I’m going to start with
some disclosures right out of the gate. When J. Henry & Sons Wisconsin Straight Bourbon hit the market, I
was the first reviewer to write about it (that I’m aware of). The Henry
Farm, located in Dane, is about a half-hour drive from me. Mrs. Whiskeyfellow
and I have become friends with the Henry clan, and we’ve been cheerleaders for
them over the years. I helped pick a private barrel of Patton Road Reserve a few years ago. I’ve even been a pour bunny
for the Henrys when they needed someone to run a table at a public show.
My point is, with the
Henrys, I have my biases. But, that doesn’t mean I can’t write about their
whiskey, give you some background, and tell you what the tasting notes are of
its newest release, La Flamme Reserve.
And, as you’ve seen in previous reviews, I’ve panned friends’ whiskeys before
when they don’t meet my standards. Honest reviews are just that. My distiller
friends expect and understand that they are neither immune nor given a pass.
The Henrys contract-distill
with 45th Parallel Distillery
up in New Richmond, Wisconsin. All 45th does is the distilling. The
mashbill of their four-grain Bourbon is 60% corn, 14% rye, 14% wheat, and 12%
malted barley. The Henrys grow their own, proprietary red heirloom corn, which was
a 1930’s strain resurrected by the University
of Wisconsin and grown by patriarch Joe
Henry. Joe also grows the rye and wheat used in the mash. Only the barley
is sourced, and 45th doesn’t use the Henry’s grains in any other
products.
The cask strength whiskey
is called Patton Road Reserve, named for the street the farm is located on. A
few years ago, the Henrys released Bellefontaine
Reserve, which was its Patton Road Reserve finished in ex-VSOP cognac
casks.
La Flamme Reserve is Patton
Road Reserve finished in ex-Armagnac casks. It was aged five years in the farm’s
former dairy-barn-turned-rickhouse and subjected to our brutal winters and hot,
humid summers. The Henrys team up with Nancy
“The Nose” Fraley to make sure things are just right.
“Every autumn in Gascony, France local farmers observe the successful grape harvest and the start of the Armagnac distilling season with ‘La Flamme de l’Armanac’ celebration. La Flamme Reserve honors traditional French blending techniques and marries the flavors of the Armagnac region of France to our Wisconsin Straight Bourbon.” – Joe Henry
Batch 01-Oct21 is bottled at
its cask strength of 115.14°, and retail is in the $90.00s.
Appearance: Served neat in my Glencairn glass, La Flamme
Reserve was a fiery orange-reddish amber. A thin rim led to husky, heavy legs
that crashed back into the pool of liquid sunshine.
Nose: I let this whiskey sit for several minutes
before bringing it to my face. Thick caramel was the first aroma I found, which
was joined by raisin, plum, roasted nuts, and toasted oak. When I brought the air
into my mouth, it was dry with pear and oak.
Palate: The mouthfeel was hot! The mistake would be to stop here and give up
due to the palate shock (and that goes with any
whiskey – never judge on the first sip). It made my lips tingle. It made my
throat warm. The second sip was oily and full-bodied. The fire went away. Flavors
of caramel, plum, raisin, and brown sugar were on the front of the palate, just
like the nose. The middle offered more dark fruit and maple syrup, and the back
gave up leather, clove, roasted nuts, and old oak.
Finish: Very
warm, long, dry, and unending, the finish featured notes of sticky caramel, dark
fruits, roasted nuts, and the old oak from the palate became damned ancient. There
was a recurring clove flavor that would fall off and come back. And, while the
clove was cycling out, dark chocolate would tango with it. That was unique. It
left my hard palate sizzling but didn’t have the same effect on my pharynx. I
tried timing it, but that in-and-out clove kept throwing me off.
With
Water: I promised Joe Jr. (one-half of the & Sons) that I would review this one
both neat and with a couple of drops of distilled water. Who am I to renege? I
do get pretty Type-A about adding water – I always use an eyedropper and
measure out two drops. That should be enough to change things up without
over-diluting the whiskey.
- Nose: The caramel and raisin notes became more pronounced, and the oak and nuts fell flat. Slightly spicy vanilla hid beneath the caramel and raisin. As I took the aroma into my mouth, it was thick, rich caramel that coated my tongue.
- Palate: The mouthfeel was far tamer heat-wise, and the oiliness remained and, contrary to what makes sense, became more so. My lips still tingled, but my hard palate did not. I tasted raisin, brown sugar, leather, and clove.
- Finish: The cycle of clove and dark chocolate was gone. I enjoyed that aspect and it was notably missing. It also was significantly shortened. The rest of the notes remained.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I disclosed my bias at the start. I’ll tell
you that I loved La Flamme Reserve. I’ll tell you that despite the “fiery”
mouthfeel, the proof on this sneaks up on you and batters you across the chin with
a 2x4 (you’ll want a designated driver if you’re not at home). I’ll tell you
that I bought a Bottle for my
whiskey library after sampling this at the J. Henry & Sons tasting room. And,
that’s my rating. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy to
Understand Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.
