Oregon Spirit Straight American Bourbon

This American Bourbon, made in Oregon by a craft operation that started in 2009, uses local grains. It's aged on-site in charred new American oak. The aroma is surprisingly earthy and juniper-forward, reminiscent of aged gin. Some find this nose off-putting. It's woody, creamy, earthy, and strongly evergreen with juniper, unlike any bourbon aroma previously encountered. The taste is sweet and has a silky body. It's smooth and consistent, with flavors that don't fluctuate. It features creamy juniper, some sweet corn, and floral notes. There's no heat or unexpected elements. The finish is softly sweet and junipery with very mild oak char. Rating this is difficult. As an aged gin, it would be good, but it contains no botanicals. As a classic bourbon, it's less successful. Given a previous experience with their wheat whiskey, the juniper might come from their local rye, though this is unconfirmed. It's an odd yet drinkable bourbon, rated Below Average.

Information regarding the mash bill was scarce. I found one source that listed percentages, but I dismissed it because it failed to mention one of the four grains. The distillery's own website provided details on the mash bill, stating it includes corn, rye, wheat, and sprouted barley, but no specific ratios. I anticipated finding wheat in the mash bill, as this spirit presents characteristics that, based on recent experience, I associate with wheat whisky or a bourbon with a high wheat content. The bottle was purchased for $44.99 at Total Wine. It has a proof of 94, a four-year age statement, and displays a dark copper hue in the glass. NOSE: Upon nosing the whisky, I immediately detected a blend of honey and mint. A subtle buttery note was present beneath the surface. As I continued to inhale, I perceived notes of mint chocolate chip ice cream, a pine forest, and a warmth that permeated everything. All the aromas were evident before my first sip, which is uncommon, as I typically discern additional scents from the nose after tasting. MOUTHFEEL: Buttery texture. TASTE: The initial taste was a light honey flavor, followed by light cinnamon, then peppermint, black pepper, and brown sugar. Both the nose and palate are distinctive in my experience. While they bear resemblance to Oregon Spirit wheat whisky and Redemption wheated bourbon, they are not identical. FINISH: The finish is of medium length, characterized by the gradual dissipation of the final flavor. I first noticed a general spice, then mint, eucalyptus, and black pepper. SUMMARY: This is an excellent whisky. It is a four-grain bourbon exhibiting characteristics of bourbon, rye, and wheat whisky. It is well worth the $45 I spent, and I strongly endorse it. RATING: On my personal rating scale, which has eight levels from the bottom, this scores a 7, designated as Right Fine. This corresponds to 4.375 stars, 87.5/100, or 8.75/10. I believe that additional aging or a higher proof would be necessary to elevate this to the top tier (and a bottled-in-bond version exists, which I have not tried but anticipate being outstanding).

Smell: cherry, berry, cereal, licorice, clove, dill, salted caramel, cinnamon, peanut, vanilla, leather, tobacco, eucalyptus, apricot, with moderate ethanol burn. Taste: cooked caramel, cherry, cinnamon bark, clove, leather, wine, red berry, sweet tobacco, dry vanilla, ginger, black pepper, cardamom, with a moderate to high alcohol bite. The finish is quick and bitter with notes of sour barrel char, cinnamon, and tannic leather. As someone who enjoys a challenge, I've chosen to review another expression from a retail chain's private label whiskey. Having previously endured their other brand, my hopes for this one are quite low. The nose is a pleasant surprise. It resembles a young whiskey from a particular Indiana distillery, with dill, licorice, and clove aromas, but it's much sweeter and more berry-forward. Alongside some traditional bourbon characteristics, cherry and peanut are prominent. The initial taste is the highlight. Rich, salted caramel and cherry immediately hit my palate. Is there wheat in the recipe? Yes, it's confirmed to be a four-grain blend with wheat. Strong cherry notes often indicate a significant wheat proportion for me. However, after the initial taste, the experience deteriorates. The flavors become muddled, and that familiar, sharp youthful sourness emerges, ending not with a flourish, but a dry, sour whimper. Overall, it's neither terrible nor particularly remarkable, just slightly above average. If the finish weren't so underwhelming, I might even consider it good. I'll share my thoughts on their other offerings next time. Considering everything, I'm cautiously optimistic so far.

The Oregon Spirit bourbon is a straightforward American bourbon, with a corn-forward profile complemented by a blend of rye, wheat, and malted barley. This mash bill combination promises a sweet, earthy, and spicy experience that should be quite engaging. The Nose is noticeable right out of the pour, the rich and intense aromas are noticeable long before a swirl or a whiff. Cinnamon spice rolls out of the glass and decorates a wood and slight vanilla like nose—cereal grains accompany a deeper spice note as you approach the glass. What’s also noticeable is a well heavy dose of ethanol, maybe it’s due to the age but it’s noticeable and ruins what would be an otherwise pleasant aroma. The taste—intense cinnamon spice is very forward, while the finish is slightly sweet and woody. Second taste a little more develop nice fruity notes underneath the rich spice, the oaky and vanilla finish is a nice touch. The drink isn’t overly complex and is fairly simple, the spice really comes through, maybe even too much, would be nice to get a bigger hint of the fruit, oak and vanilla that’s pretty pleasant. The Oregon spirit is definitely worth a visit, it doesn’t have a great nose, nor is it very complex, but it’s a great pour with intense spice forwardness and a polite woody vanilla finish, it leaves more to be desired, but was surprisingly good. — the scotch guy

Nose: Dried grape, caramel, nutty cookie Palate: Raw batter, wood, toasted bread edge, rich, coarse Finish: Wood ash, fleeting This isn't the best drink I've ever had. The aroma is pleasant, but the taste is a disaster. The four-grain spirit is here, but it seems the wheat and rye are clashing. It produces a strange batter with toasted rye bits. I'd recommend their wheat whiskey instead.

The nose was peculiar, both unmemorable and intriguing. The texture felt somewhat thin and watery. The flavor shifted from sweet to a faint taste of mouthwash in under ten seconds. The lingering taste was grainy and reminiscent of the seaside, with a hint of ethanol. While undeniably unique, this isn't to my taste. I gave it away (after taking 1.5 oz) to my nephew to mix with a dark, carbonated beverage.