REVISITED: Union Horse Reunion Rye & Union Horse Reserve Bourbon

I’d like to thank the producer and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

It has been two thousand six hundred and forty-four days since I last reviewed Union Horse Reunion Rye and Reserve Bourbon. Just over seven years. It was one of the very first review samples I accepted, and I mostly did it because I got an interview filled with reader questions out of the deal. At the time I stated of the rye:

This is one where it had to grow on me. In my initial tasting, I felt it tasted a bit young. After spending almost a month with it, I've warmed up to it. This certainly is a unique whiskey and is outside the normal American Straight Rye flavor profile, which threw me at first. But I've come around.

And of the bourbon:

I am not a fan of smoky whiskey. I can appreciate it, but seldom like it if it is too pronounced. In this case, the smoke flavors are just light enough that it doesn't bother me too much. My wife on the other hand likes this a lot and has been the primary consumer of the bottle above.

I can tell you right now that in the intervening years, one of my reservations about the whiskeys has been addressed. They are no longer two years old, instead landing in the four- to five-year-old range. It looks like they still use no malted grains in the mash, instead using commercial enzymes to accomplish the starch-to-sugar transformation (which I think is pretty cool). And the bottles still look very nice.

But most importantly, do they taste better than they did seven years ago? We will start with the Rye first.

Union Horse Reunion Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase Price: This review sample was provided at no cost by the producer for review purposes. The suggested price is $45.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.00

Details: 100% Rye. 46.5% ABV. 4-5 years old. Batch 43. Barreled at 110° proof

Nose: Cedar, cinnamon, mint, and just a hint of smoke.

Mouth: Cedar, mint, cinnamon, ginger, clove, honey, caramel, and a hint of cocoa.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium length. Notes of chocolate, cedar, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: Vibrant, sweet, complex. I'm really enjoying this. It needs no water and I’m enjoying the heck out of it neat. It also makes a mean Sazerac.

Union Horse Reserve Bourbon

Purchase Price: This review sample was provided at no cost by the producer for review purposes. The suggested price is $41.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.73

Details: 46% ABV. 4-5 years old. Batch 64.

Nose: Cinnamon, maple, cedar, and toffee.

Mouth: Cinnamon candies, cedar, clove, toffee, and dried grains.

Finish: Medium length and warmth. Notes of cinnamon, clove, and cedar.

Thoughts: Spicy and flavorful with a lot of baking spices. The finish has a nice burn but isn't hot by any means. It doesn't have your stereotypical bourbon flavor profile, but that's kinda what I like about it. And even better, at least for me personally, I detect almost no hint of smoke, even though it is listed in their official tasting notes.

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Luca Mariano Ambassador 86 Bourbon (in partnership with Green Bay Packer Hall of Famer Antonio Freeman)

I‘d like to thank the folks at Luca Mariano for sending this review sample with no strings attached.

I love American football. If a game is on a screen within visible range, my eyes will be on it. I just can’t help it. I love the sport. College Bowl season is my favorite time of the year. If I go out to eat, no matter the day, there will probably be a game on that I should have no logical reason to care about but will still watch intensely until we leave. These days, I am more of a college football fan than an NFL one, but if an NFL game is on the screen I can see, I’m watching it. My Saturdays are emotional in the fall. I’ll be the happiest man alive if my beloved Golden Gophers win. If they lose, it's probably best not to talk to me for a little bit until I get over it. (I think I will have more bad Saturdays than good this year since we just lost to a team without a coach.)

You’d think I’d be used to my teams losing. I grew up in Northern Wisconsin as a Green Bay Packer fan in the 1970s and 80s. I had to read books that were twenty years old to see things written about a good Packer team. But, just like these days with my Gophers, a bad year (or years) doesn’t dilute the passion. I mean, the people I grew up around would motion to the Pastor to speed things up if it looked like church wouldn’t end in time for kickoff (and he’d do it). We were a serious football family surrounded by other serious football families. And when I grew up and moved to the Green Bay area, you knew that I was going to be one of the many rabid fans in the area.

And I was! Of course, by this time, the Packers were actually good, having already gone to a couple of Super Bowls. I watched every game, including numerous games at Lambeau. (Even though every game is a sellout, numerous season ticket holders can’t make it to every game and make their tickets available.) Those I couldn’t be at were watched in my living room with a wife who was extremely tolerant of my obsession. She was a fan, too, but not in the “ruin your day after a bad game” sense like I was. And all those games I watched, I watched wearing my trusty Antonio Freeman #86 Packer Jersey.

These days, I live in a different state and don’t get the opportunity to watch as many games as I used to when I was in Green Bay. Unless you were one of the many establishments that had the game on, the local economy literally stopped during game time. And though I’m not nearly as obsessed as I used to be (like I said, college football fills that role now), I still follow along when I can. I’m even one of the thousands of official Packer stockholding owners.

