Review #176 and #177: Spirits of French Lick William Dalton (Wheated Bourbon) and Lee Sinclair (4 Grain Bourbon)

Spirits of French Lick is the distillery arm of the French Lick Winery based in Indiana. They are the largest pot still distillery in Indiana creating pre-prohibition style spirits. They not only want to have high quality craft spirits, but they also want to represent the history of Indiana distillation through their distillation methods, use of heirloom grains, and telling the story of those famous to Indiana distilling.

What makes a whiskey “pre-prohibition style?” Prior to 1920, rye whiskey and bourbon were generally bottled at higher proof and had more complex flavor profiles. This was in part attributed to unique production techniques such as multiple yeast strains used in fermentation and generally a wider variety of grains, malts, and wood. The use of corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, spelt, and malted versions of any and all were frequently found in mash bills while maintaining the 51% corn or 51% rye to be considered bourbon or rye whiskey. The variety of grains and malts and use of unique fermentation and distilling techniques was complimented by the use of a wider variety of wood species and toasting and char levels for barrels. Maple, Chestnut, Hickory, Cherry, and Alder were all used for aging whiskey in addition to a wider variety of oak species. A large part of this variety in grains and wood was simply due to using what was available locally because the infrastructure wasn't what it is today, thus making it costly to source components from further away. Can you imagine how different whiskey was across the country prior to mass use of common yeast strains, white oak all from the same few forests, or a majority of grains coming from the same handful of varietals?

Today I'm reviewing two expressions from Spirits of French Lick: their wheated bourbon, named after William Dalton, and their four-grain bourbon, named after Lee Sinclair. I'll provide additional details of what makes these expressions uniquely pre-prohibition style as I dive into the review of each. 

Both reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

Spirits of French Lick William Dalton SiB (Wheated Bourbon)

MASH BILL: 70% corn, 20% wheat, 10% 2 row caramel malt

PROOF: 106.2

AGE: 4 yrs

COST: I’m reviewing a sample, but I can find other William Dalton single barrel picks online for around $50-55 (bottle photo is courtesy of one of these current online examples) 

This wheated bourbon is named after the longest standing head distiller of the Indiana based Daisy Spring Distillery. The Daisy Spring Mill and Distillery are no longer in operation (best I can tell the distillery stopped production in the late 1880s), however, you can still tour the mill and distillery as it was left because it now resides as the Spring Mill State Park in Lawrence County, Indiana. This distillery was known for its high-quality whiskey, and a particular label you may have heard of: Old Hamer. William W. Dalton was the head distiller of the Daisy Spring Distillery for over 50 years.

This bourbon uses caramel malt to compliment the sweetness that the wheat provides. It also utilizes two yeast strains in the fermentation, the standard “house” strain, but also a brandy yeast strain that helps pull forward herbal and fruity notes. This whiskey also relies on malolactic fermentation (a secondary fermentation that relies on bacteria other than yeast) to help convert tart malic acid into soft, creamy lactic acid which allows more earthy components to shine through.

The double pot distilled distillate goes into 53-gallon number 2 charred oak barrels at 105 proof and is aged in a cellar style Dunnage warehouse, which differentiates from typical modern racked warehouses in that it maintains a lower and more consistent temperature due to its more earthen design of thicker walls, flooring, and roof and increased air flow.

APPEARANCE: A burnished copper color (1.2); thick, fat legs and quite oily looking.

NOSE: This is a fairly bright aroma. A spring floral profile with notes of honeysuckle, mountain laurel, and orange blossom are contrasted with a darker, earthy sweetness of burnt caramel, marzipan, and fresh wheat bread drizzled with honey. There’s another layer of bright orchard fruit notes such as apricot and nectarine, and there’s a wonderful grilled, caramelized peach note. There’s a refreshing herbaceous note that I’m struggling to put my finger on, but that lightens the overall nose well.

PALATE: A thick, creamy mouthfeel, and generally quite dessert like. Vanilla crème filled caramel chews and spoonfuls of honey with a touch of a clove to start. Then rich fruit notes of nectarine and cherry start to roll in. At mid-palate I pick up on some burnt orange peel as well. Morel complex baking spice, milk chocolate, and earthy malt notes start to develop late before going into the finish.

