ruby port barrels made from French oak which are imported directly from Portugal.
Heaven's Door Double Barrel
Style: Bourbon/Rye Blend
Proof: 100
Age: No Age Statement
Mashbill: Blend of Three Undisclosed Whiskeys
Heaven's Door Spirits is a collaboration between legendary artist Bob Dylan and Spirits Investment Partnership ("SIP"). Bob Dylan's first and only brand partnership, Heaven's Door is aimed to be an ever-evolving portfolio of handcrafted whiskeys in collaboration with different master distillers and blenders from across the country. According to the company's press release, Marc Bushala, CEO of SIP said, "Rather than make a single whiskey or work with one master distiller, we thought it would be far more interesting to work with various master distillers and blenders to make whiskeys that would each have their own unique signature."
The company's initial trilogy of releases includes a Straight Tennessee Bourbon, a Double Barrel Whiskey, and a Straight Rye Whiskey finished in "Cigar" Barrels from Vosges, France. Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey consists of a combination of three different whiskeys that are blended together and finished in hand toasted new American oak barrels for an additional year. Heaven’s Door inaugural releases were created by Ryan Perry of Heaven’s Door Spirits and master distiller Jordan Via, formerly of the Breckenridge Distillery.
IW Harper Cabernet Cask Reserve
Style: Bourbon
Proof: 90
Age: NAS (According to the company’s press release, aged for 4 years before finishing in Cabernet Sauvignon casks for an undisclosed amount of time)
I.W. Harper has existed in some form since 1872. Originally launched by Isaac Wolfe (I.W.) Bernheim, the brand is now owned and operated by Diageo. The brand expanded its reach internationally, and for a period of 30 years was not sold in the United States. Diageo chose to bring it back to the domestic marketplace in both a no age statements (NAS) straight bourbon and a 15 year age stated bourbon in 2015.
Cask Finish is I.W. Harper’s first line extension since the brand’s return to the United States. According to the company’s press release, “Cabernet Cask Reserve is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged for four years in new charred American oak barrels, then perfected in luxury California Cabernet Sauvignon casks and bottled at Stitzel-Weller Distillery, one of the true cathedrals of the American Whisky industry.”
Style: High Malted Barley Bourbon
Proof: 88
Age: 5 years
Mashbill: 51% Corn, 34% Malted Barley, 15% Rye
Old Elk Distillery was founded by Curt Richardson, also the visionary behind Otterbox. Joined by Greg Metze, former master distiller at MGP in Indiana, the company is currently in the final stages of opening a 35,000 square foot distillery and aging warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado targeted for completion at the end of 2019. Their flagship product, Old Elk Bourbon, currently originates from three different distilleries located in Indiana, New York , and Colorado, but is intended to be produced exclusively by Old Elk Distillery in the future. A proprietary “Slow Cut” proofing process is used, whereby proofing water is added over a period of several weeks or more as compared with a more typical proofing process of only 24-48 hours. The intent of this process is to preserve the congeners present in the bourbon.
Russell's Reserve 10
Style: Bourbon
Proof: 90
Age: 10 years
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Russell’s Reserve 10 Year is part of Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve line named in honor of Jimmy and Eddie Russell, the father-son master distiller team that have a combined tenure at Wild Turkey in excess of 100 years. Russell’s Reserve 10 Year is a small batch bourbon that’s comprised of hand-selected barrels that have been aged for at least 10 years, but possibly more. Like all of Wild Turkey’s bourbons, it’s made from their single bourbon mashbill.
Willett Family Reserve Straight Rye
Style: Rye
Proof: 109.4
Age: Four years
Mashbill: A blend of Willett high rye mashbill (74% rye, 11% corn, 15% malted barley) with the Willett low rye mashbill (51% rye, 34% corn, 15% malted barley)
In the early 2010’s Willett started distilling their own whiskey on-site for the first time in over 30 years. In 2014, they celebrated this accomplishment with the release of a two year old rye whiskey. Since then they have continued to age their rye whiskey and have stuck with a four year age statement for their standard rye product, although younger and older age statements can be found. It is a small batch and is released at barrel proof. The cap is sealed with aluminum and continues the company’s move away from traditional wax they used for many years and were well known for.