So when I got a press release saying that Luca Mariano had made a whiskey in honor of their good friend Antonio Freeman? Well, you know, the first thing I did was reach out to them to see if they had a sample to taste and share. Here’s what they had to say about it:

Born from friendship and craftsmanship, Luca Mariano Ambassador 86 is a limited release to coincide with the upcoming 2023 NFL season and to celebrate the career of Green Bay Packer’s former Wide Receiver and Super Bowl XXXI Champion Antonio Freeman. Just like Antonio’s Super Bowl victory, Luca Mariano Ambassador 86 is a three barrel blend of greatness hand picked by Antonio Freeman himself. It’s a 3 Barrel Small Batch, high rye Kentucky straight bourbon, aged 8 years and 6 days, and comes in at 86 proof. This limited release not only celebrates Luca Mariano’s and Antonio’s commitment to excellence but also pays homage to the passion of a champion through its name. Antonio wore jersey number 86 throughout his NFL career and was known for his toughness, power, and ability to make big plays. His Super Bowl XXX1 championship with Green Bay cemented his place as an NFL legend.

According to a company social media post, this is available in Wisconsin at select Festival Foods stores. And according to the Festival Foods website, it runs about $90.

Ok, so now that we have all that out of the way, how does it taste?

Luca Mariano Ambassador 86 Bourbon

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. No suggested retail price was given. But the Festival Foods website says they have it for $89.99, currently on sale for…$86.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00 (at regular price)

Details: 43% ABV. 8 years old.

Nose: Nutmeg, oak, brown sugar, and a pleasant floral note.

Mouth: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cotton candy, brown sugar, citrus zest, and oak.

Finish: Sweet and of medium length and warmth. Notes of vanilla, oak, and citrus zest.

Thoughts: When I saw 86° proof on this, I was prepared to be disappointed. Instead, I was very pleasantly surprised. This drinks very nicely at 86° proof. There is very nice spice, but it isn't so hot that you can't enjoy it. If you are looking for a comparison, it reminds me a lot of Buffalo Trace.

I like it. I will probably have to pour the rest of the sample into my glass the next time I watch a Packer game. Maybe more if any of my Wisconsin readers want to help a fella out…

UPDATE…and it turns out someone did help a fella out. You know who you are and thank you very much.

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Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023

I’d like to thank the folks at Garrison Brothers for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

A reminder that I am on vacation to the Pacific Northwest this week. If things go as planned, as you read this, I should be hanging around Mount Rainier National Park or relaxing in my cabin outside of the park. Obviously, this was written ahead of time.

Garrison Brothers is not a distillery I know much about, having never purchased their product before. Mostly because the cheapest bottle that Total Wine has is about $90 per 750 mL bottle, with the highest-priced bottle being above $200. That’s a bit too high for me to take a flyer on. But when they offered me a sample of their upcoming 2023 Cowboy Bourbon, I knew I needed to experience this 140°+ proof monster.

2023’s Cowboy bourbon will be releasing Saturday, September 23rd, at a distillery event in Hye, Texas, with the remaining bottles landing at retailers starting the first week of October. The suggested retail price is $249.99.

Here is what the company has to say about this bad boy.

Cowboy Bourbon® is Garrison Brothers’ most elite expression offering the truest taste of Texas terroir on the market. The release comes from what Master Distiller Donnis Todd calls his “piggy bank” of barrels that are just too flavorful on first taste to bottle. He patiently saves and collects these specific barrels as he finds them during his daily, monthly and yearly taste tests, if he deems them of having Cowboy Bourbon® potential. Years later, he takes these barrels out of the already incredibly harsh Texas climate in which they are aging and puts them to the ultimate test: more Texas heat. The already incredibly high-proof barrels continue to age, with some ending up completely empty. Those that remain are collected and married together to make the legendary Cowboy Bourbon® bottled at cask-strength, uncut and unfiltered. Every barrel used in this year’s release was at least six years old.

So, how does it taste?

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $249.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $16.67

Details: 6 years old. 70.45% ABV.

Nose: Maple, mint, cinnamon, leather, and oak.

Mouth: Holy Fuckballs that's hot! Notes of oak, leather, maple, campfire smoke, and cinnamon.

Finish: Hot and long with notes of cinnamon, maple candy, leather, wintergreen, and oak.

Thoughts: This is a very tasty bourbon. Super fucking hot at 140.9° proof, but no one but internet tough guys would try to sit down and drink a glass of whiskey at this proof without water or ice. Well, not if they wanted to taste anything later that is. My taste buds are blown right out after this tasting. Luckily it takes water well, retaining the flavor but taming the heat. Give me this with a large cube/sphere of ice on a hot evening and I'll be happy as can be. It's quite good.

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Bluebird Days Whiskey

I’d like to thank Bluebird Distilling, Jordan Davis and their PR teams for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Most of the samples I get come from one of two sources. The vast majority of the samples come from a large producer. But there are also a sizable number of samples from a small producer who has done a deal with a musician. Tonight’s whiskey is from the latter. And since I have never heard of either the musician or the distillery associated with tonight’s whiskey, let’s let them introduce themselves via the press release.

ABOUT BLUEBIRD DISTILLING: Bluebird Distilling is a craft distillery that produces small batch whiskies (that includes a limited release Wheat Whiskey, Four Grain Bourbon, Rye Whiskey, and White Rye Whiskey) and other amazing craft spirits such as Juniperus Gin, Vodka, Sugarcane Rum, and Dark Rum, using a state-of-the-art hybrid copper still. The distillery and tasting room are located in Phoenixville, PA. For more information, please visit http://bluebirddistilling.com/.  

