Dixon Dedman, of Kentucky Owl fame, has launched a new brand; 2XO Whiskey. 2XO, which stands for Two Times Oak, is a newcomer to the game, but like most brands that come from a successful Whiskey maker, it’s already seeing fairly widespread success.
From their website: “2XO is a unique blending process where Dixon re-barrels his hand-selected whiskey into new charred oak barrels to create a unique combination of intense flavors, character, and complexity. Each blend is limited, one-of-a-kind and has its own story.”
Dedman has released two SKU’s to date: The Phoenix Blend, and The Innkeeper’s Blend. Recently he was in Los Angeles for a tasting with some members of the local Spirits media. Unfortunately, I was in San Diego during his visit, but thankfully I was able to connect with his PR agency and they were gracious enough to send me a sample of both releases.
One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received this sample compliments of Dixon, 2XO, and his PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…
“The Innkeeper’s Blend is the second small batch blend in the brand’s Icon Series. The Innkeeper’s Blend pays homage to the Dedman family’s century-plus history in the hospitality industry, as previous owners of the famed Beaumont Inn on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail” reads an excerpt from their website describing the Innkeeper’s Blend which is just hitting shelves.
As The Phoenix Blend is essentially sold out, I will only be reviewing The Innkeeper’s.
Appearance: In glass this is a deep caramel with orange hues.
Nose: This opens with subtle notes of grape, and a blend of paprika, clove, and garlic powder. There is an overarching oak note, as is to be expected for a whiskey called “Two Times Oak”, which runs parallel to a sweet after dinner pillow mint.
Palate: The palate opens with the taste of sweet oaked water, followed by notes of black pepper, and a mild buffalo wing sauce. There’s a wonderful toasted oak note that starts on the mid palate and stays through the finish in addition to some notes of vanilla. The back palate has notes of cherry cola, as well as a vanilla custard that is a hybrid between a Boston Creme donut and crème bruûlée custard.
For 104 proof, this is dangerously easy to sip on.
Tag: Kentucky straight bourbon
With a history as storied as some Scotch brands, Old Forester is easily one of the best known Bourbon brands and is the first Bourbon to be commercially sold in sealed bottles.
Originally created by Former Master Taster Jackie Zykan, the 117 Series is the first Old Forester series to feature a woman’s signature on the bottle. The releases up until recently had all been selected by Zykan and have included High Angels Share barrels, barrels from Warehouse K, and two different 1910 releases: an extra old, and extra extra old.
This most recent release is the Warehouse H, which according to Old Forester “is symbolic of [our] growth after WWII. Construction on the brick warehouse began in 1946, housing 50,000 barrels. The 4 story, 8 chamber warehouse was designed to be heat cycled in the winter months when temperatures dropped below 60 degrees and the maturation process ceased. Warehouse H is unusual in its heat cycling profile with the 1st floor sometimes hitting the highest temperatures.”
One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received this sample compliments of Old Forester and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…
Appearance: In the glass this Bourbon presents as a beautiful golden honey.
Nose: There are notes of vegetable tanned leather alongside the OldFo’s usual off-sweet/sour note as well as some mocha notes. Following that is a subtle aroma of honey graham crackers with notes of caramel and toasted oak. A very subtle caramel apple helps to round out the aromatics with a touch of mint.
Palate: This is a surprisingly delicate Bourbon for Old Forester. Soft but prevalent creme bruûlée leads into silky caramel, and notes of barrel char. That is followed by a nice corn-forward sweetness, and a very subtle fruitiness that tastes like it was from a wine yeast. A little bit of dark chocolate truffle and cocoa powder round out the finish on this Bourbon.
Hardin’s Creek is the newest line of products from Jim Beam, which according to the press release “will chart the ongoing story of the Beam family legacy, one that is more than 227 years in the making, through highly limited and rare releases. Hardin’s Creek is the next generation of boundary-pushing, premium American Whiskey inspired by the expertise of seven generations of Beam Master Distillers.” This is the first brand under the leadership of Freddie Noe, the 8th generation Beam family member to be master distiller!
I have the pleasure of reviewing the first two whiskies from this new label, the “Colonel James B. Beam” Kentucky Straight Bourbon and “Jacob’s Well” Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received these samples compliments of Jim Beam and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…
We’re going to start with the Colonel Beam Bourbon:
This is a two-year-old Bourbon bottled at 54% and was made to honour the legacy of Colonel James Beauregard Beam, better known as Jim Beam. This Bourbon celebrates the fact that once prohibition was repealed “it just took 120 days” for Colonel Beam to get the Clermont distillery running again.
Appearance: In the glass, this Bourbon Is a beautiful amber honey.
Nose: It has warm notes of toffee and caramel. There are hints of flan and Dulce de leche as well. There’s also a very subtle but approachable corn sweetness. There are some earthy musk undertones and a bit of milk chocolate as well as a subtle wheatiness
Palate: Surprisingly soft start with notes of malted wheat and the same corn sweetness I found from the aromatics. It’s a very warming and mouth-filling dram. Really delicious and approachable. Flan, and Dusted cocoa powder with a slight oakiness all throughout, but it’s not overpowering. It’s welcoming and adds to the full encapsulation of your palate.
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Next, we’re going to discuss Jacob’s Well. This is a really interesting product as it’s a blend of 15 and 16-year-old bourbons with two different mash bills. The 16-year-old is a “traditional bourbon” while the 15-year is a “high rye bourbon blended to achieve a depth of flavor unlike any other in Beam history”. This also clocks in at 54% ABV and is double-distilled in Column stills.
Appearance: This Bourbon is one of the darkest I’ve ever seen, in the glass it presents as almost a caramel molasses.
Nose: If I could just write “chef’s kiss” for the aromatics, I would. This has such a wonderful aroma, notes of apple, and caramel, a soft wheat character, and a slight nuttiness. It’s a very dry aroma though with a fair bit of rye on the back end.
Palate: Wow, this is a peanut explosion! Following that, there is an almost lemonhead-like sour note, which then gives way to chili pepper, barrel wood, and a slight hint of banana.
Easily one of the most well known Bourbon brands is Knob Creek, made by Beam Suntory. Knob Creek is a part of Beam’s Small Batch Bourbon Collection, which also includes Booker’s, Baker’s, and Little Book.
Today we’re talking about the newest limited edition offering from Knob Creek, the 18 year. This release is aged twice as long as the standard bottling, is bottled at 100 proof, and is the oldest age-stated release from Knob Creek so far. According to the press release, this bottling was released in honour of the brand’s 30-year anniversary, 1992-2022.
One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received a sample compliments of Knob Creek and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…