Review of The Presidential Dram - One Term (Rye) and Two Terms (Bourbon) - 2024

 

The 2024 election season has come and gone (thank goodness). Some cheered the outcome, while others were disappointed.

 

Dave Schmier, the founder of Proof and Wood Ventures, has branched out to several product lines, one of the most popular being the DC Collection. No, we’re not talking about superheroes (although one can argue that Dave is a Superman in his own right); this DC refers to our nation’s capital.

 

Over the years, I’ve had various opportunities to review his DC Collection offerings, including The Senator (2020), The Justice (2020), The Presidential Dram (2020), The Cabinet (2022 and 2023), The Representative (2024), and The Senator (2024).  

 

Presidents are elected for four years and can serve a maximum of two terms (or ten years if they must step into someone else’s term). The 2024 version of The Presidential Dram is ready to hit store shelves.

 

Whether by careful planning or a happy accident, Proof and Wood has opted to release both a one-term and two-term Presidential Dram this year. Interestingly, the one-term has two variants: one was distilled in Indiana, the other in Minnesota.

 

Today, we’ll #DrinkCurious and explore the Indiana editions – a Bourbon and an American Rye. I must thank Proof and Wood for providing me with samples of each in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.

 

The Presidential Dram – One Term

 

• Distiller: MGP (Ross & Squibb)
• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Mashbill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
• Age: 4 years
• Entry Proof: 60% ABV (120°)
• Alcohol Content: 59.07% ABV (118.14°)
• Price per 700ml: $55.00

 

Appearance: A neat pour in my Glencairn glass presented as a dark, orange amber whiskey. A thin rim created thick, widely spaced tears that quickly fell back into the pool.

 

Nose: I smelled oak and cinnamon, along with caramel, leather, nutmeg, and dill. Pulling the air through my lips allowed me to discern vanilla mint.

 

Palate: The palate was creamy, and the front of my palate was filled with mint, dill, and anise. The mid-palate featured caramel, nutmeg, and tobacco leaf. I tasted cinnamon, oak, and herbal tea on the back.

 

Finish: Anise plowed through the experience well into the end of the finish. Herbal tea, caramel, and dill were evident, with the herbal note lasting the longest. Its duration was 1:16, placing it in the medium category. 

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Anise is one of those notes that I find unpleasant. I try to overlook it when considering my rating; sometimes I’m successful, but other times, I'm not so successful. In this case, it was prevalent and challenging for me to ignore. There were many familiar MGP 95/5 rye notes; they were simply overshadowed.

 

Regarding price, Proof and Wood is being more than fair – a cask strength, four-year-old American Rye can easily command more than $55.00.

 

Look – if anise, fennel, black licorice, etc. is your jam, you’ll lust after the One Term Presidential Dram. I just couldn’t get it out of my head, and because of that, it earned my Bar rating.   

◊◊◊◊◊ 

The Presidential Dram – Two Term

 

• Distiller: MGP (Ross & Squibb)
• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Mashbill: 99% Corn, 1% Rye
• Age: 8 years
• Entry Proof: 60% ABV (120°)
• Alcohol Content: 58.65% ABV (117.3°)
• Price per 700ml: $110.00

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. The bronze-colored liquid formed a thin rim, letting loose a wavy, slow curtain.

 

Nose: Corn and vanilla dominated the aroma. Less impactful were cherries, cinnamon, and oak. Pulling that air into my mouth revealed rich caramel.

 

Palate: The Presidential Dram’s texture was creamy yet lacked heft. Thick, almost sticky caramel joined butterscotch discs and corn on the front of my palate. The mid-palate tasted of cherry and vanilla cream, while flavors of oak, black pepper, and cinnamon Red Hots encompassed the back.  

 

Finish: With all that spice on the back, you could be lulled into believing that’s all there would be – and you’d be wrong. Yes, the spiciness from the cinnamon and black pepper carried all the way through, but the cherry and vanilla made its stand. I timed it at 2:43, making it quite long.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: At one point, I shouldn’t be surprised by how sweet a 99% corn Bourbon would be. It can be unusual to encounter caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch together, but in this whiskey’s case, it just worked. The spice notes washed the sweetness away, and, again, it was a different experience to have 1% rye content, which has such an influence. Of course, the barrel had plenty to do with it.

 

The Two-Term Presidential Dram had lovely, deep layers. When I thought this was a dessert whiskey, it stopped on a dime and then did a complete 180-degree turn. It drank about 10 points below its stated proof.

 

I truly enjoyed what this Bourbon had to offer. Yeah, it is a bit pricy, but not obnoxiously, and when it tastes like this, it is difficult to care for. I’m happy to convey my Bottle rating for it.

◊◊◊◊◊

 

Final Thoughts: One interesting observation was that while the Two Term was twice as old and was similarly proofed, the One Term had a much darker color.

 

MGP Ryes can be all over the place. I’ve had some that were very minty and others that highlighted cinnamon notes. The anise was far less common. The Bourbon was outstanding, and I loved everything about it.

 

If your palate is similar to mine, then your choice should be obvious. 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.