ABOUT JORDAN DAVIS: A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Jordan Davis is set to release his highly anticipated second full-length album, Bluebird Days, on February 17. Produced by Paul DiGiovanni, the album features 17 songs including his fifth career No. 1 hit, “What My World Spins Around,” and his double-platinum multi-week No. 1, “Buy Dirt” (feat. Luke Bryan), which won numerous accolades including CMA and NSAI Song of the Year and earned ACM, AMA, Billboard and iHeart Award nominations. Davis previously notched three consecutive No. 1 hits: Platinum-certified “Slow Dance In AParking Lot,” Double Platinum-certified “Singles You Up” and Platinum-certified “Take It From Me,” each featured on his Gold-certified debut album, Home State. Awarded Best New Country Artist at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, he is a two-time nominee for ACM New Male Artist of the Year and was named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2018. Davis has over 4 billion streams worldwide and appeared on Ellen, Good Morning America, TODAY, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and more. He has previously toured with artists including Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts, Old Dominion, and more.

So now that we know who we are dealing with, let’s find out what the whiskey is (and yes, this sample has been hanging around for a while now, as evidenced by that album's release date). BlueBird Days Whiskey is probably best classified as a blend of straight whiskies as it is made from a blend of 90% 6-year-old Bluebird Bourbon (mashbill: 75% corn, 15% Heirloom Rye, and 10% Barley) and 10% 7-year-old Bluebird Red Winter Wheat Whiskey (mashbill: 100% Whole Grain Pennsylvania Red Winter Wheat).

Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Bluebird Days Whiskey

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $50 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Nose: Mint, a toasted nuttiness, and dried grains.

Mouth: Cinnamon, caramel, chocolate, nougat.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of malted grains, chocolate, mint, and some oak.

Thoughts: This one is not for me. It's not bad or anything. In fact, there will probably be people who think I'm crazy for giving this a neutral rating. But I'm not finding that the bourbon and wheat whiskies in the blend complement one another. They are both there, but to me, they fight instead of combining into a well-integrated whole. Plus, it just sort of feels overly grain-forward for my palate. It doesn't hurt that I get a note reminiscent of malted grain on the finish. And I really don't care for that flavor note. If you are a fan of celebrity craft whiskies, give this a try. Otherwise, it is probably safe to give this one a pass.

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Smooth Ambler Founders’ Cask Strength Series Bourbon, 2022, Batch 4

I’d like to thank Smooth Ambler and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Oh my goodness, it is great to be back. As much as I enjoy the brackets each year, they all get written ahead of time. So I usually get a few weeks away from writing to relax and get other things done. And, boy, did I get things done this year. Namely, I started a business. Kinda. I’ve been dog-sitting as a side hustle for six years but decided to formalize that business into an LLC. I had to research, buy, and implement booking software, get insurance, and move my clients from the platform I’d been using to the new one. Hell, even small things like business cards and a website needed to be created.

It was an excellent time to have posts pre-written ahead, let me tell you.

What that meant though was that I had a ton of samples stacked up that I wasn’t tasting. And so, let’s just jump into the first one and work our way through the backlog. Tonight’s bourbon is from Smooth Ambler. Smooth Ambler is a small distillery in West Virginia owned by Pernod Ricard. They are best known for their Old Scout line of sourced whiskeys, but they also distill their own as well. Founders’ Cask Strength is made from one of those bourbons that they distilled in-house. Specifically their “Bourbon Mashbill #2” which consists of 71% corn, 21% rye, and 8% malted barley. Founders’ will be released in select markets (California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas) for $54.99 per 750 mL bottle and 900 cases are going to be produced per year across six batches. The press release was kind enough to share a quote from the Smooth Ambler founder (fitting) so let’s hear what he has to say about the product:

As John Little states, “What’s great about the Founders’ Cask Strength Series is we finally get to let y’all taste delicious whiskey we’ve been excitedly working on for years in our part of the whiskey world – West Virginia. With this Bourbon recipe, we add a modest amount of Rye to play well with high corn content and let it age in Char #4 casks in the Appalachian climate.  It’s a surprising meddling of flavors and geographical superpowers that just work effortlessly.  So please enjoy this newly minted convergence of flavors, from our home to yours.” 

Ok. That’s enough with the background. Let’s move on to the important stuff, how does it taste?

Smooth Ambler Founder's Cask Strength Series, Batch 4, 2022

Purchase Info: This was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $54.99 for a 750 mL bottle and is available in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.67

Details: 61.4% ABV. Six years old. Mash bill: 71% corn, 21% rye, and 8% malted barley.

Nose: Honey, cinnamon, oak, and mint.

Mouth: Chocolate, oak, leather, berries, and cinnamon.

Finish: Sweet and medium length. Leather, chocolate, mint, anise, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: This is quite tasty—lots of oak-derived notes, such as leather and chocolate. The finish is the best and most complex part, precisely how I'd plan it if I were in charge. Delicious.

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