Sagamore Double Oak
Style: Rye
Proof: 96.6
Age: 4-5 years
Mash Bill: At least 51% Rye + Corn + Malted Barley (blend of MGP’s high rye (95%) and low rye (51%) mash bills)
After aging our straight rye whiskey for 4 to 5 years in high-char new American oak barrels, our distillers transfer the aged whiskey into toasted wave stave barrels for an additional 18 months. The increased surface area of the low-char, medium-plus-toast staves imparts Double Oak’s delightful caramel, toffee, hazelnut, and toasted coconut. Our classic Maryland-style rye whiskey is reimagined through this innovative aging process and then proofed with limestone-filtered water from our spring house built in 1909. The final spirit is a shining example of old meeting new.
Michter's US1 Bourbon
Style: Bourbon
Proof: 91.4
Age: No Age Statement
Michter’s US1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon is made from a carefully selected mashbill that features the highest quality American corn. It is then matured to the peak of perfection. Truly “small batch” each batch of our US1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon is batched in a holding tank sized to fit a maximum of twenty full barrels, leaving no margin for “blending out” imperfection and thus necessitating excellence from every barrel. Reflecting the spirit of the Bluegrass State, Michter’s US1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon is nuanced, mellow and earthy. Michter’s US1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon is also available with personalized Fort Nelson Select labeling at Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery.
High West Double Rye Rum Barrel
Style: Rye
Proof: 99.2
Age: 2 Years (Blend of straight rye whiskeys ranging in age from 2 to 7 years) - Finished for 8 months in rum barrels
Mashbill: Undisclosed ratio of 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP and 80% rye, 20% malted rye from High West Distillery
Kentucky Owl Wiseman
Style: Bourbon
Proof: 90.8
Age: NAS (Blend of 4 year, 5.5 year, and 8.5 year bourbons)
The Wiseman Bourbon is an interesting release as it features bourbon Kentucky Owl contract distills with Bardstown Bourbon Company. Their 4 year old wheat and high-rye bourbons are then blended with 5.5 year and 8.5 year old Kentucky-sourced bourbons.
Ezra Brooks Single Barrel - the Mouth
Style: Bourbon
Proof: 120
Age: five years
Ezra Brooks Single Barrel - the Nose
Style: Bourbon
Proof: 120
Age: five years
Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea - Voyage 24
Style: Bourbon
Proof: 90
Age: 4+
The driving force behind OCEAN Voyage 24 was to introduce a New Experiment to the Jefferson’s OCEAN franchise. On all other voyages, the bourbon traveled across the equator several times, experienced hot and cold weather in the North Atlantic and South Pacific and seas that ranged from calm to violent. The OCEAN Voyage 24 Experiment would test the effect of high heat, all the time. OCEAN Voyage 24 spent all of its time at sea in the Caribbean where the air temperatures were always hot. The containers on board served as “Heat Ovens” as the bourbon visited exotic ports of call throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Throughout the voyage, the humidity was tropical and the average temperature inside the containers was 93.82° F, reaching a maximum of 124.52° F.
Storm activity in the Caribbean started earlier than normal, went dormant for a while then came back strong with eight named tropical depressions thus far. Storm Elsa crossed our path but all other activity passed to the north or west of the course. The waters surrounding Voyage 24 were for the most part quiet but, the sea is never still. The constant motion of the water, tropical humidity and high heat encountered during the Voyage 24 experiment has resulted in a bourbon that is both unique and exotic. Caramelization and enhanced tones of vanilla extracted from the wood give it a sweet taste, mellow pallet and laid back finish. We are thrilled with how the OCEAN Voyage 24 experiment turned out and hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Pour a glass and enjoy OCEAN Caribbean style. https://jeffersonsbourbon.com/jeffersons-ocean-voyage-24/
