It’s fun to explore the shelves of “leftover” Bourbons at your local store. If a brand doesn’t exactly set the world afire…at least at that shop…the last bottle or two of a brand may linger for months or years before being rediscovered. That’s where I found Wheel Horse Bourbon, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon made in Owensboro, Kentucky, and bottled at 101 proof. It was a top 20 whiskey of the year for Whisky Advocate magazine in 2021 and rated at 91 points if that sort of thing is important to you.
The back label of this bottle shows that it is from Batch 4 and uses a mash bill consisting of 70% corn, 20% rye, and 9% malted barley. They aged it a minimum of 3 years. It has a medium amber color and a light aroma of oak with a touch of vanilla. Taking a sip, I had trouble telling if the burn was rye spice or alcohol vapors.
I’m more of a fan of wheated “sweeter” whiskies, but every now and then a high rye bourbon surprises me. This is one of those times…Wheel Horse is still quite sweet, but also has a spicy characteristic that was very nice. It made for a nice pairing with a Foundation Charter Oak Maduro, and would probably play well with just about any cigar besides the mildest. And in a day when bourbon prices have gone absolutely mad, the list price for this is still $35…if you can find it.
