Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Cask Strength Wheated Straight Bourbon

Southern Star Paragon Cask Strength Single Barrel (Selected by Loco Jo's) Barrel #0090 @ 109.4 Proof "Southport Select" NOSE: Tobacco, brown sugar, baked sweet potato, vanilla bean, clove, old oak, dry wheat. A somewhat soapy/grassy funk in the empty glass. NEAT: Thick and coating. Lots of cinnamon, brown sugar, that vegetal sweet potato, cheap vanilla fudge swirl ice cream, and dry oak on the finish. Medium length finish coats the palate with tingly cinnamon and dry oak, followed by a growing warming glow deep in the chest. SPLASH: It gets even better. The clove from the nose appears on the palate. Cinnamon is still present but less dominant. Even more of that cheap vanilla fudge swirl ice cream and some medicinal cherry coating. VERDICT: This is really good, especially at cask strength. As wheat whiskeys go, this is less like Maker's (thin/sweet/grassy) and a bit more like Larceny (vegetal/cinnamon/spicy). That being said, I find it much better than Larceny. I'm very happy to recommend, without reservation, a North Carolina Bourbon that rivals some of Kentucky's Big Boys.

Part of a virtual tasting with Southern Distilling Barrel No. 109 113.6 proof Smell - Chalky Big League Chew cherry/grape, caramel, toffee, cinnamon stick, vanilla frosting, toasted oak tannins, and moderate ethanol. Taste - Rainier cherries, overripe peaches, caramel, vanilla frosting, clove, and oak. The finish is medium-long with dry cinnamon, vanilla bean, butterscotch, and light ethanol. This is truly good stuff for a bourbon from NC. I'm impressed. These barrel selections are not common, but if you come across one I suggest grabbing it. Definitely one of the finest NC whiskey products I have sampled.

I visited the distillery while passing through! I bought a bottle of their White Label (not my favorite) and the Paragon Cask Strength. Specifically, Barrel # 00110, and I'm pleased with the purchase. It smells sweet and fresh, feels smooth on the tongue, and has a pleasant warmth as it goes down. Best enjoyed neat. I'll save this one for special occasions, perhaps with a fine cigar.

Following the 2022 NY spirits competition results, I felt compelled to try this, and I'm so glad I did. It's among the finest cask strength wheated bourbons I've sampled. I'll have more thoughts after a few additional glasses, but this one has me enthusiastic, particularly given its relative proximity. Don't stress about obtaining a Weller 107; just get this instead!

Thanks so much to a friend! Fruity and woody. The proof's burn is tamed with just a few drops of water. Thanks to another friend.

Distillery pick from NEBC in 2025: 4.5/5 Release from the distillery in 2025: 4.25/5