Ghostwood Four Grain Blended Bourbon Review

 

Sometime in 2014, Lucas Perks was asked what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He concluded that making whiskey would be best, and he set out to do exactly that. Lucas took a 5-gallon copper still and a hot plate and, inside the family barn, started tinkering with recipes.

 

One year and 57 recipes later, Lucas distilled his first four-grain Bourbon, using a mashbill of 52% Illinois-grown yellow corn, 30% rye, 10% red wheat, and 8% malted barley. He called it Ghostwood, named for the forests and cornfields on his family ranch in northern Illinois.

 

“Camping alone in the woods while growing up, your imagination could have a tendency to run away from you. Before you blazes a warm, snapping fire, but beyond that light there is darkness... and it’s holding its breath.

The feeling of being alone against the mysteries of the world is what led me to create Ghostwood. This recipe was inspired by-and for-that world, when the remnants of summer have given way to the bracing turn of winter and darkness lurks just over your firelit shoulders, causing you to smile with a hidden warmth.” – Lucas Perks, Founder & Owner

 

Ghostwood Four Grain Blended Bourbon is aged for 5 years and is bottled at 45% ABV (90°). The first question that comes to mind is: What is a blended Bourbon? Simply put, it requires at least 20% Bourbon – the remaining 80% can be neutral grain spirits and can contain up to 2.5% of artificial flavors and coloring.

 

The second question is: What does that mean for Ghostwood? There isn’t a simple answer for that because that information isn’t disclosed. Neutral grain spirits isn’t listed in the mashbill; as such, I’m guessing that the color and/or flavor has been enhanced. But that’s purely my guess.

 

Ghostwood Distilling Co., located in Bozeman, Montana, currently has three expressions: the original four-grain; Black, a barrel-proof expression; and Gold, which is Ghostwood finished in Chardonnay casks. There’s a Rye in the pipeline, and Foundation Bourbon, which uses a three-grain traditional mashbill.

 

Today we’re concentrating on the flagship four-grain blended Bourbon. It is in select stores and can be ordered from its online store for $64.99. And that, my friends, leads me to the third question: Is it worth picking up? To answer that, we’ll #DrinkCurious. Thankfully, Ghostwood Distilling Co. provided me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Let’s get to it.

 

• Whiskey Type: Blended Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed
• Age: 5 years
• Mashbill: 52% yellow corn, 30% rye, 10% #2 Hardy Spring red wheat, and 8% malted barley
• Cooperage:
• Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
• Price per 750mL: $64.99

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this Boubon neat. It possessed a golden amber color, and the liquid formed a medium rim with slower, tightly packed medium tears.

 

Nose: I waited 15 minutes before approaching the whiskey’s nose. I found ginger, toffee, almonds, oak, and the gentlest wisp of mint. When I drew the air into my mouth, I discovered more toffee.

 

Palate: Ghostwood had a creamy texture, with a very mild oak and mint note. With the second sip, I tasted soft oak and roasted almonds on the front of my palate. At the middle, I encountered field corn and tobacco. Flavors of semi-sweet chocolate and toffee hit the back.

 

Finish: Oak, tobacco, roasted almonds, nutmeg, and a smidge of clove were at the end. It had a gentle build-up of the nutmeg and clove notes. At 2:04, the duration was very long.    

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Despite its 45% ABV, there was no warmth, and I found it difficult to identify the flavors. The nosing was a far easier task. The finish was, for lack of a better word, smooth, yet it had more character than the palate.

 

Ghostwood Four Grain Blended Bourbon has won many awards. As an experienced spirits competition judge, I can understand why; it is a light, easy sipper without much to offend. If I were looking for a whiskey to sip on my deck on a blazingly hot summer’s evening, I could see how it might be a good choice. Yet, it lacked any panache or character.

 

I need more from a $65.00 American whiskey, especially one that isn’t straight. My Bar rating is more than fair; try it before you take one home. 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.