Seelbach’s Private Bourbon Barrel Blend
I’ve been on a bit of a KCD tear lately. A couple of samples, a few bottles, and even a flask! (200ml size is the perfect size!) I think I’ve hit the perfect time to jump in as with each sample I savor, there’s a new element to their whiskies that surprises and excites me. It feels like when I just started getting into bourbon as if a whole new world of flavors is opening up. There must be something in that NYC water!
I want to thank Collin, Nathan, and the other KCD blenders who graciously answered all the questions I had for them. I greatly appreciate their time and insight into their process. Brooklyn and Kings County are at the top of my list to visit next!
This single barrel is made up of a collection of barrels, married into a final reused 53-gallon barrel. This private blend started as the base for Barrel Strength Bourbon Batch #17, with nearly 53 gallons held back for further maturing. KCD isn’t wasting any of their barrels and continues to use them as tanking vessels, topping up any whiskey lost to Angel’s share. That is the case here, as they used some 8-year-old “hyper-concentrated” whiskey to refill loss from evaporation. I love their description here as this leaky barrel ended up at a whopping 78.95% ABV, this “culinary reduction of a whiskey — half whiskey, half jelly” added up only a small portion of the blend, but a wealth of flavor and viscosity to the blend.
Distillery: King’s County Distillery.
Region: Brooklyn, New York.
ABV: 64.4%.
Age: 6 Years.
Cask type: New Charred Oak. Collection of 53 and 15-gallon casks. #05604
Price: $120.
Color: 1.7, Burnt Umber. Natural Color.
Tasting Notes
Tasted neat in a Glencairn with 15+ minutes of rest. Dilution was added for the second half of the tasting with an additional rest of upwards of an hour. This review encompasses my initial impression to the final glass.
Nose: Cereals as a first note is a great start for this whiskey. The high malt of the mash bill comes through crystal clear and reminds me of Chattanooga’s high malt whiskies. Undoubtedly a KCD profile with molasses and demerara sugars. Oaky baking spices of cassia cinnamon, chili powder, and vanilla bean. It’s an interesting fruit combo with both caramelized bananas and stone fruits. The distinct yeast roll aroma, combined with those fruity esters, instantly reminds me of fresh and warm hot cross buns. Dilution helps along those fruit notes, making them a touch more prominent on the nose. It also tones down the cinnamon bark in favor of a royal icing sweetness.
Palate: Heavy oak tannins and cinnamon red hots. Might be a bit too tannic for my preferences here. Leather, oak, and herbaceous blend of flavors. Dried stone fruits, notably plumbs, with a more palatable sugared date flavor mixed in. The barrel char gives me smoked sage or rosemary vibes. That intense aromatic garnish to a gin cocktail. Sticking with the cocktail theme, this whiskey feels like an unbalanced Old Fashioned with a few extra dashes of unwanted bitters. Water helps to disperse the tannins and initially presents a more palatable sip. I noticed a slight sour note on the nose that I didn’t want to call out as lactic. It was more of a fermented aroma. On the palate, it’s a focused tart flavor like unripened cherries and granny smith apple peels.
Finish: I welcome the bitter profile on the finish as it’s represented with a wonderful fresh pressed espresso note. Both bitter and fruity. More molasses along with a ginger snap cookie flavor. Some sips are far more pleasant than others, which greatly depends on your oak preferences in your whiskies. The sour notes come through as sugar-coated grapefruit, with sweet and tart flavors. My hesitancy to call out any lactic notes cannot be denied on the finish. With the combination of lactic qualities and baking spices, my mind is again drawn to confectionary flavors, specifically Tres Leche cake. Dilution aided the nose and palate, however, I think the finish is hardest hit with tannic, medicinal, and herbescent notes. It’s best to leave this glass to rest a bit longer.
Overall
I may have already tasted one of, if not the best single barrel King’s County has produced thus far: that being the 8 Year #2021. It will likely skew any future bourbon I taste from them. The bar is set, and it is ludicrously high.
If you’ve read my other reviews where I mention my sensitivity to tannins, know that my tolerance is lower than most. If you enjoy those big oak notes from your bourbon, this bottle will especially satisfy your palate. It’s not an oak bomb so-to-speak, but it’s a uniquely tart bitterness that you will find in many bottles of amaro.
There’s much to love about this whiskey, but fully appreciating it requires considerable coaxing. If you have the patience, I think you will enjoy this whiskey as much as I do.
Final Score: 88
