Named after the shotguns the guards carried? Or because they use two barrels in the process of aging and making this whiskey? Probably yes to both. Recently I visited Brushy Mountain State Prison and Distillery up in Petros, TN. It was a great tour, and I was happy to carry away several bottles, including this Brushy Mountain Double Barrel Whiskey.
Note…they don’t call this Bourbon. They mention only corn and spring water, so I wonder if this is their moonshine, aged for 4 to 6 years (the website says 4, the bottle says 6). Whichever, it’s finished in Caribbean rum barrels and bottled at cask strength, in this case 113 proof. That seems hot, but I can tell you this is a smooth, sweet whiskey that I’ve learned to like quite a bit.
I has a fairly dark amber color in the glass, which made me think it was bourbon at first, but it doesn’t have quite the complexity to the aroma. It definitely has notes of oak and vanilla…but that’s about it. Sipping it, I found it to have tons of butterscotch notes with a touch of vanilla. I’ve found that it goes well with most cigars. Tonight I paired it with a Drew Estate Undercrown Maduro. If you don’t live in East Tennessee, you’ll have trouble finding this whiskey. If you come visit, make sure to take home some with you…I kinda love this stuff.
