Old Emmer Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon

I'm usually very hesitant about recommendations from liquor store staff. However, today, while browsing their new arrivals, an employee approached and offered suggestions. Curious if he was just pushing their in-house brands or if he genuinely knew his stuff, I played along and asked for recommendations for various situations. He suggested a few excellent bourbons. He pointed out this cask strength bourbon as a good choice for a Manhattan or Old Fashioned, proudly sharing the story of its "Old Emmer Wheat Strain" and the associated marketing. Ultimately, this is a cask strength, wheated bourbon available for under $50. I figured it couldn't be too bad. The aroma has a bit of ethanol from the proof (surprisingly, as 110 proof isn't extremely high in this category). Beyond that, there's a layer of tannic oak with underlying smooth, sweet honey. Plums add a rich, darker, pitted fruit essence. This choice is smooth and sweet, but not excessively so. I suspect the cask strength helps prevent it from leaning too far in that direction. Caramel and honey provide a silky base for vanilla and honey-roasted nuts. Mid-palate, baking spice becomes prominent, and right at the end of the taste, there's a tannic bite of charred oak barrel. The finish is quite long and oily, though not particularly complex. That charred oak remains, accompanied by some dark cocoa powder that lingers for a while. This Old Emmer Cask Strength was a significant surprise! Sweet, complex, and satisfying – I'm very impressed. For under $50, what do you have to lose? This easily outperforms many bottles twice its price.

A potent Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from IJW Whiskey in Kentucky, made with a high-wheat mash bill featuring the ancient wheat variety Old Emmer. It was aged for a minimum of 4 years in new charred American white oak barrels and bottled at 58.3% ABV. It begins aromatically with notes of grain, fruit, wood, and spice. Its rich character develops with tastes of wheat, apple, sherry, caramel, and vanilla, leading to a warm, candied finish of medium length with hints of oak and toffee. May 2024 / February 2025

Better than typical. A bit spicy straight with decent flavor. It tastes better with ice. A good, refined oak taste that isn't excessive. The finish is good, not amazing.

Neat: I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I hadn't heard of it before, but it came highly recommended at Total Wine. It has notes of marshmallow, vanilla, and oak, with some heat in the finish. It's tasty.

Initially, it's buttery and coats the mouth. Afterward, there's a significant leathery burn. When served on the rocks, which is necessary, it definitely softens the drink.

Quite good. The elevated proof compared to standard Old Emmer enhances the taste significantly. High proof plus wheated bourbon equals fantastic.