Jump to content

J. Henry Patton Road Cask Strength Bourbon


Guest
This topic has been inactive for at least 365 days, and is now closed. Please feel free to start a new thread on the subject! 

Recommended Posts

I had a few drams of this last night wth my brother over to watch the Blackhawks / Oilers game.   I started the evening with OWA 107, and then poured a glass of the J. Henry and promptly spilled the whole glass on the table.  

 

When I finally poured it down my throat I was taken aback for a minute and didn't really know what to think. It tasted so different -- so much sweeter, lush, and "open" than the OWA (which I think of as a fairly narrow tasting bourbon -- though it has that great cinnamon note on the finish that pulls everything together and gives it that staying power at the end).  Open and narrow is just one way of describing the difference...  I guess I would also say that OWA tastes classic to me -- simple and focused -- very much a bourbon-y bourbon -- but the J Henry was a great deal more complex. 

 

I think that may have been why my first glass of the J Henry produced a big cloud of cartoon-question-marks over my head.  I put the difference in taste down to the heirloom (red) corn they used to produce the bourbon, and poured a second glass.  This was when my brother arrived (I always cheat a bit and get a head start when I'm hosting) -- so I poured him some of the J Henry and at his first sip he exclaimed "Wow, that's really good."

 

And it started to really taste that way to me too.  By the time I had a third pour I knew this was really something special.  I really savored the last glass. And I'm not sure that I tasted all of this:

 

“Nose: Butterscotch, caramel, toffee, buttery, cream, honey, vanilla, cola, plum, apricot, peach, citrus, floral, sherry notes, cinnamon, green leaves, toast, woody. Palate: Butterscotch, toffee, caramel, creamy, vanilla, banana, sweet corn, cherry, sultana, sour peach, citrus, bright mint, spearmint, eucalyptus, peppery, cinnamon, spicy, mineral, smooth. Finish: Fruity, spicy, clove, pine.” 

 

...But maybe that's only because I don't know what a sultana is.  :P   ^That's the manufacturer's description by the way.  So, perhaps it leans to uh... "completeness," but I can only say that figuring out all the flavors is one of the tastiest bourbon riddles I've ever tried to solve.  

 

This one is another bourbon Nancy Fraley helped bring into the world -- and I would say the owners also really seem to have their heads in the game.   May be heading up to their tasting room (north of Madison, WI) here shortly, to see what other goodies they have in store.  Meanwhile, at the 69.99 price point I found this for -- at Milwaukee's incomparable Discount Liquors -- I would rate it a strong buy.  

 

 

 

 

j henry.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I picked up a bottle last weekend, but haven't cracked it open yet. It's not available in TX, so I ordered a bottle online and had it shipped to a friend that was in Chicago for a couple of weeks on business. He brought it back for me in his checked luggage. I should open it in a couple of weeks - still working through a few other bottles I haven't opened just yet. It's nice to see such a positive review on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds interesting. If they aged in full size barrels for 5+ years after distilling their own grain (apparently at another nearby craft distillery called 45th Parallel that also makes a bourbon and rye I have not heard of before) then it sounds like it would be worth considering giving some support to. $70 bucks is still pretty steep but at least it is cask strength and not a complete NAS "Less than 2 years old" mystery whiskey being passed off as something it is not.

 

Is it a four grain whiskey? They mention growing the heirloom corn as well as both wheat and rye but not clear if they use malted barley or some other malted grain. Given the extent they have gone to I would guess a commercial enzyme would seem out of place here.  

 

Of course not likely to see it near me anytime soon!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

Is it a four grain whiskey? They mention growing the heirloom corn as well as both wheat and rye but not clear if they use malted barley or some other malted grain. Given the extent they have gone to I would guess a commercial enzyme would seem out of place here.  

 

Of course not likely to see it near me anytime soon!

Bruce, I knew I had come across it somewhere but couldn't recall where... It is in fact a 4 grain whiskey, with the barley being imported from a farm in a different part of the state (is what I seem to recall).  I know the barley is the only thing they don't grow in any case. 

 

The mashbill is approximately: "60% heirloom red corn, 14% wheat, 14% rye, and 12% malted barley" -- according to this review at Whiskey Wash:  https://thewhiskeywash.com/bourbon/whiskey-review-j-henry-sons-wisconsin-straight-bourbon-whiskey/

 

Hoping Nancy will tap in here and give any added perspective she has.  I will say that even when my better half leveraged the 69.99 tag to get the go ahead on some (really great) Franciscan plates at the Goodwill this weekend, I still felt very good having spent that much for this bottle.  Will likely get at least one more...

