Casey Jones Founders 10th Anniversary Blend Review

 

The Casey Jones Distillery was founded in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in 2014 by Arlon “AJ” Casey Jones. His grandfather was the namesake, and he was quite the legend. He created coffin stills made from copper that were shaped like coffins. The distillery has the last still Casey Jones built on display. I visited the distillery last August; this is my photo of the still.

 

 

“During Prohibition, Al Capone got moonshine from many different places. But the shine he liked the most came from Golden Pond, Kentucky. What made Golden Pond shine so special? Casey Jones. Casey was Golden Pond’s master stillmaker. The stills he designed were unique and meticulously crafted. Revenuers could tell a still was Casey’s just by looking at it. Fellow moonshiners and Chicago’s most famous gangster knew Casey’s stills by the superior product they produced.” – Casey Jones Distillery

 

And now, ten years later, Casey Jones has released its Founders 10^th Anniversary Blend. It started with a blend of its high corn mashbill Bourbon and its Barrel Cut, a 50% corn and 50% cane spirit. The Barrel Cut portion is from Barrels #200 and #234, and the Bourbon is Barrel #160, made from 96% corn, 3% rye, and 1% malted barley. Each is aged five years before the blending process occurs, and it is packaged in an etched 750ml bottle at 51.8% ABV (103.6°). It is a distillery-only offering and sells for $99.99.

 

I must thank Casey Jones Distillery for this #DrinkCurious opportunity by providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I sipped this neat from my Glencairn glass. The burnt umber-colored spirit created a husky rim. It took a bit, but widely spaced, thin tears crawled down the wall and back to the pool.

 

Nose: The aroma smelled of caramel, toffee, dates, figs, corn, and oak. Drawing the air through my lips offered a taste of toffee and cocoa.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was silky. Brown sugar, cherries, and vanilla flavors hit the front of my palate. Caramel, toffee, and dates came at the mid-palate. The back featured smoked oak, dark-roasted coffee, and

 

Finish: Dark roasted coffee, vanilla cream, cherries, and smoked oak remained, then came dried apricots, which was fascinating. The duration ran 2:47, making it a very long one.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I have to admit that I raised my eyebrow when I saw the aged moonshine component, and I must commend Casey Jones for making this blend work flawlessly. I loved the smoked oak component; so much was happening on my palate, and that mouthfeel was just crazy.

 

The blend drank close to ten points above the published proof; it was warming, and it was impossible not to recognize that it was an adult beverage. Despite that, it wasn’t what I’d classify as hot.

 

I poured a second glass. That means I really enjoyed what I was drinking. At $100.00, you have to consider this before committing to it, but I can tell you that you won’t have any buyer’s remorse if you purchase a Bottle. 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.