Proof: 112.9

Age: NAS

Distillery: Buzzard’s Roost (MGP Sourced)

Mashbill: N/A

Price: $80 – $90

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Nose: Allspice, black pepper, bold oak spice, charred oak, brown sugar, butterscotch, molasses, light ethanol, musty leather, raisin, vanilla buttercream

Taste: Warm/tannic mouthfeel. Brown sugar, butterscotch, green tea, strong toasted oak, spearmint, burnt cedar, coffee, cloves, vanilla, grape, cardamom, earthy grain; leather and rye grain, dark chocolate.

Finish: Medium-long length. Strong toasted oak and dark chocolate at the front, jumping right into heavy spice; cardamom, black pepper, and clove, spice slowly fades into light fruit notes such as dried fruit and grape. Earthen notes of tea, musty leather and rye grain poke through to remind you this is a high rye Indiana bourbon. The end of the finish is vanilla buttercream and more wood notes; burnt cedar and charred oak.

Overall: Lots of wood. Lots of it. This is a toasted product but reads more along the lines of something double oaked. It has a hefty amount of charred oak on the palate and nose that reads like this was aged for a lengthy amount of time but the grain showing through also let you know it is still a younger bourbon at heart.

The molasses, dark chocolate, and rich oak is right in my wheelhouse but may be too much for some. For those who want something that has the mouthfeel and nose of a much older bourbon, with the profile of a rich oak and spice bomb – look into these picks!

The price point is a bit of a tough pill with prices ranging from $80 to $90 (from what I’ve seen); but this is a super small brand, with super small quantities of product, doing even smaller quantities of picks. I was skeptic and am the first to admit that I didn’t “believe” in the process that Buzzard’s Roost is doing.

HOWEVER – I love toasted and double oaked products. Their rebarreling of the liquid into a Char 1 barrel is perfect for me. If you align with my profile and don’t mind the price point, pick one or two of these up when you see them!

Rating: 7.4/10

Value Rating: 6/10

Total Score: 6.7/10