 

...Truth be told: I'm good on both for the whiskey and the plates.  I'm nothing if not a sucker for a smartly designed late-50's place setting.  ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the review on this. I will be in Chicago in April and am seriously considering picking this up at Binny's if I can find it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Guys, 

 

I'm sitting here sipping some J. Henry Patton Road Reserve, batch #3 at 56.8% ABV with a little Patton Rd batch #9 added as I write this post on this nice spring-like February afternoon here in Berkeley, CA. I prefer this whiskey over the 92 proof. These days, I must admit that lower proof is just too weak for me, probably because I have to work with cask strength every day. 

 

So, I started consulting for Joe & Liz Henry back in June 2013. I've gone through every barrel in their inventory and blended for them ever since. 

 

When Joe first contacted me, the oldest of the Bourbon was only a little over 3 years old. It is/was distilled by Paul Werni of 45th Parallel Distillery. Like Joe and Liz, Paul has also studied with me over the years in maturation, warehousing, blending, and sensory analysis training, but I digress. 

 

At any rate, rather than invest in an expensive pot still, Joe and Liz decided to let Paul distill the mash made from their unique red heirloom corn and other grains that they grow on their farm. They were initially a bit unsure as to whether they should ferment and distill it themselves or let someone else do that part. In the end, they (rightfully) decided to instead invest in a making an old family dairy barn into a world-class rick-house and concentrate on the maturation phase of production. I must admit, I'm really glad that they did this. In other posts you've probably heard me harp on about what the French call "elevage," which is the art of maturation. It literally means to raise a barrel as if it were a child, from infancy to adulthood. This is what they focus upon- raising their infant whiskey barrels into mature adults to be released at 5+ years old. 

 

Some of the earliest barrels had quite a bit of iso-amyl acetate, which is the ester formed from acetic acid and iso-amyl alcohol that gives the whisky a strong banana or pear note. The fermentations have since been controlled more so that this note is not as prominent, and other esters and wood notes are more in balance. 

 

The cooperage that has been used through the years includes McGinnis Cooperage, Brown-Forman Cooperage, and a few from Kelvin Cooperage, using a #3 char, with a toast as well. The newest cooperage will be some higher end barrels that we've procured from ISC, but this won't be released for quite a few years. 

 

If you can find it, you might want to check out the latest J. Henry & Sons Bourbon, the Bellefontaine Reserve. This whiskey draws on the family's French origins. In order to make this whiskey, I found a unique profile in their rick house that is a bit more brandy or Cognac like, as the barrels had more of a fruity, lighter toasted character, rather than a charred character. Also, to keep in line with the French maturation and blending theme, I had them make some petite eaux, which is an old French blending technique of taking some old spirit and adding it very slowly to water to about 25 to 30% ABV and aging it (the theory is to add the "stong to the weak," so you add the alcohol to water, rather than water to alcohol, in order to promote esterification and not encourage saponification). At any rate, we used this instead of RO water to very slowly reduce the whiskey to bottling strength. Slow water reduction techniques are always used though, no matter what. Finally, we finished the barrels in ex-Cognac casks, so as to add a little more European oak character and fruit. I'd love to know what you guys think of it if you have a chance to try it. 

 

Otherwise, I hope this helps in understanding the J. Henry & Sons Bourbons a little more. I'd be happy to answer any questions that aren't too proprietary. I hope you enjoy this Bourbon. It certainly is unique, and has some very desirable maturation conditions. 

 

Cheers!

Nancy

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, Nancy.  RE: the banana/pear note - how does one control fermentation in a closed barrel in order to reduce it?  Does just moving it to a "better" spot suffice?  As you know, there are a few well-known brands that have that note (well, at least one he says while smiling), especially in their below-100 proof offerings, which some of us avoid just for that reason (although the brand's BP is wonderful, IMO).  I just wondered whether this would be controllable/fixable if enough of us complained (he types while smiling again).  OTOH, that balanced fruit and toasted combo is prevalent in some of my favorite NONfinished bourbons.  Said another way, my sweet spot seems to cover everything from spicier cognacs through fruitier bourbons. So, keep turning these out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a much earlier bottling of this: Batch No. 3, bottle no. 37, 56.8% abv, This one is not all that sweet, but it has a very deep, rich backbone to it. The kind of flavor that Michael Jackson used to describe as "moreish" in older expressions of Scotch. 

I save this one for very well-informed guests, because one sip of this and their eyes open wide. It's not something one would pour for a novice, but for someone who has appreciated a variety of bourbons, it stands out and makes one contemplate all the directions bourbon can take. This particular bottling is perfect when slowly savored with a good book. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, WhiskeyBlender said:

Otherwise, I hope this helps in understanding the J. Henry & Sons Bourbons a little more. I'd be happy to answer any questions that aren't too proprietary. I hope you enjoy this Bourbon. It certainly is unique, and has some very desirable maturation conditions. 

