Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 25 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $130

- 91 Proof

- 25 Years

- Kentucky

A while back my wife had the nerve to make a wine run and, while there, pick up two really nice bottles of whiskey for me. I can't remember what the occasion was, whether it was that I had a really good day at work or perhaps I had had a really bad day at work. I just can't recall. Quite frankly, I can't recall as I sit here typing this what the other bottle was. But I do recall her bringing this one home for me.

It's not that hard to recall. After all, having had mixed experiences with Orphan Barrel products, the odds of me dropping $140 on another bottle were pretty slim, even if it were for a 25 year old bourbon. Based on my prior experiences with Old Blowhard, Barterhouse and Lost Prophet, all Orphan Barrel Bourbons at least 20 years of age or older, I figured this would be just as woody flavored as those bottles were. But, I was nonetheless thrilled to get one as a gift (even if it was still my money that bought the bottle)!  It's the gesture that counts, and she did a great job of picking up something I hadn't already had.

Despite my concerns, the nose was not nearly as expected. It packed a decent cinnamon punch, and yes, it was more like cinnamon sticks, but it didn't come across as woody, just Christmas-y.  I also got an earthy type of nougat flavor, like not so sugary sweet but almost leathery. There were also some caramelized or burnt sugar notes, and, despite all this, there seemed to be a sweet honey note in the background to brighten it up a bit.

On the tongue it was thinner than I expected. I get that this is a lower proof bourbon, but the older stuff frequently carries a bit more texture than this one did.  Nonetheless, it did still pack a lot of flavor, which I'm sure was due to the amount of time spent in the barrel.

The prominent flavor is what I would describe as dark cherry and walnut (like drinking well-made furniture).  It didn't come across as over-oaked, at least not with respect to the tannic qualities I often get from more wood-forward bourbons. The wood was there, though, and it certainly made for a dryer bourbon, removing much of the sweetness from the cherry. 

I also had a layer of cinnamon throughout, which at times seemed to be accompanied by chocolate and cherry notes. The chocolate was the most welcome flavor here, but it primarily lingered in the background. Rather, it was that walnut note that seemed to dominate each pour, with that kind of woody-nutty flavor and a touch of bitterness to go with.

What I really didn't like about this bourbon, though, is that I got this odd, tongue-numbing sensation.  But not like the kind that I would have gotten when I was 21 years old and not used to brown spirits. Rather, and this is going to be completely unrelatable to just about anyone that reads this, it was like the sensation of when you eat barbecue that has too much liquid smoke in it. Obviously this is coming from my own personal experience, but it's a sensation I've only had a couple times, and that's what it brought me back to.  It was really weird and quite off-putting.

Looking past that weird liquid smoke experience, this is a woody, well-aged bourbon that gives you many of the flavors you'd expect from such. Sometimes I find myself in the mood for that flavor profile, and this certainly fit the bill. But the weird liquid smoke experience was, ultimately, pretty hard to get past. 

Grade: B-

Orphan Barrel the Gifted Horse American Whiskey

VITALS:
- $50.00
- 115 Proof
- Bottle No. 29073

Orphan Barrel released its newest "orphaned" whiskey, only this time it is not a well-aged bourbon that was somehow forgotten about, but rather it's, per their claim, a mistakenly blended whiskey, the result of accidentally emptying barrels of a younger whiskey into a batch of 17 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. Per the label, this results in a whiskey that is 39% 17-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon and 61% 4-year-old corn whiskey and Indian bourbon.

As with all Orphan Barrel releases, internet talk, speculation and dismay at this release abounds. One interesting theory that, considering my experience with earlier releases, may have some legs, is that this whiskey was made in response to initial reactions to the bitter, oakiness of those extra-aged releases Orphan Barrel previously put out. True or not, I personally agree that those releases were very oaky and could perhaps benefit from being blended with a much younger whiskey.

Considering this is by far the least expensive release from Orphan Barrel, not to mention the highest-proof of their releases, I was more than happy to give this one a try. The nose is soft and mellow, with light corn notes, tobacco leaf and caramel. It's very inviting, despite the high alcohol content.

