It
used to be that celebrity-branded whiskeys were almost guaranteed to be nothing
more than a hot garbage cash grab. I mean, they were horrible. Then, a
few years ago, they started getting better. I don’t know if that was due to
celebrities figuring out that these whiskeys weren’t doing them any favors, or
if they began to understand the difference between good and bad whiskeys.
Either way, they’re no longer something you can simply dismiss.
Last
year, Country music superstar Dierks
Bentley introduced his brand called Row 94.
He partnered with Green
River Distilling Co., which has a superb reputation. It was
a four-year-old, 47% ABV (94°) Bourbon that was affordable at $39.99. Row 94
was named for the year Bentley moved to Nashville to begin his career, as well
as a nod to Nashville’s Music Row.
Now,
Bentley is launching his second Bourbon called Row 94 Broꓘen Branches.
Yes, that’s a backwards K (I don’t follow him, and a brief websearch didn’t
explain why the K is backward). It is a limited-edition 5-year-old Bourbon that
underwent Branch Aging, where fire-toasted oak staves seasoned for up to
24 months were added. It is meant to coincide with Bentley’s Broken Branches
tour.
"For this limited edition offering, we used fire-toasted Oak staves that had been seasoned for 24 months for the ’Branch Aging,’ lending additional nuance to the whiskey. We produced just 1500 bottles, making this a truly rare craft whiskey that new bourbon lovers and enthusiasts alike will enjoy." - Travis Cantrell, Director of Quality, Lofted Custom Spirits
Lofted
Custom Spirits is a brand that pairs musicians with whiskey, allowing them to
create their own brands, and is under the Lofted Spirits umbrella, which owns Green River Distilling Co. and Bardstown Bourbon Company. Lofted was kind enough to provide me with a sample of Row
94 Broꓘen Branches in exchange for my
no-strings-attached, honest review. So, let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what
it is all about.
- Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
- Distiller: Green River Distilling Co.
- Age: 5 years
- Mashbill: 70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted and row barley
- Cooperage: 53-gallon new, #4 charred oak barrels, then finished with oak staves
- Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
- Price per 750mL: $99.99
Appearance: I used a
Glencairn glass to explore this Bourbon neat. It possessed a classic orange
amber color and formed a thick rim with massive, tightly spaced, slow tears.
Nose: I waited
about ten minutes before beginning my sniffing journey. I smelled stewed
peaches, plums, butterscotch, and oak. When I drew the aroma into my mouth, I encountered
black cherries.
Palate: Broꓘen
Branches had a buttery texture. The front of my palate found apples, brown
sugar, and tobacco leaves. I tasted a quick punch of butterscotch, along with steadier
nutmeg and leather on my mid-palate, while the back included flavors of charred
oak, cinnamon, and clove.
Finish: There
was cinnamon and clove, along with butterscotch and oak. There was also a kiss
of black pepper. The finish was long and steady, running a full 2:10.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Broꓘen
Branches is a lovely Bourbon. Let’s get that out of the way. It is well
balanced, it has an interesting combination of flavors, and it drinks at about
its stated proof.
The
addition of oak staves is atypical of what Green River typically offers. Its
flagship Bourbon is five years old and 45% ABV (90°) and costs about $35.00. Its
Barrel Proof option is about $50.00, and that’s usually around 15-20 proof points
higher than what Broꓘen Branches is packaged at.
Broꓘen Branches is an easy drinker. So is nearly every
Green River Bourbon I’ve had, which is what makes the distillery awesome. Yes,
there is that connection with Bentley. If you’re a huge fan, then yeah, you’ll
want to spend the money on it. You’d probably agree it is worth the cost of
admission.
However,
I don’t see those qualities adding a Bentley-like premium to this Bourbon. If
you’re like me, where you’re more interested in what’s inside the bottle than
on the label, I believe you’d concur that Broꓘen
Branches deserves a Bar 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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