Filmland Spirits: The Crimson Cask Bourbon Review

 

We’ve seen whiskey featured in many movies and television shows. But where do film and whiskey actually meet?

 

Filmland Spirits markets its whiskeys in B-movie fashion, including writing brief scripts and even movie posters. There is a heck of a lot of imagination involved, and I appreciate that kind of creativity. If nothing else, the backstories, not only of the whiskeys themselves but also of the cast and crew at Filmland, are entertaining and unique.

 

Troy Bolotnick is a former Hollywood screenwriter and is now the CEO of Filmland Spirits. About a dozen years ago, he caught the whiskey bug and looked to make his own brand. In the process, he visited about 70 distilleries, was disheartened by a lack of colorful labels, and looked to marry his passions for entertainment and whiskey. His title is The Creative Crusader.

 

Charlie Flint is Troy’s lifelong best friend and Filmland’s co-founder. Charlie selects the barrels and packaging designs. His skill set includes 20 years of experience working in operations, logistics, and sales, and he has dabbled in screenwriting. His title is Master of the Mystical Ops.

 

Rick Dukhovny is a CPA, CIA, CISA, and CRISC. If you don’t know what that means, take it as he’s brilliant with numbers, risk assessment, and auditing. A knee-jerk reaction is to assume that means he’s a Vice President of Finance, but his official title is The Ideator, and he is credited with generating ideas.

 

Kristin Killpack is the Vice President of Sales. Her responsibility is to get the brand in stores and bars, and she has decades of experience in sales and distribution. Her title is Captain Convincing, and she’s been honing her skills over the last 20 years.

 

Daniel R. Clarke is Filmland Spirits’ Vice President of Marketing. His official title is International Man of Mystery, and he is skilled in creating and directing strategic partnerships. Filmland Spirits isn’t his first foray into alcoholic beverages; his resume includes Pernod Ricard.

 

Steve Canepa, listed as The Whiskey Baron, serves as Filmland’s Chief Financial Officer. He spent 22 years in biotech as a senior manager and executive director.

 

Everyone gets together in a Zoom meeting and is ready to move forward with a new whiskey brand that Kristin initially thought nobody needed or wanted.

 

How does all of this fun translate into good whiskey? To answer that, we #DrinkCurious, and today’s review covers The Crimson Cask, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon. It is also the most affordable expression I’ve seen from Filmland Spirits.

 

The story behind The Crimson Cask revolves around Scarlett Cross, a debutante whose father, Silus, wished she had more interest in his Bourbon empire. One day, her father was found crushed beneath a whiskey barrel, with Scarlett’s name written across the staves in blood. Her boyfriend, Cutter Boone, is a private eye, the son of a moonshiner, and desperately tries to clear Scarlett’s name. The label suggests, “She may not be guilty, but she sure as hell ain’t innocent.”

 

Let’s get to the part about the Bourbon…

 

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distillery
• Age: 4 years
• Mashbill: 75% corn, 12% rye, 4% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
• Price per 750mL: $39.99

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this Bourbon neat. The whiskey had a yellow gold appearance. Thicker, crazed legs descended from a bold rim.

 

Nose: After allowing about 15 minutes for the Bourbon to breathe, I began the sniffing journey. I found notes of almonds, cherries, vanilla, and toasted oak. As I drew the air through my lips, I experienced English toffee.

 

Palate: The first sip revealed a dense, creamy mouthfeel. Nothing resembled a palate shock. With the second, I tasted cornbread, toffee, and vanilla on the front. The mid-palate featured almonds, hazelnuts, and a newish leather note. There were flavors of charred oak, mild clove, and white pepper on the back.

 

Finish: White pepper, charred oak, hazelnuts, caramel, and toffee remained on my tongue and in my throat. The finish was mild, yet showed a slight increase in intensity from white pepper toward the end. The 50-second duration was on the shorter side.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Firstly, I appreciate that Filmland Spirits offers something quite affordable. Troy indicated, “Consumers have embraced our efforts to change the face of the Bourbon aisle and more importantly have fallen in love with our liquid. Crimson Cask is our way to say thanks.” This whiskey is nearly half the price of its other offerings.

 

There was a certain simplicity about The Crimson Cask that you can’t help but embrace. No barrel finishing; no gimmicks (aside from the label), just a good, solid, easy-drinking Bourbon. In a way, I found it refreshing. My Bottle rating is well-warranted. 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.