Only
six distilleries nationwide could legally distill spirits when Prohibition
reared its ugly head. The rest were shuttered (or continued illegally). You
could still have whiskey, but it required a prescription from a doctor, a
dentist, or a veterinarian (yes, really!), and the script was good for only ten
days’ worth.
Fast-forward
to 2017. Dr. Rob Wilson, an Ear, Nose, and Throat physician, is reading Dream
Big by Bob Goff. It caused Dr. Rob to think about his dreams and
desires. He was a history buff and lived in Kentucky, and he fulfilled some of
those dreams. But it took him three years to realize that his passion for
building a Bourbon brand remained untouched. He was in a package shop perusing
the Bourbons, and the thought of Doctor’s
Blend Bourbon struck him between his eyes.
Nine
months later, Dr. Rob had been researching and planning, and he approached a
friend, another doctor, and invited him to join. Eventually, three doctors were
involved, and the dream became a reality in 2023. Doctor’s Blend Bourbon
produces Ten Day Bourbon, a nod to the ten-day script that could be written
during Prohibition.
Its
newest release is called Toasted
Oak Bourbon, which is a single barrel Kentucky
Straight Bourbon aged seven years, then finished another seven months in a
toasted oak barrel with French oak staves.
Before
I do the #DrinkCurious thing, I must take a moment to thank Doctor’s Blend
Bourbon for not only a sample of Toasted Oak Bourbon but for providing me with
a prescription to drink it legally (should Prohibition rear its ugly head
again) in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.
Time to take my medicine!
- Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
- Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distiller
- Age: 7 years
- Mashbill: 70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley
- Cooperage: 53-gallon, new charred oak, finished in toasted oak barrel with French oak staves for 7 months
- Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
- Price per 750mL: $79.00
Appearance: I
poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to experience it neat. There was a
brilliant orange amber hue. A thin rim produced a combination of tight and wide
tears; there was nothing uniform about them.
Nose: I
allowed the whiskey about ten minutes to breathe, then I brought the glass underneath
my nostrils and gently inhaled. I smelled rich caramel, plums, cherries, and
chocolate. Notably missing were notes commonly found with whiskeys subjected to
French oak finishing. I drew the air through my lips and encountered fresh cocoa
powder.
Palate: Toasted
Oak Bourbon possessed a creamy texture. Annnnnd this is where the French oak
influence became obvious. I tasted roasted coffee, hazelnuts, and dark
chocolate on the front of my palate. The middle featured caramel, nougat, and
cola, while the back included flavors of oak spice, clove, and tobacco leaf.
Finish: The
oak, clove, and tobacco leaf carried throughout the finish, as did the roasted
coffee and thick caramel. My hard palate numbed slightly, and then, from the
depths of wherever, came cinnamon spice. It ramped up to something significant.
The duration ran 1:24, which I would classify as medium.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: French
oak finishes are nothing new. It seems as though the entire industry goes through
cycles: French oak, Mizurana, Aburana, Rum, etc., ad nauseam. They’re
enjoyable, but they also become commonplace. I call them “me too” whiskeys
because they all begin to taste the same.
That’s not the case with Ten
Day Toasted Oak Bourbon. Sure, the expected notes are there (at least on the palate),
but the French oak isn’t dominating and, instead, is merely an accompaniment. I
found that welcoming, especially the lack of any such influence on the nose.
Toasted Oak Bourbon is correctly
proofed; anything lower would have likely resulted in a muted palate, while
anything more might have been overpowering. It is a seven-year-old, single-barrel
Bourbon with character and pizazz, and I believe it is well worth its price and
my Bottle rating. 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.
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