FINISH: The baking spice carries over from the palate nicely. An earthy, grainy note creeps in that was reminiscent of the wheat bread note I was getting on the nose. The caramel malt is distinct here on the finish – if you’ve ever chewed on dried caramel malt (or not overly roasted chocolate malt), I’m picking up that exact note. The sweeter fruit notes and honey ebb and flow throughout the rather long finish as well.

RATING: 7.7/10

OVERALL: A rather unique pour that definitely doesn’t align itself with modern day wheated bourbons. The creamy mouthfeel was definitely the star of the show for me with the nice grain notes and wheat bread being a close second. At 106.2 proof, it did not drink hot, but there was just enough proof heat that my cheeks and middle of my tongue started to tingle after a few sips to the point I would need to take a bit of a pause to make sure I didn’t miss notes on successive sips. The notes were all very apparent and well defined in this cask strength expression.

Spirits of French Lick Lee Sinclair BiB (Four Grain Bourbon)

MASH BILL: 60% corn, 17% wheat, 13% oats, 10% caramel malt

PROOF: 100

AGE: 4 yrs 

COST: $65 for 750mL bottle (I’m reviewing a sample)

This four grain bourbon is named after a prominent business man who built the famous West Baden Springs Hotel, Lee W. Sinclair. Built in 1902, at the time it was built this hotel was touted as “The Eighth Wonder of the World” due to its awe-inspiring atrium being the largest clear spanning dome in the world. This hotel is situated on the property of the French Lick Resort in West Baden Springs, Indiana, just over 1 hour northwest of Louisville, KY.

This bourbon is fermented at 85-90 degrees for four days using two yeast strains, one specifically to enhance the grain profile and the other to pull out fruit and nut esters. The oats provide a creamy mouthfeel while the caramel malt helps heighten the sweetness, similar to the William Dalton bourbon we explored above.

It is also double pot distilled, and the cuts made on the doubling run were done to concentrate a clean, grain profile of the spirit. The distillate was then added to number 2 char New American Oak barrels that were toasted before charring, and paired with toasted heads. The maturation in their Dunnage style warehouses in these toasted barrels was intended to add caramel and vanilla flavors to balance the earthy, grain profile of the spirit.

APPEARANCE: An orangey, golden color (1.3); extremely oily looking with a ring of beads that takes 20+ seconds to finally start forming slow, teardrop legs. 

NOSE: Less complex than the William Dalton bourbon above. There’s a lot more honey than caramel. After the honey hits right away, I get a note with an uncanny resemblance to Blue Bell Peaches and Homemade Vanilla flavored ice cream. A comforting blend of nutmeg and allspice tamp down the sweetness a little with a nice backdrop of black tea. This is an expressive nose without being overly complex.

PALATE: A slightly thinner mouthfeel than the William Dalton bourbon. State fair style caramel apples, vanilla, fresh orange slices, and an occasional note of cherry cola with a good chew. Tannic oak is accompanied by a blend of spices: allspice, mint, and a touch of ginger powder.

FINISH: The spice and oak notes carry over to the finish quite well. There’s a sweet, cherry nuttiness (think marzipan with chopped up dried cherries mixed in). Toasted vanilla bean starts to appear as the sweeter notes fade. A swirling symphony of the toasted vanilla, tannic oak, and allspice bring this to a close long after the swallow. I get a very slight metallic note that shows up very late as all the other flavors start to completely die off.

RATING: 6.7/10

OVERALL: While not as complex as the William Dalton expression, this is still a nice sipping bourbon, and one that might be better suited when you’re not wanting to wade through as many notes. Everything was more front and center. This aligns with what Spirits of French Link stated about this whiskey being that they were intentional with the cuts to try and create a cleaner profile. This did have a more complex spice profile though which surprised me seeing as the only addition from the William Dalton was the oats, not rye. The slight metallic note on the backend of the finish was pretty light, and arguably only noticeable if you were searching for it or sensitive to it. I am sensitive to metallic notes, to the point that I can pick up metallic notes in canned beer after only a few weeks of it being in the can.

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, Hillrock Estate Sauternes CS

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, Maker's Mark Wood Finishing releases, 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