Cadenhead's Bourbon 14 Years Old Distilled at Heaven Hill

[Gillman]

This is one of the most interesting bourbons I've had.

A friend brought this for a tasting from London.

The label states (apart from what the Title above indicates) that it is "Bourbon", not straight bourbon that is, from one barrel, at cask strength just under 60% ABV.

Colour was a rich russet sherry, somewhat different to most U.S. bourbons or ryes I've seen, it looked more like Macallan 18 years old.

And here's the thing, it tastes a lot like it, too, or any other sherried, well-aged malt. I'm not sure I would know it was bourbon if included in a flight of top Scots malts especially again sherry-aged ones. It was very soft and rich, smooth as butter on the palate with an intriguing but hard-to-define flavour. I sampled it at about 45% ABV, I should add.

Obviously the barrel was U.S.-origin and new charred wood (hence the "bourbon" moniker).

My inference is, the red layer conferred the colour and rich sweet taste, but due to long aging in Cadenhead's warehouse in Scotland, the whiskey didn't cycle deeply into the barrel beyond that layer because of the cold climate there. Hence lack of evident tannins and a tan colour. Yet, it did mature, and very well, but in a different way to Kentucky bourbon.

I would guess further the whiskey was sent over very young, under two years and possibly when just a few months old.

It shows I think that the Kentucky climate does confer something unique, or at least a climate like it.

It's a fine product and very distinctive.

Gary

P.S. The other possibility is it acquired malt whisky-like character through sitting in a warehouse for years surrounded by barrels of fine malt whisky but I incline against that theory. Tom Moore's bourbon, some of it, is aged in warehouses that also contain American brandy but it doesn't taste somewhat like brandy, it tastes like Kentucky bourbon. I think the effect of the Scots climate, interacting with the new charred barrel, explains the soft, rich, fruity, malt whisky-like taste, but I could be wrong.

[Gillman]

I found a review of another Cadenhead's 14 year old bourbon online:

http://www.whiskyfun.com/archivemay11-1.html#020511

This is clearly a different bottling from the one I tasted because the ABV is different as is the no. of bottles rendered by the barrel.

Also too, this bottle from some years ago is described as gold-coloured. The one I tasted was a deep red.

What unites the two though IMO is the winy-like taste. In the case of the gold-coloured one, the reviewer wonders if it was finished in a sherry barrel. I would therefore wonder if the one I tasted was finished in a port or dark sherry barrel (e.g. Pedro Ximinez). It is entirely possible that the winy-like tastes are produced simply by interaction of the American barrel and the Scots aging environment, but I find the suggestion of some kind of wine finish very interesting.

Gary

[doubleblank]

Leif brought one of these to the Houston SB gathering two years ago May. I too enjoyed it and would not have guessed it as a HH bourbon. I don't recall the exact proof, etc. It was definitely something I would purchase, if I ran across it.

Randy

[wadewood]

Leif's bottle of this was very good. Also, Cadenhead clearly lists the distillery, which shoots down the myth of "we are not contractually allowed to disclose our sources".

[T Comp]

...What unites the two though IMO is the winy-like taste. In the case of the gold-coloured one, the reviewer wonders if it was finished in a sherry barrel. I would therefore wonder if the one I tasted was finished in a port or dark sherry barrel (e.g. Pedro Ximinez). It is entirely possible that the winy-like tastes are produced simply by interaction of the American barrel and the Scots aging environment, but I find the suggestion of some kind of wine finish very interesting.

Gary

As always interesting observations Gary. The Cadenhead web site states under World Whiskies "we bottle...bourbon from America" so I'll take that as some affirmation it is completely the Scots aging environment versus any re barreling port or sherry finish. Perhaps Leif, Macdeffe or other European correspondents here can confirm.

[Gillman]

Thanks guys. I didn't recall that bottle from Leif, Randy, I guess the other riches stole the attention!

Best to all.

Gary

[Beer&Bourbon]

BT is attempting to nail down the influence of a wide variety of factors and the role they play in the development of bourbon. Does anyone know if they're experimenting with this unique variable, climate? (Other than with the Bowman warehouse, which I imagine doesn't receive a truly unique enough climate to note much difference.)

[kyrocklover]

Is Cadenhead's available in Japan?