That doesn’t mean it is bad, but at 114.8 proof and 5 years old, I expected a bit more punch than I initially get. Quickly forming legs run at a medium clip down the glass, but leave a long lasting trail. Right off, this 5 year old beauty comes in with a very light amber color in the glass. It comes in at 114.8 proof and shows that it was barreled in September of 2014 and bottled in September of 2019, so this right at 5 years old. The bottle I have is batch 21, which has a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% barley. I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger and take a chance and see how they did. Backbone was actually one of the first to be transparent on the label that their product was sourced in Indiana and barreled in Bardstown. Taking that leap of faith back then earns some That’s Cool points from me. Remember, this is 2010 when there was very little focus on uncut, non-proofed down bourbons. I did some digging and learned that Backbone Bourbon Company started 10 years ago in Indiana, sourcing product from LDI (Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana) prior to LDI being acquired by MGP. Truly great, don’t pass this one up.So, I was looking over the selections over at BevMax and came across one that I had not heard of, Backbone Bourbon. This isn’t always the truth, but this Dep’s pick shows me that I shouldn’t shy away the next time I see a barrel like this. My mind is slowly changing in the regard that proof can sometimes make up for a lack of age. It’s a testament to the ability of great tasters to pick this out of a pile of barrels who could’ve easily declared that the proof was too high. As it stands though, this was still no slouch. Score: 7.8/10ģ.5 years old and it tastes like this?! This barrel may have been pulled too early! I can only imagine that in another 3 years, this would’ve been a HAZMAT short barrel with enough firepower to elevate it to legendary status. Of course, the always present cinnamon is there just to remind you of the heat it brings. What could’ve been a total mess of heat ends up being quite tasty and worth working past.įinish: Buttery gingersnap cookies mingle with sweet mint, cinnamon, black pepper flakes and sweet oak. There is lots of apple butter and cherry pie filling. This is spicy and hot and challenging, but in a fun way. Palate: 135 proof isn’t going to drink like Buffalo Trace, and this one proves it with a giant wallop of Fireball candies. Those terrific MGP bourbon notes of dark brown sugar, heavy baking spices, caramelized pears and apples, buttered filo dough and toasted oak all really point to this being a great nose. As might be expected with 135 proof, the amount of ethanol is decent, but not insurmountable. So how is it? I sat down and sampled this neat in a glencairn. At around $58, this was right at my “take the risk” threshold, so I pulled the trigger while I was down in Northern Kentucky recently. The age should be a warning sign, but I got the word from a good friend that this is an outstanding barrel. However, the stats you’re all here for is that this bourbon clocks in at 135 proof and is just a tick under 3.5 years old. I also do not know which bourbon mashbill that this one uses, but if I had to guess, it’s the high-rye (36%) MGP bourbon mashbill. Since a barrel size is not indicated on the bottle, I am to assume that it’s a standard 53 gallon barrel. Today, I have a Dep’s store pick of Backbone Bourbon. It is a very big secret in the world of whiskey. But those that know and love MGP, love their products. Even the labels on the bottles are unassuming. They’ve got a knack for sourcing great barrels and, if I’m being frank, the only thing keeping them off most people’s radar is that they use a very generic bottle. I don’t know if the largest contributor to their sales are single barrels, but it sure feels like it. They then age it in one of 3 different warehouses to include MGP’s own warehouses and then 2 different (unknown) locations in Kentucky. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.īackbone Bourbon is a company located in Kentucky that sources MGP distillate (Bourbon, Rye Whiskey, Light Whiskey and Wheat Whiskey) and either barrels it in their own custom barrels (I’ve seen 25, 30 and 53 gallon barrels used) or has MGP barrel it in their own barrels.
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