One
of the things I love about American whiskey brands is the backstory. It seems
like we’re obsessed with a good tale. Most of them talk about how someone’s
grandpappy’s grandpappy hid his secret corn likker recipe behind the false wall
of a Hoosier cabinet and, by sheer luck, the great-great-great-great-great
grandson (do I have enough greats?) was in an antique shop and discovered that
very same cabinet for sale.
The
story of Samuel Augustus Maverick is at least based on history. His family emigrated
to the New World in 1624. His grandmother married an American Revolutionary War
general named Robert
Anderson. His father, Samuel,
married Anderson’s daughter, and nine months later, “Gus”
was born. By the time he attended Yale, he had gone by “Sam” and had become a
lawyer.
Sam
moved to Georgia to mine gold but was unsuccessful. He then moved to Alabama
with 25 of his father’s slaves to run a plantation. Sam didn’t enjoy
supervising his slaves or running the plantation, so he picked up in 1835 and
moved to San Antonio, Texas. Sam purchased as many tracts of land as he could.
Meanwhile,
things in Texas got squirrely. Texas was a Mexican territory, and the president
was concerned that the Texans would hand the territory to the United States. As
things escalated, the Texas Revolution broke out. Fast-forward a bit, and Sam
is holed up at The Alamo. He survived the massacre because he was running a
message.
In
1839, he was elected mayor of San Antonio and served as the city treasurer and
Justice of the Peace. He continued to buy land and eventually owned 66,000
acres! After Texas joined the United States, he was elected to the Texas
legislature and helped organize the Democratic party.
Throughout
his life, Sam escaped death many times, whether it was due to battle or disease
or nearly drowning when his boat capsized. Sam’s story led to the coining of
the term maverick.
That,
in turn, brings us to Maverick
Distilling, which is built on the corner of Sam’s homestead
by Dr. Kenneth Maverick, his direct descendant. That, in turn, leads us to
today’s review of Maverick
Reserve Bottled in Bond Texas Straight Bourbon.
This
grain-to-glass Bourbon was distilled from a mash of 72% Texas corn, 18% rye,
and 10% malted barley; the Bourbon aged four years in historic bank vaults.
I’ve seen many ways brands have warehoused their whiskeys, and a bank vault is new
to me! The Bottled-in-Bond Act requires that spirits are packaged at 50% ABV
(100°), and a 750ml is available for $80.00.
I’m
grateful to Maverick Distilling for providing me with a sample of this Bourbon
in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and
discover how it tastes.
Appearance: I
poured Samuel Maverick into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. The liquid
possessed a deep, dark caramel color and formed a thin rim with fast tears.
Nose: The
aroma had notes of pecan pralines, honey, sweet corn, and a bit of smoke,
reminding me that this is a Texan distillate. When I drew the air into my
mouth, I encountered hickory smoke.
Palate: Samuel
Maverick’s texture was thick and full-bodied. The front tasted of cherry pie
filling and caramel. As it moved to my mid-palate, I found ancient leather,
shredded tobacco, and nutmeg. The back featured smoked oak, clove, and dark
chocolate.
Finish: The medium
finish included sweet barbeque sauce (where did that come from?), caramel, pecans,
leather, and clove. I timed it at 1:21.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: When I
smell smoke in a Texas Bourbon, it is a telltale signal that it will be
hellfire. That wasn’t the case here. Maverick Distilling created a sweet, smoky
whiskey with complimentary flavors instead of the more common over-oaked
aspect. It was flavorful, easy to sip, and ticked almost all of my required
boxes.
My only concern is the
price. I get that four years is longer than the two it would otherwise have
been and that holding onto those barrels is unusual for Maverick Distilling. At
the same time, this is craft – small craft at that. They aren’t sourcing the
distillate.
In my opinion, it is on the
pricy side. However, it is enjoyable. Bring it down by $15-20; it would be an
easy Bottle rating. I’m happy to have it in my whiskey library, yet as it is, I
think you should try this one first at a Bar to ensure it is worth that
investment. 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.
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