Distilled by an undisclosed distiller in KY and IN, this release is a 12yr blend of barrels, bottled under the Twelve Bar Reserve label for Three Chord. It’s bottled at barrel proof.
The finish is long with lingering spices, toasted caramel, and a hint of charred oak – but – this is one of the rare whiskies where adding a few drops of water makes the most difference on the finish. It amps up the pepperiness along with a touch of spearmint and makes the finish last even longer. Excellent!
To me, this bourbon tastes hot for the proof proof and has an astringency in the finish that is unusual to see in a bourbon that has been aged for 12 years. This release wasn’t for me personally, but I am interested to see what other offerings Steel Binding Spirits LLC puts out in the future.
Growing on me with every day this bottle is open, I didn’t like this at first, but it opened up well. That said, it peaks there. It’s good, but not exceptional, though it’s also a tremendous value.
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House Review
Nose:
Faint on the nose, but a bit of dessert character. Caramel, light toasted almond, vanilla bean, light toffee.
Taste:
Thin on the palate, especially for the proof. Surprising. Caramel, cocoa, some praline. Growing a bit richer with time, but still not over the moon for the sensation on the palate.
Finish:
Medium finish. Dry, caramel, some toffee and peanut brittle. Oddly nutty, some brown sugar.
Overall:
Growing on me with every day this bottle is open, I didn’t like this at first, but it opened up well. That said, it peaks there. It’s good, but not exceptional, though it’s also a tremendous value.
Score:
85
By t8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
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