On the first sip, however, the burn was unavoidable, though not necessarily overwhelming. The up-front flavors of caramel and vanilla, along with baked cinnamon apples provided for a very sweet, very enjoyable pour, with no bitter tanins or dryness to it. The cinnamon, along with a black pepper spice on the back end, also provided a nice complement to the dulcet, up-front flavors. The impact of the corn whiskey is very noticeable. The corn notes are readily present, and it certainly bears the sweetness of a corn whiskey.

My initial impressions were that this is in my top three of the Orphan Barrel releases to date, probably top two. I really enjoyed it, and as I worked my way through this bottle (and I say "work" with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek), other flavors seemed to come out of hiding. I eventually noticed a distinct cherry flavor, though not the offensive, cough syrup kind, but the more natural cherry flavor. Some of the oak and char also began to come through, but managed to fit right in with the cinnamon and caramel.

This bottle was really enjoyable from beginning to end, and for anyone that can look past marketing gimmicks and labels, I definitely suggest giving it a try.

Grade: A-

Orphan Barrel Forged Oak 15 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Forged Oak is the latest of the Orphan Barrel bourbons to grace my glass, and perhaps the last of what's been released to date (unless I stumble into some Rhetoric). Interestingly, it's the youngest that I've tried to date, and it is my favorite.

Possibly due in large part to the younger age, this bourbon, despite its name, does not have the same wood and tannic flavors that the other Orphan Barrel releases all shared. Yet, it didn't come across as an overly sweet bourbon either. Rather, Forged Oak found a very nice place in between, and I found myself really enjoying it (perhaps too much at times).

At first it came across just as a typical, drinkable bourbon, reminding me of a "chewier" Bonded Beam. Mild vanilla and walnut flavors were noticeable, with a light brown sugar sweetness. Accordingly, the first poor left me unimpressed, particularly given the price.

However, after that first pour, it was a few weeks before I went back to the bottle, and when I did, I found a much different bourbon. This time around very strong vanilla and almond flavors were prominent. The bourbon had sweetened up significantly, and it reminded me of Amaretto liqueur. It didn't taste like the liqueur, though. It just reminded me of it, and I happen to like the flavor.

It comes in at 90.5 proof, so it's a relatively inoffensive bourbon, and after shelving it for a couple weeks following the first pour, I then went through the bottle relatively quickly. After each glass I just wanted another.

It's not that rare of a whiskey, despite the marketing efforts of Diageo to make you think otherwise. After all, this bottle was #23,951, and I'm not sure just how high those numbers go. Whether the price is justified by the juice, I'm not entirely certain.  

However, measuring the bourbon itself, I thought it was very good and held up well. If it weren't for the price, I could easily make this a regular pour.

Grade: A-

Orphan Barrel Old Blowhard 26 Year Kentucky Bourbon

It's rare to find a bourbon as old as this one. Many believe that the sweet spot for bourbons is in the 10-12 year range. I tend to agree with that assessment, as I find, unlike with Scotch, that when you get past that 12 year range, the bourbon tends to really take on the wood flavors and dries out significantly.

So, when I poured my first glass of old blowhard and put my nose to the glass, I wasn't surprised to notice the smell of oak immediately. Although the wood tones dominated, it also had a sweet, chocolate sent to it as well, which I really enjoyed.

On the first drink, while I did not notice the wood flavor as much as I thought I would, it unquestionably comes off as a dry bourbon. The most prominent flavor was a chocolate cherry type flavor, reminiscent of the kind that come in Russell Stover's boxes. Eventually the vanilla works its way to the foreground, and while the chocolate-cherry notes were somewhat fleeting, the vanilla flavor tended to linger in the back of my throat long after I swallowed.

The thickness of this bourbon is very noticeable. People typically describe such bourbons as having legs.  In this case, these are good, hearty stumps of legs. It's a very chewy bourbon, one that really coats your mouth and throat. I found the bourbon enjoyable enough that I didn't mind it sticking around for a bit afterwards. Plus, at 90.7 proof, there is no significant burn to take away from the mild sweetness that lingered.

Calling it a "mild" sweetness may be a bit of an overstatement, though. This bourbon is anything but sweet. It is earthy, woody and tannic. The char flavor dominated this whiskey, and a little more sweetness would have gone a long way to making this a great bourbon.

