Matthews Spirits 1773 Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review

 

Here’s a fun fact: If you Google Six Mile Creek Distillery, you’ll find it is a winery and distillery located in Ithaca, New York. So, how can Matthews Spirits 1773 Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon be Kentucky Straight Bourbon if it isn’t made in Kentucky? There’s actually an easy answer to that – because the one Google leads you to isn’t the correct Six Mile Creek Distillery!

 

“This batch was distilled at Six Mile Creek Distillery under the guidance of Master Distiller Ken Pierce, whose more than 40 years in Kentucky whiskey include shaping the acclaimed 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and leading distillation work at Six Mile Creek, as well as subsequent work on Heaven’s Door Bourbon. Ken’s multi-generational legacy and depth of experience made him a natural steward for our family’s ultimate expression of love for the craft.” – Matthews Spirits

 

Six Mile Creek Distillery, better known as Heaven’s Door Distillery, is located in Pleasureville, Kentucky.

 

Matthews Spirits 1773 Edition is a cask strength, single barrel Bourbon meant to commemorate the 1773 Sons of Liberty – the key players involved with the Boston Tea Party, led by (among others) John Hancock and Samuel Houston. Yet, that’s not when the Sons of Liberty gained their notoriety. That happened back in 1765, when the British crown levied the Tax Stamp Act in 1765 – the first direct tax on American colonists.

 

The official, newly installed tax collector was Andrew Oliver. When this tax was issued, the Sons of Liberty wrote to Oliver, demanding that he show up the next day at the Liberty Tree and resign his position. He was told that he would be treated well if he showed up, which was a veiled threat about what might happen to him if he chose not to appear.

 

The weather that day was horrible; it was windy and raining, but Oliver showed up on time and, in front of a couple of thousand people, did exactly as the Sons demanded: he resigned.

 

Matthews Spirits 1773 Edition rested 4 years and 9 months in new, #4-charred oak. As I always say, age is just a number; the whiskey is ready when the whiskey is ready. The mashbill was 73% corn, 17% rye, and 10% malted barley; it is packaged at 58% ABV (116°) in 750mL bottles, with a suggested price of $129.99.

 

The biggest question, of course, is how does it taste. To answer that, we #DrinkCurious. First, I must thank Matthews Spirits for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s get to that.

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Six Mile Creek Distillery
• Age: 4 years, 9 months
• Mashbill: 73% corn, 17% rye, 10% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon #4-charred oak barrel
• Alcohol Content: 58% (116°)
• Price per 750mL: $129.99
• Non-Chill Filtered

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn nosing glass to explore this Bourbon neat. Its rusty color seemed slightly cloudy. A thicker rim formed medium, fast, tightly packed tears.

 

Nose: After allowing 15 minutes for the Bourbon to breathe, I brought the glass beneath my nostrils and explored the aroma, which included notes of orange pith, lemon zest, caramel, toffee, and cinnamon sugar. Drawing the air through my lips brought a taste of chocolatey pastries.

 

Palate: The first sip suggested a dense, creamy mouthfeel with a huge blast of banana Laffy Taffy. The second offered leather, rich butterscotch, and fried plantains on the front of my palate. The middle featured sugar cookies, rye spice, and pipe tobacco, while the back had flavors of cinnamon, charred oak, and clove.   

 

Finish: Long, warming, and lingering, with a healthy punch of spice, notes of rye, cinnamon, charred oak, and clove competing with leather and brown sugar, yet, just before it closed out, that Laffy Taffy returned, stuck around for about 15 seconds, and then disappeared. In all, the duration lasted 1:48.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Matthews Spirits 1773 Edition drank a lot closer to 105° or so than its stated 116°. The banana Laffy Taffy was a new sensation for me, so as you can well imagine, it caught my attention. It is a well-balanced pour, one that will cause you to pause and ponder what’s going on in your mouth and throat.

 

At $130.00, it is a pricy whiskey, and this is my only hang-up. The 1773 Edition is delicious, interesting, and a unique pour. If it weren’t for its cost, it would take my highest rating. As it stands, my Bar rating is appropriate. 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.