Have
you ever heard of Alan
Jackson? Of course you have. He’s a country
music superstar who has been around for decades. My favorite song he sang was Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)? which commemorated the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
You
know me as a reviewer of whiskey, not country music. And, frankly, you don’t want
me to review music. If you do the math, you’ll realize I’m penning a review on
a celebrity whiskey. That, in turn, brings a required disclosure from me,
so here it is. Typically, celebrity whiskeys are big on hype yet small on
delivery. However, I try to put that out of my mind so it won’t impact my
review.
“An image defined by an ICONIC music career. A career composed of timeless songs about life, love and heartache by a man of integrity with a signature look.
Silverbelly – the color of his iconic cowboy hat – a premium spirit distilled exclusively for and hand-selected by Alan Jackson.
Every detail of Silverbelly Whiskey has been carefully crafted to create a brand worthy of celebrating a career and countless memories for all to enjoy.” – Silverbelly Whiskey
The
schtick with Silverbelly is that Jackson uses Chart Numbers instead of batches,
each of which relates to one of his top hits in chronological order. Today I’m
exploring a Kentucky Straight Bourbon named for his 1990 #1 hit, Wanted.
It is distilled from a mash of 78% corn, 13% rye, and 9% malted barley. It
rested in new, charred oak for at least two years and is packaged at 45.5% ABV
(91°). Wanted is the second release, the first being Here In The Real World.
The
label states Wanted is produced by Silver Screen
Bottling Co. and lists KY-DSP-10, which means this
came from Green River Distilling
Company, formerly known as O.Z. Tyler Distillery. Green River was acquired by Bardstown Bourbon Co. in 2022. A 750ml bottle of Silverbelly is priced at
about $40.00 and seems to enjoy wide distribution.
Before
I go any further, I thank Silverbelly Whiskey for providing me with a sample in
exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious
and taste if this makes me sing a joyous song.
Appearance: I
sipped Wanted neat from my Glencairn glass. It presented as a brassy liquid. A
thinnish rim yielded wide tears and left sticky droplets behind.
Nose: Smells
of corn and vanilla were prevalent, which, quite frankly, was expected from a
younger, corn-heavy Bourbon. But there were also notes of brown sugar, cinnamon,
plums, and cherries. In fact, the longer I sniffed, the more pronounced the latter
two became. I found cherry vanilla when I inhaled through my lips.
Palate: The mouthfeel
was medium-weighted and flowed easily across my tongue. Just like the nose, the
palate was unexpectedly corn-forward. The front also included cinnamon and
apples. Midway through, flavors of brown sugar and caramel took over. I tasted
oak, clove, and tobacco leaf on the back.
Finish: A long
and spicy finish consisting of black pepper, cinnamon Red Hots, clove, and oak
tannins, while vanilla and corn hid beneath.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I want
to touch on something that I mentioned at the beginning of this review: this is
a celebrity whiskey. I give that side-eye because they’re typically pricy, and you
don’t get much in return aside from supporting the celebrity.
Proper proofing enhances flavors
and masks defects in younger whiskeys, and I believe Silverbelly hits the magic
number at 91°. It wasn’t harsh; it wasn’t a watery, muted Bourbon designed to
hide shortcomings deliberately. Instead, Wanted has character and charisma without
attempting to be something it can’t be – a luxury whiskey.
Alan Jackson defies the
stereotypical celebrity whiskey perception by producing a tasty, affordable
Bourbon. And the Bottle rating goes to… Silverbelly’s Wanted. 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.
thank you boss
ReplyDelete