The price point was a bit steep (as is the case for all the Orphan Barrel releases), but given the age and now the scarcity, I can't really ding it much for that. However, I really wanted to find a reason to truly enjoy such an aged bourbon. I wanted it to sweeten up, perhaps have those bitter tannins fade away a bit, and it just didn't happen. It remained a bitter, woody bourbon that almost completely lacked the sweetness I so desire.

Grade: B

Orphan Barrel Lost Prophet 22 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

I've started to notice a trend among these well-aged Orphan Barrel offerings--they are consistently dry bourbons with prominent wood overtones. Lost Prophet is a prime example, and, unfortunately, that's about all that this bourbon initially offered by way of a flavor profile.

The nose left much to be desired (and I'm one who generally enjoys the smell of my whiskey, even when the taste may not do much for me). It was strong in alcohol and wood and not much else.

On my first pour, the flavor matched the nose. Although the burn was minimal, the alcohol in this bourbon was very noticeable, and the dry, woody flavor did little to soften this alcohol flavor. Unlike most other bourbons, there was almost no sweetness to this bourbon, and I was looking for it. I tried to find some hints of vanilla, toffee, caramel, etc. buried in there somewhere, but it just came out harsh and bitter.

I did notice an almond flavor that seemed to somewhat parallel the woodiness, but this just wasn't enough to balance it out or make it very enjoyable. So, I put the cork back in and placed it back on the shelf, hoping it might open up a bit and perhaps soften the bitterness.

After leaving it on the shelf for a few weeks, I finally went back to the bottle and was pleasantly surprised!  The bitterness was pretty much completely gone.  The wood tones had balanced out, blending with a chocolate flavor that was completely unexpected.  After sitting on this for weeks in between pours, I found myself looking forward to the next.  This is one of the more striking changes in a bottle after it's been open a while that I've ever noticed.

Initially I was not a fan.  I had higher expectations after trying Barterhouse, and this one left me disappointed. However, after it was open for a bit and the bourbon likewise opened up, I found this to be a very good, well-aged bourbon with a great blend of sweet and savory that made me wanting more. This bourbon almost deserves two grades.  I'd give it an initial grade of C-, but a later grade of A-, which was the bulk of my pours. Accordingly, it ultimately receives a B+.

Grade: B+

Orphan Barrel Barterhouse 20 Year Kentucky Bourbon

The Orphan Barrel releases form Diageo have been coming under some fire, primarily for their marketing techniques. These bourbons have been promoted as lost or forgotten about stocks of whiskey, only recently discovered, and being released in limited quantities. The amount of bottles made available in waves, however, seems to defy the statement that these releases are limited. Additionally, the labeling has been a bit gimmicky, simply adding more fodder.

All that aside (and I'm not looking to get on any soapboxes anyway), the one positive is that Diageo is releasing well-aged bourbons, and there is always a market for extra aged whiskey.

So, I gave Barterhouse a try. Before I get to the whiskey itself, I will note that this particular bottle was #70,817, and while I have not checked the numbering on each bottle, I continue to see this stuff on shelves.

The bourbon itself is 90.2 proof. I do tend to favor the higher proof bourbons, but I was hoping that the age of the bourbon would add some complexity and character.

On my first sip, the flavor up front was just okay. It's a dry whiskey, and I immediately noticed cloves and wood.  What's interesting was the vanilla bomb that followed. It wasn't a sweet vanilla, like ice cream, but rather the flavor of unsweetened vanilla.  It came on the back end of each swallow, but it came strong and lingered for a while. It was rich, yet not sweet.

After the bottle was open a while, the wood flavors that I expected really came to the foreground. The clove spice seemed to transform to a hot pepper type spice, leaving an unsweetened-vanilla/oak/hot pepper combination which, unfortunately, did not blend well. They weren't exactly complementary flavors, and it just stuck out as an odd combination of flavors.

Interestingly, though, I really loved the nose on this one. I could have sat on the couch all night just holding the glass under my nose and enjoying it. That will only get you so far, though.

All in all, it's a drinkable whiskey, but one I'm not likely to go back for.

Grade: B-