Today
is Veterans Day. Originally referred to as Armistice Day, it was signed
into law by President Calvin
Coolidge and declared that every November 11th
would be set aside to honor those who served and died in World War I. In 1945, Robert Weeks,
a World War II veteran from Alabama, began his mission to change Armistice Day
to honor all veterans, living or dead. He led a delegation that met with General
Dwight D. Eisenhower to push the idea through. Eisenhower agreed, and in
1954, when he was president, he signed into law the congressional amendment
changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
Let’s
stick with Weeks’ home state of Alabama because that’s where today’s whiskey originates.
It is called Dread
River Master Series Batch 2 – Veteran’s Edition and is distilled by Dread River Distilling Company
of Birmingham.
The
distillery is the brainchild of Dr. Jeff Dugan and John
Cubelic. In 2017, they imagined a small craft
distillery. After jumping through all the legal hoops, Dread River became a
reality in August 2019. It was the first working distilling in Birmingham in
over 100 years. Just as the wheels of progress got going, COVID-19 hit, and
production switched from distilling whiskey to making hand sanitizer. Once the
sanitizer was no longer needed, it resumed distilling whiskey, vodka, gin, rum,
and agave spirits.
“Dread River symbolizes the chasm between us and where we wanted to go, the relentless torrent of issues and roadblocks, and the frigid fear of failure. In making this distillery a reality, we realized that overcoming our fears isn’t just something we did; it’s who we are. For us, DREAD is not a paralytic. It’s an inspiration, a challenge just waiting to be accepted. Our goal is to inspire our friends to face their fears with us.” – Dread River Distilling Company
This
Veteran’s Edition Bourbon is a double-barrel whiskey, which was initially aged
in one barrel and then transferred to another for continued maturation. It was
put together by U.S. Air Force Combat Controller Master Sergeant Trey Bruner,
a 20-year veteran with eight combat deployments, who hand-selected the barrels
from Dread River’s stocks.
The
distillate comes from 60% corn, 30% wheat, and 10% malted barley that was twice
distilled through its 5000-liter copper pot still. The first maturation occurred
in new, #3 charred American oak barrels for a year. Next, it spent two years in
new, toasted 60-gallon French oak casks. The result is a 53% ABV (106°) Bourbon
packaged in a 750ml bottle that retails for $106.99. When asked how the price
was determined, Bruner suggested it was selected to match the whiskey’s proof.
How’s
this Bourbon taste? The only way to know is to #DrinkCurious. But first, I must
thank Dread River Distilling for sending me a sample in exchange for my
no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s get to it!
Appearance: I
poured this into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. Inside, the liquid presented
as the color of raw honey. A medium rim generated thick, slow legs.
Nose: As I
kept the rim of my glass against my lower lip, I smelled corn, grass, cantaloupe,
cacao, and vanilla. There was a slight spiciness that I attribute to the French
oak. When I pulled the air through my lips, I tasted sweet corn.
Palate: The
first sip revealed a creamy, dense texture. The front of my palate encountered
French oak, clove, and cantaloupe. The middle featured corn, vanilla, and
caramel, while the back offered white pepper, oats, and chocolate.
Finish: Medium
in duration, the finish consisted of white pepper, oats, French oak, caramel,
and clove.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I have
a ton of respect for those who have honorably served our nation by protecting
our freedoms. The first sip seemed very young. As I continued to explore, Master’s
Series Batch 2 began to grow on me but didn’t quite approach the premium-priced
Bourbon realm.
If you want something special
that honors and supports our veterans, you’ll want to purchase a bottle.
However, from a bang-for-the-buck standpoint, my rating is a Bar.
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 to do so responsibly.
Comments
Post a Comment
As we should drink in moderation, all comments are subject to it. Cheers!