Wollersheim Curiosity Collection No. 7 Port-Finished Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes

I’ve been following Wollersheim Winery & Distillery since before it was making whiskey. Located in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, it began growing grapes in the 1840s. Peter Kehl built the winery, and his son, Jacob, started distilling brandy around 1876.  

 

It distilled brandy as far back as 1876 and operated as a winery and distillery until Prohibition shut the entire operation. In 1972, Bob Wollersheim reopened the winery, while his son-in-law Philippe Coquard wanted to resume distilling brandy. There was a problem: Wisconsin’s arcane laws prohibited wineries from distilling spirits, so Wollersheim and Coquard concentrated on winemaking. In 2009, Wisconsin entered the modern world when it passed legislation rescinding that limitation.  

 

“Philippe has had a lifelong love of Cognac, a particular type of grape brandy from France. His goal was to make the Coquard Brandy a Cognac-style brandy, best for sipping.” – Wollersheim Distillery

 

In 2015, Philippe and his son-in-law, Tom Lenerz, erected a separate building to house the distilling operation. Tom wanted to create not only brandy but also whiskey, gin, and absinthe. It didn’t take him long to tinker around with the still and distilled his unique mashbills using locally-grown grains. In 2018, Distiller Tom (as I like to call him) released his first whiskey: Round Top Rye.

 

Several whiskeys have dropped since, including two Bottled-in-Bond Bourbons, a private barrel of Bourbon I helped pick in 2020, and a line of experimental whiskeys aptly named The Curiosity Collection. And, here we are in 2022 with the seventh edition of the collection.

 

Curiosity Collection No. 7 is a Bourbon made from a sweet mash of 75% blue corn, 10% rye, and 15% malted barley. It aged five years in new, charred oak and then spent an additional year in used red Port barrels. It carries a six-year, 13-day age statement and is the oldest whiskey the distillery has bottled. The Port barrels came from Wollersheim’s own winery and had complete control of which barrels it believed best. It is packaged at 90°.

 

I procured my 750ml bottle from the distillery for $54.00. Was this a good purchase? The only way to know for sure is to #DrinkCurious.

 

Appearance:  Poured neat in my Glencairn glass, this Bourbon was the color of rust. It formed a thinner rim that created a wavy curtain of tears.

 

Nose: I discovered aromas of vanilla wafers, plum, cherry, cocoa, and nutmeg. As I inhaled through my lips, plum dominated.

 

Palate: An oily, slick texture rolled across my tongue. Flavors of cherry, plum, raisin, and chocolate were on the front. Caramel, nutmeg, and cinnamon on the middle led to oak, black pepper, and more plum on the back.

 

Finish:  Long, spicy, and somewhat dry, the finish offered notes of black pepper, oak, and a touch of cinnamon spice. I couldn’t find any fruit notes, but there was a touch of caramel hidden amongst the spice. A bit of pucker power made me involuntarily smack my tongue and lips.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  Distiller Tom is really coming into his own. The first whiskeys the distillery released were notably young. But, as they’ve matured, so have his skills. For those who felt the past Wollersheim releases were dumped too early, Curiosity Collection No. 7 will be the one that changes your mind. It sips so easily, and for $54.00, I’m giving this one a Bottle rating and am happy to have it in my whiskey library. 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.