Oaklore Story Series: Prohibition Oak Bourbon Review

 

Oaklore Distilling Co. makes whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum. Two neighbors, Tom Bogan and Matt Simpkins, founded it in North Carolina in 2016 after meeting 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 last year.

 

Oaklore works with what it calls sister distilleries, which I suspect are euphemisms for contract distillers. These sister distilleries are located in North Carolina and Kentucky. The Four Grain Bourbon is distilled from a mashbill of 70% corn, 10% rye, 10% wheat, and 10% malted barley. Aging occurs entirely in North Carolina’s Piedmont region, a humid, subtropical climate with large temperature swings.

 

Today, I’m exploring  Story Series: Prohibition Oak. Story Series is the name for Oaklore’s 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.

 

“A whiskey more than a century in the making, this release is really about patience, history and the impact that wood can have on a finished whiskey. Working with oak that dates back to the Prohibition era gave us an opportunity to connect a remarkable piece of American whiskey history with what we’re creating today in North Carolina.” – Tom Bogan

 

Here’s where things get unique: The Four Grain Bourbon matured in new, 53- #2 and #3 charred American white oak barrels for 4+ years, then transferred to new American white oak barrels for an additional 2+ years, and finally, it was finished with toasted oak staves that were dry-aged since the Prohibition era!

 

Oaklore has packaged this whiskey at 48% ABV (96°). Distribution will be limited in North Carolina and South Carolina, with national shipping available through Oaklore’s online store. Its suggested price is $69.95 for a 750mL bottle.

 

Oaklore was kind enough to provide me with a sample of Prohibition Oak in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and find out how it turned out!

 

• Whiskey Type: Four Grain Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky and North Carolina “sister” distilleries
• Age: 7+ years
• Mashbill: 70% corn, 10% rye, 10% wheat, 10% malted barley
• Cooperage: Aged in 53-gallon new, #2 and #3 charred American white oak barrels for 4+ years, then double-oaked in new American white oak barrels for an additional 2+ years, and then finished with toasted staves made from Prohibition-era oak for 6-12 months
• Alcohol Content: 48% ABV (96°)
• Price per 750mL: $69.95
• Non-chill filtered

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to explore it neat. It had a rich, caramel color, and the liquid created a massively thick rim with syrupy, tightly packed tears.

 

Nose: After letting the Bourbon oxidize for about 15 minutes, I was ready to engage with the aroma. I smelled butter pecan ice cream, raw honey, toasted oak, char, and fresh leather. The air tasted of char and leather.

 

Palate: The first sip offered a thick, creamy texture and no palate shock. With the second sip, I found toasted pecans, walnuts, and vanilla on the front of my palate. The middle featured stewed apricots, fresh leather, and biscuits. The back included notes of charred oak, dark-roast coffee, and clove.

 

Finish: Nuts and spice dominated. Coffee and barrel char entered a duel; char won out. Black pepper broke through, but clove beat it into submission. Yes, it felt like a battle going on in my mouth and throat. It was fairly even-keeled, although it had a very slow fade, eventually disappearing at 2:46. For the record, that’s an incredibly long duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Story Series: Prohibition Oak isn’t Oaklore’s most expensive offering. I found this expression well balanced, and its finish captivated my attention. I relished the flavors on the palate. Frankly, Story Series: Prohibition Oak may be my favorite release out of this distillery. Trust me; you want a Bottle. 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.