According to the website, “In June of 2019, the rickhouse that stored much of Blue Note’s inventory collapsed in a terrible summer storm, spilling thousands of barrels and millions of dollars into the muck and mud. Most of the barrels were destroyed by the incredible force of nearly 10 million pounds crumbling six stories to the ground.
We thought all was lost, but a special few somehow survived the disaster. Surviving the collapse, however, turned out to be only the beginning of the barrels’ journey.
For the next four months, the barrels were left exposed to the elements before the wreckage could be properly assessed and cleaned up. In these ensuing months, the sweltering summer heat bore down upon the barrels day after day, darkening the outside and forcing the bourbon inside incredibly deep into the oak. Several thunderstorms passed through as well, pummeling the barrels for days, causing their bands to later rust and break. As summer faded into fall, the nights grew colder, forcing the whiskey back out of the now worn oak. After the wreckage was cleaned up and every barrel was assessed, the company found that indeed some had survived.
All Blue Note Uncut barrels in the market to date are survivor barrels of the June 2019 summer storm that caused one of our storage facilities in Owensboro, KY to collapse. We encourage you to try a bottle of this year’s 2022 survivor barrel release.”
Blue Note Juke Joint Whiskey came gifted to me from Matt over at SmokinTabacco.com. The whiskey company doesn’t have a large distribution with it only being available in 17 states at the time of review, so is it worth chasing down?
Bourbon Review: Blue Note Juke Joint Whiskey Uncut
ABV: 61.45% (122.9 Proof)
Age: 3+ Years
Color: Dark Amber
Mash Bill: 70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Malted Barley
Distillery: Undisclosed (Kentucky, USA)
Bottled by: B.R. Distillery (Memphis, Tennessee, USA)
The Nose: A subtle pear is the dominant aroma from the glass that sees the addition of oak, corn and a subtle pepper. Despite the high proof, there isn’t much on the aroma.
The Taste: Starts off with notes of brown sugar before giving way to elements of fruit including apricots, peaches and blackberries. There is a subtle burn on the finish that warms the soul especially on this chilly afternoon at the time of tasting. Subsequent sips see hints a creme brûlée, cinnamon and rye on the long finish.
The Pairing: I saw Mike Rosales & Skip Martin of RoMa Craft Tobac this week and Skip gifted me with a cigar called Quinquagenario which is being released to celebrate his 50th birthday two years go. In the cigar industry, this is considered on-time. It new to me, but the band of the cigar had the same colors as the label on the bottle, so why not. The cigar on its own has some earth, caramel, and pecan components to it on my initial flavor profile. There is also some pepper on the finish.
When pairing the two items together the cigar brings out some amazing butterscotch notes on the bourbon along with some caramel sweetness giving it an added depth. However it also adds a significant amount of heat on the finish as well. As always our pairing doesn’t affect our final score, but despite the heat this would add 5 points to the final tally.
The Finish: The story behind the bourbon although tragic is quite interesting. As much as it is marketing, the story makes for an interesting item to have on your bar. Despite the high proof, the Blue Note Uncut is approachable and enjoyable. It lacks a wow factor but it holds it’s own and is something I would definitely reach for on occasion.
Score: 90
Price: $44.99 (750ml)
