Photos courtesy of Kentucky Owl

Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Limited Edition Bourbon

Vitals: 100 Proof (50% ABV); $135

Let the bourbon hunt begin. Kentucky Owl just announced the release of its first bottling since The Wiseman Bourbon last year. St. Patrick’s Limited Edition Bourbon is a collaborative effort between Irish and American master blenders, Kentucky Owl’s John Rhea and Louise McGuane, founder of J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey. Rhea and McGuane worked with straight bourbon parcels aged four-11 years to strike upon the final blend, which was bottled at 50% ABV. This includes wheated, high rye, and traditional mash recipes. Kentucky Owl  St. Patrick’s Bourbon is the second release under Rhea since coming to the company from Four Roses, where he served as Chief Operating Officer.

How Does It Taste?

Expect a spiced-up caramel and honey nose with more of the same on the palate, emphasizing orange, chocolate, and citrus peel. The finish is long and laden with vanilla and oak.

If you are a Kentucky Owl enthusiast, don’t dawdle, this stuff is prone to selling out. While the bourbon likely won’t be around long, its lineage will continue. These Kentucky Owl barrels are destined for Ireland. They’ll be filled with future releases of Irish whiskey by Louise McGuane.

Kentuckyowlbourbon.com

“This blend tastes like the Kentucky Owl products whiskey drinkers love, with an echo of big and bold juicy fruit flavors so familiar in Irish whiskey.”

– Louise McGuane, Founder, J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey

Spirits writers, marketers and designers are among the most influential forces in the spirits industry. Their opinions, ideas and creative talents inform and influence consumer perceptions and buying decisions. The John Barleycorn Society was started by a group of spirits journalists seeking to honor excellence in all facets of the industry. The journalists spent several years creating a comprehensive competition that became the John Barleycorn Awards. An elite team of authoritative and influential spirits journalists was selected to administer the flagship component of the Awards, a blind tasting competition destined to become the preeminent arbitrator of spirits taste, quality and character.