Distilled by Barton and aged for quite a healthy period, both initially and then again in Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels, Thomas S. Moore is a new, 2021 release that promises to be interesting, at the very least. Cabernet Sauvignon is typically a bold, boisterous grape, so the secondary maturation utilizing those wine casks should be nothing short of fascinating.
These flavors thankfully diminish the more you sip, but never fully dissipates and drags down the rather deserving nose and palate. That’s disappointing for this $70 whiskey as it could have been a true home run otherwise.
Honestly, I routinely find myself disparaging Cab Sav finishes because so few have ever really worked that well. This particular bottling changes that tune, quite significantly, in a bottling that I can best describe as a total hit.
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House Review
Nose:
Sweet and earthy, a bit going on. The Cab isn't immediately apparent, but it's not understated either. Big, bold bourbon notes are first up - oak, cinnamon, cocoa, cream, vanilla bean and a hint of brown sugar. Earthy red wine notes like soil, red berry, dry tannins, emerge later.
Taste:
Sweet and rich on the palate. Brown sugar combines with red berry, earth, slate and oak for a really full mouth feel. Proof feels pretty good. Amazing sweetness that is desserty and wine forward without ever becoming too sweet - oak balances nicely.
Finish:
Long finish, notably wine forward with hints of brown sugar, brown butter, waffle cone, white pepper and oak.
Overall:
Honestly, I routinely find myself disparaging Cab Sav finishes because so few have ever really worked that well. This particular bottling changes that tune, quite significantly, in a bottling that I can best describe as a total hit.
Score:
88
By t8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
