I’ll admit, when I heard of Augusta Distillery I thought we were going to be tasting something from Georgia. But no…this Augusta is “perched on a pristine stretch of the Ohio River…within a stone’s throw of five major markets.” “A stone’s throw” is stretching it a bit, but Augusta, Kentucky is within a few hours’ drive of Cincinnati, Lexington, Columbus, Louisville, and Indianapolis. One of their specialties is reliance on single barrel products to a heavy degree, in both their Augusta and Buckner lines. My local store started carrying them recently and I picked up their Small Batch Bourbon and the subject of today’s review, their Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon.
There is a long line of descriptors for this bourbon: cask strength (119.1 proof), unfiltered, single-barrel (26-16 batch…I’m guessing the “batch” refers to a collection of single barrel products that got bottled on the same day), and wheated (although I couldn’t find a mention of the actual mash bill online). There is no age statement, but being a “Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey” without an age statement means it is no less than 4 years old.
The Augusta Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon was a medium amber color in the glass with a very nice orange hue. On the nose, I got strong vanilla and caramel notes, along with a really interesting citrus and just a hint of oak. Giving it a sip, the sweetness up front was fantastic…a juicy apple note, backed up with vanilla and caramel. Then some soft spice comes in the form of cinnamon and just a little pepper, along with the oaky notes. The finish was lingering with a slight peppery buzz and apple sweetness.
By the time I got around to reviewing this bourbon, I had finished off 2/3 of it…and told the liquor store owner that I was in for another one when he ordered again. This Augusta Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon is a great find from an underrated distillery…and I can’t wait to visit the place in the fall.
