J. Riddle Peated Bourbon

A distillery is located near my house. They are the first licensed distillery in the city since prohibition. All their prior releases used sourced distillate, but this one is different. This is their first release of their own distillate, made from Michigan corn and peated barley from the UK. It's labeled as a "Peated Bourbon Whiskey". Bottled at 45.5% ABV and labeled as bourbon, it's likely natural color. I have no information on chill filtering. The color is a honey gold. This is from batch # 17-1, which seems to be the first batch of 2017 and the first for this expression. The aroma is quite strange initially, similar to another of their expressions, Johnny Smoking Gun. It's hard to define, but it stands out. Once accustomed to it, other notes emerge. It's very earthy/vegetal, probably from the peat, but without much actual smoke. Toasted oak and some corn sweetness. Vanilla and toffee. A cardboard note with some toasted coconut. A faint wisp of smoke appears. Green vegetables like cooked green bell peppers or celery, I can't quite pinpoint it. More corn and a bit of malted barley. Floral honey and melons like cantaloupe or honeydew. Over time, brown sugar and butterscotch appear, along with pickled ginger. It's much more intricate than anticipated, but not exceptional. That same peculiar sensation from the nose is present on the palate. The peat smoke is more pronounced here than on the nose. It's unusual to encounter that in a bourbon, but I appreciate it. Vegetal peat as well. Green oak, clove, and ginger. Undercooked corn and honey with a touch of barley sugar. Light toffee and butterscotch. Medium-bodied texture that is quite dry. The finish is rather short and also very dry. Vegetal, celery, and corn. A hint of mint and fennel. That peculiar note never completely vanishes, but one adapts to it. Significantly better than the Johnny Smoking Gun. Peated bourbons aren't common, as far as I'm aware, so I'm pleased to have sampled this, and the peated rye I had from G.T.D. which was a peated rye. Not really worth the $54 I spent on it, but craft distilleries come with a price markup. 3.75 Cheers

So, I decided to sort through some samples that have accumulated recently and found this local, craft bourbon that was sent to me by a friend from suburban Detroit. It's from a local distillery to him (Two James Spirits), and I believe he's sent me a couple of samples from them that were initially made from sourced distillate. This one is supposedly their first use of some good ole, home-grown spirit. It has a mash bill of 79% corn and 21% peated barley sourced from the U.K. So, this is essentially a peated bourbon. It should be interesting. It's 91 proof and I believe it is chill filtered. The nose is heavily influenced by bourbon, with oak and vanilla leading before slight wisps of smoke and earthy peat moss join in. There's also an underlying sweetness reminiscent of honey and sugary cereal that lingers with time. A pretty good nose. The palate is grassy and earthy with a significant amount of malted barley. It falls rather flat here and feels uninspired. The smokiness is seriously muted, and a strange, peculiar taste emerges that wasn't present on the nose: it surprised me with something I couldn't identify even after multiple attempts. By then, the sample was gone, so I gave up trying to pinpoint exactly what it was or what it resembled. It left me puzzled. The finish is short and heavily corn-focused. It's quite smooth, but not lively at all. I'd prefer some vibrancy at this point, especially at 91 proof, but it never materialized. I think it needs more time in the barrel, but then I believe any trace of smoke would be lost, consequently rendering this "peated bourbon" lacking in peat. Thank you to the person who sent me something I'd never have the chance to experience. I think Two James has potential, I just believe they shouldn't focus on experimental things right now and should prioritize their base whiskey before attempting more of these limited releases. But, that's just my opinion. Cheers, everyone.

I'm unsure where to start with this one. It smells and somewhat tastes like a barn. You detect the corn and earthiness, but the peat smoke completely throws it off. It's extremely unbalanced with a peculiar combination that is frankly a bit bizarre. I notice a lot of gasoline notes, primarily on the finish, but also a bit on the initial taste before the corn emerges. The mid-palate does offer some interesting spice, and you get the wood and vanilla from the cask, but due to everything else, it's just an odd experience. And unfortunately, it's not one I'll likely revisit.

Nose: Spicy rye, dill, pine needles, corn, butter, vanilla, and olives/dill. Palate: Intense roasted corn, charcoal, vanilla, butterscotch, a whisper of malt, scorched hay, clove, basil, cilantro, and sage. Dilution reveals oak barrel notes, mellows the profile, and introduces strong caramel. This is truly an unusual pour. If tasted blind, one might assume it's a rye. However, a subtle peat/charcoal undertone persists. It's stated to contain no rye, and I witnessed the pour myself. The rye character appears quite prominent but is absent. The spirit's youth likely contributes to this characteristic.

I really enjoyed this, which I did not expect. I was quite surprised by my positive reaction to it. In addition to its very appealing bottle, the bourbon itself is excellent. The aroma presents a powerful vanilla fragrance, which is quite delightful. It's unexpectedly agreeable on the palate, beginning with a gentle vanilla sweetness at the front of your mouth, followed by a smoky mid-palate, and concluding with a pleasant warmth in the finish. The consistent smooth mouthfeel contributes to this being a superior bourbon, and unexpectedly outperforms many bourbons from Kentucky. I strongly recommend trying it; it's the finest product to emerge from Detroit since the invention of the assembly line.

A Peated Bourbon, made with 79% Michigan corn and 21% Scottish Peated barley mash, gives away a lot of its flavor profile upfront. The high corn content delivers the expected body and sweetness of a bourbon. The peat smoke appears on the palate, providing just enough warmth to introduce a bandaid and mossy peat character. The label features a horseshoe and local 299, referencing a past career, and a red fox in the middle, referencing the last known location of a specific individual.