Whiskey Acres – Bourbon


This week’s review is Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. Bourbon. Last Saturday, June 4, Whiskey Acres released their  Bourbon. Since they are close by in DeKalb IL, Joy and I decided to attend their Bourbon Release Party.

The release party was very successful. I also got to meet Nick, who is a customer of Whiskey Resources. They always wanted to do Bourbon, so they have been making it for the last two years.

To keep the lights on, they have sold Vodka made from corn, which is very popular. Whiskey Acres also sold an unaged Corn Whiskey. They gave the buyer a small chard oak stave so you can age it at home. The Corn Whiskey is also very tasty and I will review in the near future.

Here is a link to their web site:  whiskeyacres.com

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Appearance

The color is a deep amber color and clings to the tasting glass very nicely. Being only two years old, I thought it would be lighter. The printed on glass bottles are nice with cork stoppers. I like their motto, “From Seed to Spirit”. Its appearance is everything you would want in Bourbon. The barrel warehouse is a repurposed quonset hut that has served as a corn bin at one time.

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Smell

This is a wheat Bourbon, so it is not as spicy as is normal for a wheat Bourbon. The smell is very nice. I find it hard to believe this is only aged for two years. That quonset hut must contain magic to produce this quality of a Bourbon in such a short time. The wood, vanilla, and nutmeg come across very nice. There is also a faint smell of corn.

The distillery is on a working farm where they grow their own corn. They keep the best corn to make their Bourbon and sell the rest to other distillers. Only the best grain goes into the mash. The excellent quality corn makes the smell so nice.

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Taste

The taste is smooth from the front to the back. There is a little alcohol bite, but not much. It is bottled at 87 Proof or 48.5 ABV.

The spice is mellow and the grains are soft just as you would expect from a wheat Bourbon. I really like the smell from the plentiful vanilla and orange, but it is not harsh. This is the best inhouse craft Bourbon that I have tasted. Again, it is only two years old. So this proves you can’t judge Bourbon by its age. A splash of water does open this bourbon very nicely and just enhances its wonderful taste.

When tasting, it is hard not to stop and give it another smell. The smell is simple grain with the spices of wood. But like good blues, it sounds simple yet so hard to play. The wonderful smell is simple, but yet it is a perfect smelling Bourbon.

Drink

I made an Old Fashion, which is the drink I had during the Bourbon Release Party.

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Here is the recipe I used to create this very enjoyable libation:

  1. 2 tsp sugar
  2. 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
  3. 1 orange slice
  4. 1 maraschino cherry
  5. 2 ½ oz. Bourbon (Whiskey Acres)
  6. 2 oz. club soda.

Muddle the sugar, bitters, orange, and cherry together. Add bourbon and strain into a ice filled old fashion glass. Add an orange slice and cherry.