Review of Old Swagger 12-Year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

 

Rising Tide Spirits was founded in 2018 as a non-distilling producer (NDP), and its name comes from the adage, “A rising tide raises all ships,” which is the philosophy of its founder, Ed Bley. That’s what Ed does; he tries to make the world a better place with everything he touches. A philanthropist and former MA for a neurosurgeon, Ed takes the time to get to know everyone he interacts with. There’s nothing phony about him; what you see is what you get - a man with an incredible, well-respected palate.

 

What are Ed’s credentials? In only four years, he’d picked over 250 barrels for the famed Covington, Kentucky’s Cork N’ Bottle, making him the #1 private barrel customer in 2017 for Wild Turkey worldwide with 21 barrels selected. Ed has built a following and has blended some of the most coveted Bourbons, including Old Baldy and Old Stubborn. Ed isn’t a distiller, nor does he want to be. He’d rather leave that to the professionals while he does the blending.

 

His newest release is Old Swagger, a 12-year-old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon distilled by MGP. It is blended from only a dozen barrels and packaged in a gorgeous, hand-blown decanter; each one takes 14 minutes to produce!

 

“It’s a long walk from the barrel to the bottle, a journey that takes insight and confidence to navigate. Along the way, there are many forks in the path that can greatly change the outcome of the final pour. Every decision in the process is a chance to demonstrate a command of control. When each step moves in rhythm, it’s no walk at all, it’s Swagger.” – Rising Tide Spirits

 

Before I get further, it is crucial to understand what Bottled-in-Bond means. While there could be a million things going through your mind, the short version is this:

 

To carry Bottled in Bond on the label, the spirit inside must be distilled from a single distiller in a single distilling season (January to June or July to December) and be 100% American-distilled. If the brand is not the distiller, the bottle must clearly state who the distiller is and where it was bottled. The whiskey must be packaged at 50% ABV (100°) and can only be proofed with pure water. It must mature at least four years in a government-bonded warehouse.

 

Before I get started on the #DrinkCurious thing, you should be aware of a few things:

 

Rising Tide’s whiskeys sell out very quickly. Ed is a great marketer with a huge fan base, and these are always one-offs in short supply. Generally speaking, The Bourbon Concierge and Revival tend to be the best places to find them, but Rising Tide’s website lists the retailers he works with. While you’re there, you might as well sign up for his email blasts so you don’t miss the boat on future releases.

 

Rising Tide provided me with a sample of Old Swagger in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: MGP (Ross & Squibb)
• Age: 12 years
• Mashbill: 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price per 750mL: $174.99
• Non-chill filtered

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass for this sipping experience and poured the Bourbon neat. Inside, the orange-topaz liquid created a thin rim with a slow-dropping curtain of tears.

 

Nose: I gave Old Swagger about 10 minutes to breathe before approaching it further. When I held the glass under my nostrils, I could smell cinnamon, leather, orange peel, a touch of mint, and caramel. When I pulled the aroma into my mouth, I found cherry cola.

 

Palate: Old Swagger’s texture was thin and exceptionally oily. I found it challenging to hold it on my tongue. The front of my palate easily identified Crème Brulee, almonds, and leather. As it slid across my mid-palate, I tasted cola, shredded tobacco, and orange zest. The back featured cinnamon spice, oak, and caramel.  

 

Finish: What remained in my mouth and throat included gently charred oak, clove, cinnamon spice, orange zest, cherry cola, and caramel. The intensity of the finish was level, yet it started sweet, then moved to spicy. Strangely, most of the finish remained in the front of my mouth. I timed it at 1:56, making for a long duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: One of my rules of thumb is that the prettier the package, the worse the whiskey inside is. A great whiskey shouldn’t need a fancy package – its reputation should speak for itself. Old Swagger drank at about its stated proof; it might be two to four points lower. It was very well-balanced and held my interest from the first sniff to the last swallow.

 

Old Swagger is the exception to the rule. Yeah, the decanter is gorgeous. You’ll keep it on your shelf long after the Bourbon is gone. But, that whiskey inside is so delightful that you’re going to nurse it because you know if you happen to get your hands on a Bottle, you won’t find another. 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.