Starlight Carl T. Huber's Single Barrel Bourbon Finished in Maple Syrup Barrels

Background - The Starlight Maple product is a blend of two distinct mash bills: the 3-grain (60% corn, 20% rye, 20% malted barley) and the 4-grain (51% corn, 20% rye, 20% malted barley, 9% wheat), combined in an unspecified ratio. It is then finished in maple syrup barrels. - Although technically a wheated bourbon, it also has a high rye content – the malted barley helps to soften and mellow that. The sweetness here is much more subtle than a typical wheater (without rye). Review - I am trying a Starlight Maple single barrel pick from The Party Source, noted as 5 years old on the bottle. - Notes of maple, toffee, brown sugar, milk chocolate / light cocoa, very subtle citrus (orange / lemon / lemongrass), apple juice, pear juice, mild nuttiness, overall smooth and refined, with a long, very spicy finish and strong tannins. Observations - This is my initial experience with Starlight. While I like it, I am also eager to sample the unadorned spirit as well as their other barrel finishes (double oaked, rum finished, bordeaux finished, triple sec finished, VDN finished).

The Bourbon Enthusiast pick - barrel #22-2055-1, 105 Proof, aged 4 years: Opened three maple syrup barrel finished bourbons for Fall/Winter 2022 and this was my least favorite. My points of comparison were certain other bourbons. I just didn’t feel the bourbon held up as well as the other two and the maple really dominated. Fortunately, maple syrup is delicious and I finished the bottle. Some folks might want maple from front to back when they reach for a finished whiskey like this but I prefer the bourbon to come in strong at some point. Generally I still consider Starlight to be great at finishes but for my annual cold weather detour to maple syrup finish I’ll stick with one of the others.

Nose: A pleasant combination of maple and more typical spice notes. Palate: Sweet, sugary notes from the start, with only a subtle hint of baking spices. Finish: A very extended finish... This is where the finishing truly shines, offering the full maple syrup experience. This pour surpassed my expectations. It's challenging to improve on some of the standard offerings from Starlight, but this finish achieves the perfect balance of sugar and spice

The nose is sweet, with maple, deep dark richness, cocoa, chocolate-covered cherries, and a whisper of new leather. The taste features maple, bright, zesty citrus, lemongrass, and a slightly bitter finish where the leather emerges. The citrus and sweet maple remain on the palate for a while

Sweet brown sugar, toasted caramel, wild flower honey on the nose. A little spice and proof up front Mid palate is a hint of plum, maybe a cherry skin. Finish is one of the best i have had. Its oily and light maple honey sweet that lasts for days.

A nose with substantial maple notes. The palate features maple, coffee, and cocoa. Highly enjoyable.