Review #150: BBCo Collaborative Series: Amrut

COST: $160 for 750mL bottle

AGE and MASH BILL: Rye whiskeys finished in Amrut malt whiskey barrels, then blended with straight bourbon whiskeys:

• 43% 9yr Indiana Rye Whiskey, 45% corn, 51% rye, 4% malted barley (guess: low rye MGP)
• 20% 8yr Indiana Rye Whiskey, 95% rye, 5% malted barley (guess: high rye MGP)
• 17% 14yr Kentucky Bourbon, 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley (guess: Wild Turkey)
• 15% 10yr Kentucky Bourbon, 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley (guess: Heaven Hill)
• 5% 11yr Kentucky Bourbon, 78% corn, 13% rye, 9% malted barley (this is not a mash bill I’m used to seeing, no clue)
• Derived mash bill: 47.7% corn, 45.3% rye, 7% malted barley

PROOF: 110

This was the first Collaborative Series release from Bardstown Bourbon Company that I was legitimately excited for. While all the others have been tempting, they just weren’t tempting enough to pull me in to buy a full bottle; I was much more preferential to doing a sample swap or buying a single pour at a bar. (And being a huge stout fan in the beer world, that says a lot considering they have done KBS and a Goose Island Bourbon Country stout finishes before.) But there was something about the Amrut malt whiskey finish that really made me think, “That’s going to be different!”

One thing that I noticed is the finesse that went into making this whiskey. BBCo chose to finish just the rye whiskeys in this blend, and not the bourbon. That means only 63% of the overall blend was finished in Amrut barrels, and they chose to focus the finish on just the rye for one reason or another. So, the bourbon that is in the blend was added unfinished. The choice to do this seems very intentional and not accidental (if otherwise, cheers to you BBCo). But it was the fact it was the first time BBCo has only finished part of the batch of a Collaborative Series expression. That made me think that they focused even more on exactly what this was going to taste like in the end versus blending it all and then finishing it all in the same barrels. With this extra attention to detail by BBCo, let’s see how it is!

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: Deep ruby, red color (1.6); dozens of thin, slow legs followed by a ring of tiny beads that eventually rain down the side of the glass.

NOSE: Rich cherry and vanilla ice cream lead off, with my nose dipped below the rim of the glass I detect grassy, rye spice and orange zest, and with my nose elevated well above the rim of the glass I can pick up on crisp apple, the grainy notes of the Amrut finish, and a hint of white pepper. The more I sip this the more spice shows up as rye and pepper. Zero proof heat.

PALATE: Viscous mouthfeel that rolls around effortlessly. The palate is sweet but quickly succumbs to bites of cinnamon, ginger powder, and pepper. The spice begins to mellow out and a light cherry note appears along with sweet, vanillin rich oak. As the palate fades into the finish, the spice returns and I begin to pick up a more earthy note of tea leaves and tannic oak.

FINISH: The finish is long and drying on the palate. Seasoned oak is consistent, Earl Grey tea and ginger dominate at first before being taken over by black pepper and red berry jam. This closes with grainy, earthy notes familiar of a malt whiskey.

RATING: 8.1/10

VALUE: 5.8/10 (This is an attempt to take into account price, tasting rating, age, and proof. See my spreadsheet for more details.)

OVERALL: This is an interesting journey from a sweet nose, to a spicy palate, and then concluding with an earthy finish. All along the way, each part had similarities to the others and notes that were constant, but each part was very unique to the others. Great experience! At first, I desired more of the Amrut finish to show through. But having drank 2/3 of the bottle now, I enjoy the subtle Amrut malt whiskey finish that just shows up here and there. Over finished whiskeys feel like they’re hiding something. This allows the whiskey to shine with the finishing providing a touch of character. I’m really happy I was able to snag this bottle,. I just wish BBCo would come down on these collab series prices just a bit. The BBCo Discovery Series are bottles that normally come in cheaper than the Collaboration Series bottles and I find that I enjoy them a bit more. All that said, BBCo's attention to detail with this blend paid off and resulted in an excellent bottle!

1 | Disgusting | ...I've not subjected myself to this level

2 | Poor | Balcones Lineage

3 | Bad | High West Double Rye, Jefferson's Ocean 28

4 | Sub-par | Weller's SR, Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select

5 | Good | Buffalo Trace, Sazerac Rye, Green River Wheated

6 | Very Good | Blanton's, Holladay Bourbons, Eagle Rare

7 | Great | Baker's 7yr SiB, BBCo Origin High Wheat, 1792 BiB

8 | Excellent | Most ECBP batches, JD SiB BiB, High West MWND Act 11

9 | Incredible | Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 121.2, BBC DS #7, Four Roses OESQ

10 | Perfect | Found North Batch 08