Belfour Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Texas Pecan Wood

A miss, in the realm of sports metaphors. Numerous individuals are entering the spirits market currently, and understandably so. Celebrities are lending their names to bottles to achieve significant profits; it's a widespread trend. Unfortunately, producing exceptional bourbon isn't quite that straightforward. This isn't to say the producer lacks a skilled Master Distiller, but rather that enhancing a spirit by adding staves isn't as simple as it might seem. If it were, certain individuals' preferred drinks would be readily available at every bar. This appears to be a decent base bourbon, perhaps 2 to 4 years old, not a bad one at all. However, the 'finish crafting' isn't the time substitute these newcomers would have you believe. So, how does it taste? The nose offers pleasant sweet vanilla and caramel notes, along with noticeable wood contributing an old English leather scent, akin to aftershave. It's not an unpleasant aroma, though you wouldn't mistake it for something like Woodford Double Oak. The refinement is simply lacking. That's the issue; this is priced at a premium, and one could obtain a Maker's 46 for half the cost, which is comparably crafted (and in my opinion, superior). Oh yes, the taste: it starts with standard bourbon confectionary notes, moves into a middle section with some acrid wood bitterness, pecan nut, perhaps walnut, or whichever bitter wood nut you prefer. The finish isn't truly bad, just not distinct enough to make me crave more. Perhaps a higher proof and an additional couple of years would allow it to compete with the already better-priced 1792 Single Barrel. I'm sure it will sell well in establishments where a distinctive bottle is as important as the contents, if that appeals to you, cheers! That's just not my preference.

Curiosity led me to purchase this, wondering if pecan staves would genuinely impart a distinctive quality to the bourbon. The aroma is quite pleasant! It's not overpowering, but I detect notes of caramel, nuttiness, and a hint of oak. I'm genuinely impressed by the nose. The taste is surprisingly varied! It begins with a typical bourbon profile, and I'm taken aback by the clear pecan presence! It possesses a wonderfully deep nutty character. Other initial tastes include caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and so forth... Immediately upon tasting or swallowing, it transforms into an explosion of spice, with a finish that reminds me of Four Roses. There's a touch of cinnamon and rye spice in the aftertaste. Some criticisms, however. I doubt I'd want to consume several servings consecutively; it can feel somewhat light, and there's an occasional subtle bitterness that isn't ideal. The price is quite high. I paid $25 for a 200ml bottle. I likely wouldn't opt for the 750 ml size. In summary, I'm pleased I experienced this. It offers a distinct progression of tastes with every sip. It starts with a flavor profile resembling a wheated bourbon and concludes with a finish reminiscent of a rye. A truly fascinating experience, and it's quite remarkable that a pecan/nutty flavor can actually be discerned. This was shared by a friend.

Let me start by saying I’m drinking a store pick. I saw several people claim that this store pick was a “butter pecan bomb.” I opened this and let it sit for 10-15 minutes in a glen. I really wanted to like this more than I did, especially for an $84.99 bottle. Alas, it is much more woody than I anticipated and the flavor disapates somewhat fast compared to what I typically drink (Woodford DO, Barrel Segrass, Jack SBBP). I definitely get a buttery, oily note which is pleasant, I just wish it lasted longer. I'm unsure if it just needed longer in the barrels or what but overall it was “ok.” I want to give this bottle a couple weeks and come back to it. Hopefully it opens up more but I’ll come back and drop another review whenever I come back to this.

Nose: stronger than expected but one dimensional with young whiskey. Palate: It’s mellow that helps with the younger ethanol that comes through, also picked up hints of spice and an unrefined caramel. Finish: Ends with bits of sour notes, I’m not sure if that is an effect the pecan barrel finishing adds. The formula is good but just needs more time in a barrel. I read where the pecan wood has an effect of aging the whiskey faster, as that may be true it still needs to go longer. Belfour is doing it right by owning the process with putting down their own barrels so I’m expecting this brand to only get better in time (plus the bottle has a kickass gatsby era style to it).

NEAT NOSE - Butter Pecan, Light Brown Sugar, Vanilla, and Honey PALATE - Rich with light brown sugar and honey, plus a hint of vanilla. The texture is rather thin and it tastes young, but without any graininess. Everything is well-balanced. FINISH - A sweet nuttiness is present in the finish, but it's brief. BUY? - I would pass on this one. I acquired this early in my bourbon exploration because the bottle looked cool and it was pricey, leading me to believe it would be excellent. My understanding has certainly grown. I also thought the pecan wood finish would be intriguing, which it is, but it's not sufficient. BUY AGAIN? - Absolutely not at $80.

I initially opened this bottle a couple of weeks ago and wasn't overly impressed. I treated this serving the same as before by allowing it to rest for a short period. This time, I can say I'm more of a fan. I'm detecting significantly more sweetness now; abundant butter, honey, brown sugar, some nuttiness, and plenty of spice. So, overall, it's good. Certainly above average and worth considering if you're looking for something novel. Would it be my regular choice? No. I just believe there are better value options for an $85 price point, especially when comparable whiskies are available for just $5 more.