Ass Pocket Whiskey 10-Year Bourbon Review

 

 

“Ain't It A Shame...

that so many people are buying great bottles of bourbon but are too afraid to open them because they are “collectible”? Bourbon used to be about enjoying and experiencing the liquid. How did this ‘fear of opening’ start and how can we make it stop?

At APW, we believe bottles containing the world’s most coveted brown spirits should be cracked, not collected. With every release exclusively at 200ml to fit in your back pocket - our size lets you break the seal without breaking the bank.” – APW

 

There are gimmicks, and then there are things that sound like gimmicks. Gimmicks are fancy names, unusual packaging, or celebrity endorsements. So, when someone brings a new whiskey to the market and calls it Ass Pocket Whiskey, it is natural to assume this is a gimmick product.

 

Ass Pocket Whiskey is the brainchild of Derek Trucks, the guitarist from The Allman Brothers Band. That’s the celebrity component, and the packaging is a bare-bones 200ml glass flask with a label slapped on it. That’s the third.

 

Ass Pocket Whiskey is meant to be anything but gimmicky. First of all, Trucks is a serious whiskey fan. Second, inside the bottle is a 10-year-old Heritage Bourbon produced and bottled in Frankfort, Kentucky. What is in Frankfort?

 

• Buffalo Trace Distillery
• Glenn’s Creek Distilling (the former Old Crow Distillery)
• J. Mattingly 1845
• Castle & Key Distillery
• Jim Beam’s Old Grand-Dad plant

 

The source of this Bourbon and its mashbill is undisclosed, and we can’t even be sure that the distilling occurred in Frankfort (it says produced and bottled, not distilled). But, looking at this list, J. Mattingly 1845 is mostly blending; Castle & Key isn’t a decade old, and Glenn’s Creek fired up their still in 2014, making it an unlikely candidate. That leaves the other two. Looking at Trucks’ mission to bring a special Heritage Bourbon to the masses, could it be something from Buffalo Trace? Your guess is as good as mine.

 

We know that Batch 1 is packaged at 50% ABV (100°) and has a suggested price of $50.00. It was made available at Bourbon & Beyond and the brand’s website.

 

So, let’s address the big question: Is this just a gimmick? The only way to answer that is to #DrinkCurious. But first, I must thank APW for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured Ass Pocket Whiskey into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. It possessed a deep caramel color and formed a thin rim that shed thick, fast tears.

 

Nose: Rich, fruity smells wafted to my nostrils, including black cherries, plums, orange peel, and berries. Next came caramel, toffee, old leather, and tobacco leaf. Drawing the air into my mouth revealed orange zest.  

 

Palate: Ass Pocket Whiskey’s texture was creamy with a medium weight. The front of my palate discovered toffee, dark chocolate, and caramel. I tasted vanilla bean, leather, and tobacco as it moved to my mid-palate. The back included white pepper, Chinese black tea, and oak tannins.

 

Finish: The finish featured milk chocolate, maple syrup, nougat, a smidge of that tea, and ancient leather. The duration clocked in at 1:56, tossing it into the long venue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  Earlier, I pondered if Ass Pocket Whiskey was just a gimmick. The bold, fruity, savory smells were reminiscent of the EH Taylor Barrel Proof selections I’ve tried. At that point, I was convinced of the source. Yet, when I sipped it, my allegiance to that assessment waned; I don’t recall tea-like notes being a Buffalo Trace staple. This probably means I'm wrong on all counts.

 

Regardless of where it comes from, Ass Pocket Whiskey was utterly delightful, and I found myself refilling my glass. If you look at the $50.00 price, that translates to $125.00 for an otherwise standard bottle. Would I spend that much on this? Ass Pocket Whiskey is not a gimmick; it earns every iota of my Bottle 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 to do so responsibly.