The
funny thing about Wisconsin is that you can live in one state and work in five
others with a relatively short commute. Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa,
and Indiana surround us. There is a ton of water on our borders with multiple
rivers (including the Mississippi) and two Great Lakes.
Sturgeon,
Minnesota, is on the north bank of the St. Croix River, with Hudson, Wisconsin,
directly across it on the south. Guy and Michelle
Whitehead were living in Sturgeon with their three
sons, and they had a dream of building a family business. In 2018, they made
their dream come true by founding Lucky
Guys Distillery, not in Wisconsin, but in Oakdale, a
suburb of St. Paul.
The
Whiteheads never intended to stay in Oakdale; they wanted to be in Wisconsin. After
a few years, a lease in Wisconsin, right on the St. Croix, became available,
and they signed on the dotted line after only a few seconds. Guy did much of
the labor involved in transforming the space to a distillery, and in March of 2022,
they had their soft opening.
Their
sons, Charlie, Harrison, and Joe, are the inspiration behind the distillery’s name;
they’re the “lucky guys.” And, they all plan to be involved in the family
business.
“Lucky Guys is more than just a distillery—it’s a place where tradition meets craftsmanship. Every bottle we produce reflects our commitment to quality, using only the best ingredients and time-honored techniques to create smooth, flavorful spirits meant to be enjoyed with friends and family.” – Lucky Guys Distillery
What
the Whiteheads distill is 100% their own. Even the corn is grown on family
farmland. Her father owned it and split his various plots between
Michelle and her sisters.
Today,
I’m exploring Lucky Guys Distillery’s long-awaited Bourbon Whiskey.
Each bottle comes with a (faux) red rabbit’s foot for good luck. There’s a
sticker showing that it won silver in the 2024 Bartender Spirits Awards.
Awards
are cool, however, I prefer to judge on my own. And that happens when I
#DrinkCurious. Thankfully, Lucky Guys Distillery provided me with a sample of
its Bourbon in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.
- Whiskey Type: Bourbon
- Distiller: Lucky Guys Distilling
- Age: At least two years
- Mashbill: 65% corn, 25% rye, 10% malted barley
- Cooperage: New, charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
- Price per 750mL: $45.00
Appearance: I
poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass intending to sip it neat. The
liquid was the color of a bright, new penny. A wider rim formed thick,
lightning-fast tears.
Nose: The
first thing I noticed as I was pouring was cedar and sawdust on the nose, which
is something usually attributed to smaller cooperage maturation. Working on
that assumption, I allowed about 15 minutes for the whiskey to breathe. What I
found included peaches and sweet corn, along with new leather and toffee. As I
drew the aroma through my lips, I encountered more cedar.
Palate: The
Bourbon had a creamy, thick texture, which introduced the front of my palate to
new leather and tobacco. The middle featured sweet corn and rose petals. The back
consisted of cedar and herbal tea.
Finish: Several
seconds after the swallow, I encountered bold oak and cinnamon spices on top of
the herbal tea and tobacco. Then came a wave of clove. The duration was medium,
lasting about 1:06.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I am
confident that Lucky Guys Distillery uses smaller oak vessels to age its Bourbon;
I’ll go out on a limb and guess they are 30-gallon (EDIT TO ADD: Guy confirmed he has used barrels of various sizes). There’s nothing wrong with
that if you do it right; the smaller the barrel, the faster it ages and the more
woody it becomes.
Cedar dominated both the nose
and palate. It wasn’t so intense that it hid other notes (I’ve run into my fair
share of whiskeys that have). Yet, it is a note that can be challenging for
some whiskey drinkers to appreciate. Due to its influence, I believe it
deserves my Bar rating. You’ll want to try this one for yourself first.
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.
Comments
Post a Comment
As we should drink in moderation, all comments are subject to it. Cheers!