Reviews of a Selection of New Era Whiskey Bourbons (2025)

 

Now, this is a story all about how two friends' lives got flipped upside down…

 

Y’all remember the pandemic lockdown, right? Many of us spent gobs of time twiddling our thumbs, and most things were closed. We wore masks, we social distanced, and we hung out at home. Or a hotel. Or wherever we happened to be. It was unfun.

 

Some folks got very creative and entertained us with social media videos. Others discovered new hobbies. Others complained constantly.

 

Zane Brammel was a healthcare worker on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. He needed an outlet; something to take his mind off the unimaginable day-in, day-out stress. He discovered a magic elixir called Bourbon, then tripped and fell down the rabbit hole of making whiskey friends. In 2022, Zane started a single-barrel club to share exclusive barrels. In another two years, Zane and Matt Hobbs founded their new whiskey brand, New Era Whiskey & Spirits.

 

New Era has just released its first three publicly available Bourbons at Kentucky retailers. These whiskeys are meant to honor Kentucky’s state parks and national wonders, and New Era has donated $3000.00 to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund.

 

“It is great to celebrate the success of Lexington’s New Era Whiskey, while also recognizing the positive impact they’re making as they live out our Team Kentucky values of lifting up our neighbors. I want to thank Zane, Matt, and the entire team for their support of Kentucky State Parks and for their donation to our storm relief fund, which will make a difference in the lives of survivors across our commonwealth.” – Governor Andy Beshear

 

This #DrinkCurious opportunity was made possible by New Era, which provided me with samples of each in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Oh, one more thing. I’ve used a fresh Glencairn glass and given my palate ample opportunity to reset between tastings, allowing each to acclimate for about 15 minutes before nosing these whiskeys.

 

Dark Wonders at Mammoth Cave

 

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distillery
• Age: 8 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 56.9% ABV (113.8°)
• Price per 750mL: $99.99

 

Appearance: In my glass, this whiskey was the color of topaz. A wide rim created thicker tears that seemed randomly spaced.

 

Nose: I smelled cherries, plums, butterscotch, milk chocolate, and orange zest. Drawing the vapor through my lips brought orange peel.

 

Palate: I encountered a thin, oily mouthfeel, with a punch of mint on the first sip. The second allowed me to discern notes of cocoa, cherry pie filling, and nutmeg on the front. My mid-palate detected notes of hazelnuts, butterscotch, and mild mint, while the back palate included flavors of oak, rye spice, and cinnamon.

 

Finish: Mint, rye spice, cinnamon, and hazelnuts stuck around for a level, rolling finish. The duration ran 1:01, making it medium-short.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: If I were blindfolded, I would swear this was an Indiana Bourbon versus a Kentucky, and as such, I’m impressed at its ability to mimic that. I have no idea who the actual distiller is, which threw me off.

 

I enjoyed everything about Dark Wonders at Mammoth Cave. My only complaint was the short finish; I could see plowing through a pour too quickly. That’s one of those two-edged sword things. Dark Wonders at Mammoth Cave drank closer to 100°, making it an easy sipper as well. I can’t see giving it anything less than my Bottle rating.

 

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Nature’s Crossing at Natural Bridge

 

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distillery
• Age: 8 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 57.5% ABV (115°)
• Price per 750mL: $99.99

 

Appearance: Nature’s Crossing at Natural Bridge was the color of weathered copper. A massive rim shed a curtain of tears that failed to separate into individual drops.

 

Nose: My olfactory sense plucked cherries, plums, vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, and milk chocolate. As I took in the air through my lips, I found chocolate and caramel.  

 

Palate: An oily, medium-weighted mouthfeel didn’t offer much of a palate shock. I tasted vanilla, caramel, and nutmeg on the front of my palate. Next came tobacco leaf, leather, and chocolate. The back included clove, charred oak, and cinnamon.

 

Finish: Clove, cinnamon, barrel char, chocolate, and tobacco stuck to my tongue and throat. Then came a special guest appearance of boysenberries. It was a slightly ramping, very long finish that lasted 2:27 before everything fell off.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Nature’s Crossing at Natural Bridge is everything you’d want in a Bourbon with just a little bit more. It was nicely layered, drank at about its stated proof, and produced a plethora of flavors that melded together.

 

Everything about Nature’s Crossing at Natural Bridge just worked. For folks who, like me, enjoy cask strength whiskeys, it was thoroughly a pleasure to sip on. I loved how long the finish lasted. It is well worthy of my Bottle rating.

 

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Magic Moonbow at Cumberland Falls

 

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distillery
• Age: 8 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 57.5% ABV (115°)
• Price per 750mL: $99.99

Appearance: The orange-amber liquid produced a jagged, fragile rim that discharged slow, tightly-packed, thicker tears.

 

Nose: The aroma smelled of antiseptic, and not in a good way. I couldn’t get past that. I handed the glass to Mrs. Whiskeyfellow, and she found it equally off-putting. I gave it more than the 15-minute allotment and found fried plantains and sour cream. It was unappealing. Inhaling the vapor into my mouth exposed me to thick butterscotch.

 

Palate: A big blast of warm butterscotch filled the entirety of my mouth, and I was treated to a silky texture. The front of my palate found brown sugar and butterscotch discs. I tasted the same thing on the middle and back.  

 

Finish: The finish was more like a Werther’s Original candy and long-soaked cinnamon toothpicks. Then out of nowhere came ripe plums. It started sweet, then became spicy, and finally ended with a fruity note. The medium duration ran 1:32.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: When I pick barrels, I’m usually the most interested in the ones with the poorest aromas. For whatever reason, they turn out tasting awesome. I assume that there’s something scientific about it that someone smarter than me can explain.

