Echo Spirits Engineer Series 25 - Trail Mix - Bourbon Review

 

Have you ever been to a massive liquor store, perused the whiskey selection, and wondered if that variety is an illusion? Is what’s in front of you too similar because there are far fewer distillers than brands?

 

“We created our distillery to be an echo of a time when we knew the people making our local products. We're hauling ingredients, distilling, taste-testing. You can come in and shake the hand of the person who made your rum, and we'll give you a tour. We’re personable and friendly. While the rest of the world is speeding up, we're returning to a slower pace of life. We're returning to normal.” – Echo Spirits

 

Echo Spirits does everything it can to source things made or grown in Ohio. Founded in Columbus in 2019 by engineers Joe Bidinger and Nikhil Sharoff, the distillery produces rum, vodka, genever, and whiskey.

 

Joe and Nikhil are actual distillers, but like most newer brands, whiskey doesn’t magically appear overnight (unless that’s your brand’s schtick). So, while they wait for their stocks to mature properly, they’re sourcing aged whiskeys, blending, and barrel finishing to give it something of their own.

 

That’s where their Engineer Series comes into play.

 

“We do things differently. The Engineer Series is our answer to this challenge. While our own bourbon patiently ages to perfection, we’re taking a creative approach by sourcing exceptional barrels from some of the best distilleries across the country and crafting them into one-of-a-kind blends.” – Echo Spirits

 

The current Engineer Series is Batch 25A and called Trail Mix. It is a blend of two Bourbons distilled by Bardstown Bourbon Company. Both have 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley mashbills. Both aged for five years and eight months.

 

One of the barrels was dumped and re-barreled at Echo Spirits for a year and a month in heavy toast, new American oak barrels from the Speyside Cooperage. That accounts for 58% of the blend. The other barrel did not go through the finishing process. The yield was 357 – 750mL bottles packaged at 56.5% ABV (113°). Trail Mix is available at Ohio retailers and from the distillery’s online store and has a suggested price of $59.99.

 

You should know how it tastes before you run out and procure one. Thankfully, Echo Spirits provided me with a sample of Trail Mix to do the #DrinkCurious thing and put together my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. The liquid possessed a deep orange, almost rusty color. A thin, jagged rim unleashed thick, fast, tightly-spaced tears.

 

Nose: As I brought the glass to my nose, I found an aroma of corn, peanuts, strawberries, cherries, leather, and oak. When I inhaled the vapor through my lips, I found cocoa.

 

Palate: Trail Mix’s texture was medium-bodied and velvety. The front of my palate discerned salted caramel and vanilla. The middle tasted of roasted peanuts, cherries, and tobacco. There were flavors of toasted oak, dark chocolate, and clove on the back.    

 

Finish: Long and lingering, the finish featured peanuts, tobacco, dark chocolate, oak tannins, and salted caramel. As things began to fall off, the oak influence seemed bolder. The whiskey also left the roof of my mouth tingling. The duration ran 2:17.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I was wondering why Echo Spirits picked the name Trail Mix for this Bourbon, and after tasting it, I understood why. Several components just fit into what I’d expect from eating that snack.

 

I did something I don’t usually do: add two drops of water to see how the Bourbon would react. It substituted floral notes and vanilla bean for the leather and strawberries on the nose. The mouthfeel became dense and creamy, leading to far more pronounced flavors of salted caramel, dark chocolate, and peanuts. The sizzle on my hard palate diminished as well. The heavy oak remained.

 

I found Trail Mix to be an enjoyable pour, with or without water. I preferred the nose on the neat experience and slightly more of the palate with the added water.

 

From a value statement, I appreciate that Echo Spirits does not charge an obnoxious amount for a cask strength, five-year Bourbon. There’s significant bang for the buck, and I’m happy to confer Trail Mix my Bottle rating.

 

I’m also very curious what’s coming down the pike. 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.