Oaklore
Distilling Co. makes whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum. It
was founded in North Carolina in 2016 by two neighbors, Tom Bogan
and Matt Simpkins, who met while walking their kids to the school
bus. If you want to read about this very charming story (and the perseverance
involved in getting a distillery off the ground), you can check out my review of its Four Grain Bourbon
from this past May.
Oaklore
works with what it calls sister distilleries, which I suspect is a euphemism
for contract distillers. The Four Grain Bourbon came from sister distilleries
in both North Carolina and Kentucky. The whiskey is aged entirely in North
Carolina. The Piedmont region is a friendly climate for aging whiskey. It is a
humid, sub-tropical one with large temperature swings.
Oloroso Sherry
Cask Finish is part of Oaklore’s Story Series,
the name for its limited-edition whiskeys. Everything that
Oaklore talks about is part of a story, from its founding to its tasting room.
The tagline is A Story in Every Glass.
“National Bourbon Heritage Month feels like as good a time as ever for folks to try a smaller American Whiskey that represents a lesser known, but emerging whiskey-producing state like North Carolina – whether that’s our original Four Grain Bourbon or this special Oloroso Sherry Finished Cask Finished expression.” - Tom Bogan, Co-Founder and Master Blender
Oloroso
Sherry Cask Finish can be purchased directly from the distillery, its online store, or at select North Carolina retailers. The
question, of course, is whether you should try to get your hands on one? We’ll
#DrinkCurious to get the answer, and for that, I must thank Oaklore Distilling
for providing me with this opportunity in exchange for my no-strings-attached,
honest review. Let’s do that now.
- Whiskey Type: Bourbon
- Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky and North Carolina “sister” distilleries
- Age: 6 years
- Mashbill: 70% corn, 10% rye, 10% wheat, 10% malted barley
- Cooperage: New, #2, #3, and #4 charred oak barrels, then Oloroso Sherry casks for 12-18 months
- Alcohol Content: 47.5% ABV (95°)
- Price per 750mL: $99.99 (750 bottles total)
- Non-Chill Filtered
Appearance: I
poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. It had a deep, dark mahogany
color. A medium rim discharged thick, fast, evenly spaced tears.
Nose: I allowed
the whiskey about 15 minutes to breathe, then brought the glass to just beneath
my nostrils and began my sniffing adventure. The aroma consisted of almonds, figs,
raisins, dried cranberries, and caramel. When I pulled that vapor into my
mouth, there were chocolate-covered cherries.
Palate: With
the first sip, I encountered a medium-bodied, velvety texture. There was nothing
that I’d describe as a palate shock. I tasted dried cherries, dark chocolate,
and caramel on the front of my palate. The mid-palate revealed flavors of
roasted almonds, dried apricots, and cocoa, while the back palate featured
notes of oak, old leather, and pipe tobacco.
Finish: Chocolate-covered
cherries, apricots, and leather remained for a level, somewhat dry finish. The medium duration ran 1:18.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Oaklore
impresses me more and more each time I explore one of its releases. Oloroso
Sherry Cask is the third one I’ve tried. I don’t know who the actual distillers
are, but I can tell you that Tom is a talented blender.
There is a complete lack of
anything harsh, warm, or an ethanol punch. Instead, Oloroso Sherry Cask presented
as a multi-layered whiskey that drank about five points below its stated proof.
It was rich and satisfying, and begged me to pour a second glass.
Oloroso Sherry Cask earns a
Bottle rating. There are only 750 bottles available, so if you're
interested, don’t hesitate. 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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