 

Magic Moonbow at Cumberland Falls was a completely insane pour. Nothing made sense. It drank at its stated proof, if not a few points higher. I hated the nose. While the palate was unwavering beyond a couple of notes, I enjoyed what was going on in my mouth. The finish was much like the bride showing up late for the wedding, because that’s when the real event started. Mrs. Whiskeyfellow was asking me why I was smiling after I sipped it.

 

Magic Moonbow at Cumberland Falls is one of the most unusual whiskeys from any nation or region that I’ve tasted. I found it growing on me the more I sipped. You must give this one time to come into its own. The wild ride is worth my Bottle rating. For whatever it is worth, I think this is aptly named.

 

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These final two are previous offerings that were part of the single-barrel whiskey club and are no longer available. Zane and Matt included these to show what else they’ve done. I’m grateful for the opportunity to try these.

 

Half Man, Half Buffalo, Half Turkey

 

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distilleries (assumed Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey)
• Age: 16 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 57.45% ABV (114.9°)

 

Appearance: This Bourbon presented as a reddish, dark brown liquid, creating a medium rim with slow, widely spaced, and thicker tears.

 

Nose: There were notes of pecan pralines, brown sugar, charred oak, aged leather, and toffee. Dragging the air into my mouth caused me to taste corn.

 

Palate: The three halves (I almost had an aneurysm typing that) greeted my tongue with a cool, oily texture. The palate shock was red licorice. That’s not supposed to happen! My second attempt led me to flavors of honey-roasted almonds, baked apples, and circus peanuts on the front. Corn, pipe tobacco, and powdered sugar appeared on my mid-palate. The back featured rye spice, cinnamon, and sweet oak.  

 

Finish: Running 1:04, the short, even finish offered notes of black pepper, cinnamon, rye spice, honey-roasted almonds, and pipe tobacco.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Just like Magic Moonbow at Cumberland Falls, Half Man, Half Buffalo, Half Turkey was disjointed, yet somehow, it made sense. It was nutty, fruity, candied, sweet, spicy, and sweet (again). I find that I’m drawn to these weirded-out whiskeys because they take both their hands, grab my face, stare into my eyes, and command my attention. I have no idea what’s going on, but I liked it – and not just a little bit! Would I want this in my whiskey library? Yeah. It is funky enough to warrant my Bottle rating.

 

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One Nation Indivisible

 

There’s Hazmat and then there’s Hazmat. At close to 150°, it is one of the most potent pours I’ve encountered in my years of reviewing whiskeys. I’m ready to determine if this is just pure fire or an easy drinker (Hazmats are an either-or thing).

 

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distillery
• Age: 12 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 74% ABV (148°)

 

Appearance: I observed whiskey with a dark, genuine amber coloring. There was a double rim; the top was microthin, and the lower was thick. The tears were spaced compactly and slowly dropped back into the pool.

 

Nose: My nosing experience was full of caramel and charred oak. There was a hit of ethanol; I expected at least that much. It caused me to let the Bourbon breathe another five minutes. When I returned and tried again, I discovered freshly-baked rye bread. The ethanol fell off. I pulled that aroma into my mouth and encountered Nutella.

 

Palate: One Nation Indivisible’s texture was oily and thin. Flavors of brown sugar, rye spice, and cinnamon formed the front. I expected a palate shock, but that never materialized. My mid-palate experienced bold notes of oak, black pepper, and leather, while the back palate focused on dark chocolate, leather, and clove.

 

Finish: Dried cranberries, cherries, cinnamon, black pepper, and dark chocolate all competed for attention. The cranberry was the last to fall off. It was an even-keeled finish that lasted only 0:42. The first thought that hit me was that something was wrong. My hard palate, tongue, and throat were numbed.

 

With Two Drops of Water: I couldn’t pass up trying this with two drops of distilled water (for those who don’t know me, I’m pretty Type-A about this and use an eyedropper).

 

The nose turned to rich, dense caramel, dark chocolate, and orange zest. The mouthfeel became silky, but remained thin. I tasted dark chocolate, cherries, cranberries, black pepper, clove, cinnamon, leather, and oak. The finish was drier, spicier, and significantly extended; I timed it at 1:52, bringing it into the medium-long to long venue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I love high-proofed whiskeys; however, I found One Nation Indivisible a bit too hot for my taste. Even when proofed down, it was a formidable pour. Did I like it? Yeah. Would I buy it? Probably not. My jam is a neat pour, no matter the proof, and with One Nation Indivisible, I felt like I needed to add more and more water. It wasn’t bad at all, it just wasn’t something I’d reach for. In my opinion, One Nation Indivisible deserves a Bar rating.

 

 

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Final Thoughts: The best of the three available Bourbons was Nature’s Crossing at Natural Bridge, dragging the quirky Magic Moonbow at Cumberland Falls behind it, and ending with Dark Wonders at Mammoth Cave. Frankly, you couldn’t go wrong with any of them; it just depends on how adventurous you are.

 

As far as my favorite of the five, I’d give it to Nature’s Crossing at Natural Bridge, with Magic Moonbow at Cumberland Falls in second, slightly (very slightly) edging out Half Man, Half Buffalo, Half Turkey. Dark Wonders at Mammoth Cave would be fourth, trailed by One Nation Indivisible.

 

I’m stunned that Zane’s palate is this well-tuned after only five years. Perhaps working with Matt helps? I don’t know how long he’s been at it. Regardless, this duo is talented, and I commend them for their ability to pick and blend. I am excited to see what comes down the pike. 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.