Horse Soldier Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

Seeing soldiers riding horseback brings to mind the US Calvary. The Calvary existed from 1861 until 1942, when it was disbanded as a sole unit, and soldiers rode mechanized vehicles rather than the old-school ones that ran on alfalfa hay and oats.

 

John Koko and Steve Neil became friends after 9/11 when they served overseas. Fourteen years later, they were on a horseback riding excursion in Yellowstone National Park. Nearby was a distillery they and John’s wife, Elizabeth Pritchard, visited. They took a tour and were sucked in – so much so that on their drive back home to Florida, they stopped at nearly every distillery they could find!

 

By the time they got home, they were already discussing how to get into craft distilling. On invitation, they trekked to Scotland to learn the ins and outs of distilling. From there, they created the American Freedom Distillery.

 

“Horse Soldier Bourbon Whiskey is crafted by the US Army Green Berets who answered America’s call days after 9/11 with a daring insertion, on horseback, into Northern Afghanistan. This brave and unconventional act earned them the moniker of ‘Horse Soldiers.’” – American Freedom Distillery

 

Horse Soldier Farms, located in Somerset, Kentucky, will be the home of American Freedom Distillery’s operations. Meanwhile, its whiskeys are currently sourced.

 

Horse Soldier Straight Bourbon Whiskey, its flagship expression, is derived from a mashbill of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. It is distilled by Middle West Spirits of Columbus, Ohio, then slept four years in new, charred oak barrels. It is non-chill filtered, packaged at 43.5% ABV (87°), and has a retail price of about $45.00.

 

There’s a small piece of trivia that’s heart-warming. See this label?

 

 

That’s made from bronze. It is special because every label is stamped using a mold from the World Trade Center recovered steel donated to American Freedom Distillery.

 

A 16-foot statue of a soldier riding a horse overlooks The National September 11 Memorial & Museum near Ground Zero called America’s Response Monument. A portion of each bottle’s sales is directed to help maintain this statue dedicated to the Special Forces.

 

 

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Now, just because this touches my heart, it doesn’t mean Horse Soldier Bourbon gets a free pass. We’ll still do the #DrinkCurious thing and judge this whiskey based on its smell, taste, and value. To do that, I must thank American Freedom Distillery for providing me with this sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. The color was a bright yellow-gold. The liquid created a rather bold rim, which held its shape for a few seconds before releasing tightly spaced, thinner tears.

 

Nose: As I brought the glass beneath my nostrils, I could discern corn, floral rye, caramel, and cherries. When I inhaled the vapor through my lips, I found rich caramel and more cherries.

 

Palate: The creamy mouthfeel carried some heft and slowly rolled across my tongue. I tasted corn, nutmeg, and vanilla on the front of my palate. The middle featured rye spice and toffee. I encountered oak, black pepper, and tobacco leaf on the back.

 

Finish: It was initially soft with vanilla and toffee notes but quickly muted as the black pepper and rye spices ramped up. There was the addition of barrel char at the very end. In all, the duration ran 1:40, making it medium-to-long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Horse Soldier Straight Bourbon Whiskey drank a few points above its stated proof. There was a nice combination of sweetness and spiciness throughout the sipping experience. I found it easy to drink – one that would make a daily drinker or a good cocktail base.

 

I appreciate American Freedom Distillery for not delivering an 80° flagship offering as many charity-focused whiskeys do. There’s enough punch to keep things interesting while allowing your head to remain clear. Frankly, Middle West Spirits distills good-to-excellent whiskeys, and I would have expected nothing less with Horse Soldier Straight Bourbon. The price is fair for what’s in the Bottle and worth picking up. 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.