Review #196: Manifest Whiskey Project 10 year Bourbon Small Batch #3

AGE: 10 yr 11 mo

MASH BILL: 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley

PROOF: 106.2

COST: $130 for 750mL bottle (I'm reviewing a sample)

As best as I understand, this is a collaboration between Seelbach’s and Manifest Distilling. When Manifest released their first release of the Manifest Whiskey Project in 2016, it featured 7 barrels of 10 year high rye (36%) MGP bourbon. It was so well received, that Seelbach’s wanted to find more of those barrels, and they did! 6 more barrels to be precise. This release is a blend of those 6 barrels of 10+ year old MGP high rye bourbon. (NOTE: I think Batch #2 of this 10 year release was also 10 yr MGP high rye barrels but a collab between Seelbachs, T8ke, and Manifest. This batch #3 was just between Seelbachs and Manifest.) Let’s check it out!

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: Auburn in color (1.5), thick and oily looking with fat, slow legs. 

NOSE: Vanilla cake with a healthy amount of buttercream frosting, toasted oak, caramelized maple syrup, and a dried fruit mix. Tucked away deep inside is a bright cherry note and mint ice cream. There is a sharp spice note as well, much like cardamom. This nose presents rather plain at first whiff but really has a lot going on when you start dissecting it.

PALATE: The mouthfeel is thinner than the appearance would lead you to believe, and it has a sort of bristly feel to it as well. Lots of toasted vanilla on the palate but sharply contrasted by spicy oak. Burnt brown sugar and peppery rye build in at mid-palate. Light tobacco notes and dark cherry are sprinkled in throughout. There’s a bright orange zest that brings some levity to an otherwise dark and spicy palate.

FINISH: A long finish that meanders quite a bit. Dark cherry and oak transfer over from the palate well. Cinnamon powder and spicy rye saturate 5-10 seconds after the swallow accompanied by a slow building hug. As the spice fades, caramelized brown sugar and tannic oak take over. As the finish starts to fade, heavy char notes come in late to close it out.

RATING: 8.0/10

OVERALL: This presents as a spicy bourbon, but a fairly traditional profile at first glance. But when you start digging into it, it’s rather complex and has quite a bit of depth to it. I’m not certain I would be able to pick this out as a MGP bourbon if I wasn’t told, however, I can’t say I’ve had a lot of the 36% rye mash bill bourbon from MGP. I’m a fan of this and completely understand why there were efforts to see out additional barrels to have a batch 2 and batch 3 of these MGP barrels. I wonder if Manifest is sitting on any more of these barrels to release for a batch 4 in the future to give me a chance to find a bottle of my own.

 

1 | Disgusting | Watershed Apple Brandy Finished Bourbon

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, BBCo Disco #7 and #13, Four Roses OESQ

10 | Perfect | Found North Batch 08, RR15