Up-and-Coming Whiskey Brand 15 STARS Announces Release of New Bourbon and Rye
15 STARS is kicking off 2024 with two releases.
On Thursday, 15 STARS, the young, award-winning Kentucky whiskey brand, announced two limited releases: a bourbon and a rye.
The bourbon is 15 STARS 8&15 YO Private Stock — a blend of 8- and 15-year-old bourbons that is an upgraded version of the brand’s previous 7&15 YO release. The rye is batch 2 of 15 STARS’ First West Rye Whiskey.
As of Friday, both expressions are available at select retailers in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Massachusetts, Oregon and Illinois. They can additionally be purchased online via Seelbach’s or the 15 STARS website.
15 STARS 8&15 YO Private Stock Fine Aged Bourbon Info and Tasting Notes, Via the Brand
15 STARS 8&15 YO Private Stock Fine Aged Bourbon is bottled at 107 proof and has a suggested retail price of $139.
“We were proud to have shared the previously released 7&15 Year Private Stock in 2022, but this updated expression, with the extended aging, takes the complex blend of flavors to the next level,” 15 STARS co-founder Ricky Johnson said in a news release. “The 8&15 YO Private Stock Fine Aged Bourbon exemplifies what 15 STARS strives to accomplish with each special release—crafting the finest whiskey with no expense or effort spared.”
Tasting Notes
Nose: Reminiscent of a gourmet candy shop with confectionary notes of toffee, fudge, fruit cake and honeycomb
Taste: Rich on the palate. Black cherry, bananas foster and caramelized sugar followed by charred oak and cigar box
Finish: Rich black cherry carries to the end of an ever-enduring finish, complemented by roasted nuts, coffee and chamomile tea
15 STARS First West Rye Batch 2-SSDD Info and Tasting Notes, Via the Brand
The second batch of 15 STARS First West Rye is named 2-SSDD, which stands for Same Spirits, Different Day (signifying it’s made from the same spirits but bottled on a different day).
This is a blend of straight rye whiskeys aged six, seven and nine years from Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. Bottled at 105 proof, this rye whiskey has a suggested retail price of $89.
“Being able to bottle the First West Rye again allows us to continue sipping and enjoying one of our favorite expressions from our portfolio,” Johnson said. “We know the 15 STARS family will love the second batch just as much as the first, if not more.”
Tasting Notes
Nose: Sweet fruit aromas of ripe pear, golden raisin, orange peel and honey balanced by cinnamon and nutmeg
Taste: Candied fruit notes from the nose remain and are joined by herbal spice and almond to form a round and full palate
Finish: Kumquat, almond and lasting toasted oak
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