Charles Goodnight 115-Proof 6-Year Texas Straight Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes

 

Our story begins with the birth of Charles Goodnight on March 5, 1856, in Illinois. When he was ten years old, his family relocated to Waco, Texas. In another ten years, he was working as a cowboy. He had joined the local militia and engaged in several skirmishes with the Comanche. At 21, he became a Texas Ranger and continued to fight in various wars with Native Americans. When the Civil War broke out, Goodnight was an Indian Scout, part of the United States Army.

 

After leaving the Army, he teamed with Oliver Loving. He drove cattle from Fort Belknap, Texas, to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The trail they created and used became known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. While driving cattle, he invented the chuck wagon, made from the remnants of an Army surplus Studebaker. Loving died in 1870, and a year later, Goodnight was driving cattle north to Colorado and Wyoming.

 

Goodnight founded a ranch with John Adair called the JA Ranch. At its peak, they held 100,000 head of cattle and set up American bison reserves on a million acres of land in Texas! In 1878, he drove a herd to Dodge City, Kansas. He formed the Palo Duro-Dodge City Trail, which many ranchers in the Texas panhandle utilized.

 

Quanah Parker, the last Chief of the Comanches, signed a treaty with Goodnight that allowed the Native Americans to take a limited amount of bison if they would cease raids on Goodnight’s cattle herds. However, cattle theft was so intense that in 1880, he formed the Panhandle Stockman’s Association, which was not so nice to the Native Americans. This dismayed Goodnight and ended his partnership with Adair and the JA Ranch.

 

Goodnight founded another ranch and was credited with being the first rancher to use barbed wire fencing to secure his cattle. He also founded Goodnight College in Armstrong County, Texas.

 

As you can tell, Charles Goodnight was a storied man who contributed significantly to the southwest region of this nation. It should come as no surprise that someone in the wine and spirits business would honor Goodnight with a namesake whiskey. That person was Bill Foley, the great-great nephew of Charles Goodnight, founder of Foley Family Wines, owner of the Las Vegas Golden Nights, and Executive Chairman of the Fortune 500 company Fidelity National, Inc.

 

“My great-great uncle was legendary Texas cattleman Charles Goodnight, who drove herds of longhorn thousands of miles over the now-famous Goodnight-Loving Trail. His adventurous life inspired books, movies, and this bold, high-rye Texas bourbon. At a barrel strength of 115 proof, our intense whiskey delivers toasted caramel aromas, nutty flavors, and a peppery bite that lingers long past sunset.” – Bill Foley

 

Charles Goodnight Texas Straight Bourbon is made from a mash of 60% Texas-grown corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley and locally sourced aquifer water. It spent 6 years in the blistering Texas heat before bottling at 57.5% ABV (115°). It is an impressive-looking 750ml package that costs about $79.99.

 

I must thank Goodnight Distillery for providing me with a sample of this Bourbon in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Now, let’s dive deep and #DrinkCurious.  

 

Appearance: I sipped this Texas Bourbon neat from my Glencairn glass. The liquid inside was the deepest orange-rust color I’ve seen in a whiskey. A big, bold rim released thick, syrupy tears.

 

Nose: I smelled Hickory Liquid Smoke. I set the glass back down and waited another five minutes. Most of that was muted when I brought it back to my nostrils. Then, I could pluck stewed peaches, apricots, and brown sugar. The Liquid Smoke dominated again, so I set the glass back down and waited another five minutes. I picked up caramel, but that was drowned out quickly by, you guessed it, Liquid Smoke. I wasn’t going in for a fourth round.

 

Next, I drew the air into my mouth. There, I found bitter dark chocolate and oak.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was somewhat creamy. The front of my palate encountered hazelnuts, hickory, and dark chocolate. Midway through, I tasted rich caramel and flavors of French oak, stale black coffee, and black pepper sat on the back of my palate.

 

Finish: There was something sour that remained behind. It wasn’t lemony-sour; it was different, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. The finish was very long and warm, retaining hickory smoke quality. I found rye spice, dark chocolate, dense oak, and caramel.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Texas whiskeys are unique to themselves. In my experience, they are a love-it-or-hate-it category. There is no, "It's okay." I've had some amazing Texas Bourbons. Charles Goodnight 115 doesn’t fall into that category. I tried; I gave this several chances, and it refused to improve. If I had to say something positive about this Bourbon, it would be that the bottle was beautiful. Unfortunately, a pretty package doesn’t impact my rating, which is a Bust.   

 

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 to do so responsibly.