 

Cheers!

Nancy

 

 

Nancy, thanks much for the background information.  Since making my initial post I have had several more pours of the Patton Road and I have become completely enamored with it.  It is remarkable to me how complex and pleasing the flavor palate is -- there are so many flavors and they're so well integrated.  To call it smooth seems to me to damn it with faint praise.  I'll keep working on this bottle and try to assemble some kind of tasting impressions before it's gone.  I'm new to this so am not confident with my tasting vocabulary or discernment of distinct flavors yet.  But I'm grateful to have taken a chance on this.  It seems to me that drinking bourbon like this -- that pushes the boundaries of what bourbon can be -- is a great way to learn.  Even for a rookie like myself. 

 

I'll definitely seek out the Bellefontaine.  May even take a little road trip to their farm  / tasting room -- just to say thanks, if nothing else...

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, I almost forgot: when I first started working with Joe and Liz Henry back in 2013, the entry proof of the barrels was quite high at 124. I had them go down to 122, and then again to where the entry proof is now, which is around 119 to 120, in order to pull out a bit more of the water soluble wood sugars. The earliest barrels, with an entry proof of 124, were somewhat dry and didn't have enough water soluble elements. This, too, has made a big difference in the overall balance of the whiskey. 

 

For Harry in DC: regarding the banana aroma, this in part could be coming from the Belgian yeast that is used, but it was probably augmented by fermentations that ran on the higher end of yeasts' temperature range. By lowering that a little- even if you keep the same Belgian yeast strain- you can rein in those esters so that you don't end up with a "banana bomb" Bourbon. After all, these esters in an acceptable range help to create complexity. Too much of them, and the whole thing is out of balance. 

 

@Steve L, if you are relatively local, you really should go pay them a visit at the tasting room, which is right there on the farm where the heirloom red corn grows and with the rick house in the background. Joe, Liz, and their sons, Joe and Jack, are all really good people who care deeply about the quality of their Bourbon. I would say that regardless of whether or not I work with them. They're deeply passionate. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally getting around to tasting this one.

 

This is a unique animal.

 

I'm getting wheat grass, pecan, cashew , caramel, and butterscotch on the nose. And some heat. It is cask strength after all.

 

It's sweet like wheated bourbon, but much more complex than I'm used to. I'm getting grain, sweet corn taste with more wheat grass. 

 

The finish is orange with more sweet corn, cherry (fresh, not maraschino), and candied cashews. There's some grain on the finish too, but like a sweet cereal.

 

This is the type of bourbon that might have a different profile the next time I try it, but I can count on a level of complexity that I'm certainly not used to.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, DeepCover said:

Finally getting around to tasting this one.

 

This is a unique animal.

 

I'm getting wheat grass, pecan, cashew , caramel, and butterscotch on the nose. And some heat. It is cask strength after all.

 

It's sweet like wheated bourbon, but much more complex than I'm used to. I'm getting grain, sweet corn taste with more wheat grass. 

 

The finish is orange with more sweet corn, cherry (fresh, not maraschino), and candied cashews. There's some grain on the finish too, but like a sweet cereal.

 

This is the type of bourbon that might have a different profile the next time I try it, but I can count on a level of complexity that I'm certainly not used to.

 

 

 Great notes and hope you have the same experience I did and enjoy it even more second and third time around.  On my first few pours I was really kinda disoriented.  But at this point I'm saving my scheckles for a couple more bottles next time I head north. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I picked up the cognac finished today.  Fairly impressed.  I've had/liked the cask strength, but this takes it up another level.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Glad you liked the Cognac-finished Bellefontaine Reserve, Tony! It took us about two years to blend that bourbon and get it where we wanted it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having a whiskey tasting with some friends tomorrow and this is one of the bottles I'm bringing.  Will be interesting to see if there's a consensus.  Nancy, is it true the Bellafontaine is a one shot, roughly 900 bottle run and that's it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Tony Santana said:

Having a whiskey tasting with some friends tomorrow and this is one of the bottles I'm bringing.  Will be interesting to see if there's a consensus.  Nancy, is it true the Bellafontaine is a one shot, roughly 900 bottle run and that's it?

 

If that's the case I am glad to have procured a bottle yesterday, straight out of the box at Discount Liquors.  It even "looks" appetizing... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Tony SantanaOh no,  that isn't true at all! That's not to say that the batches aren't small, they are. However, I'll be back out there in Wisconsin in mid-August to go through the barrel inventory, formulate upcoming blends for the 92 proof, determine barrels for Patton Rd Reserve, and of course, find the unique barrel profile that will become Bellefontaine Reserve. Speaking of the Bellefontaine, I'm having a little Bellefontaine this evening as an aperitif before dinner. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.