Taconic Duchess Private Reserve Bourbon - r/bourbon #687
70% Corn, 25% Rye, 5% Barley | 124 Proof | 4 Years | NCF | Single Barrel (r/bourbon Barrel Selection)
Taconic checks some of the most important boxes:
Non-Chill Filtered? ☑ Yep
Barrel Strength offerings? ☑ Bourbon and Rye
Unique approach? ☑ NY Grains and Hudson Valley spring water
D’ya like dags? ☑ Just look at their instagram
Lately I’ve been enjoying whiskeys in the ~5yr age range. Initially I recognized it when having side by side pours of 5yr and 8yr Nashville Barrel Co bottles. It’s not a question of quality, but one of category. Bright, fruity, floral and herbal vs. oaky, syrupy, vanilla, and calm. I saw a Stellum Black review recently that points out the same when it comes to the younger Stellum and Stellum Black with its incorporation of older whiskeys into the blend. This barrel of Taconic Dutchess Private Reserve Bourbon is like the top of a peach turnover. The pastry is golden and toasty, some of the fruity peach filling bubbles up and caramelizes, and the sugar sprinkled on top browns. This whiskey is not an oaky, leathery, tobacco-y treacle.
The nose has stone fruit, cinnamon, light vanilla, and ever so slight grassy herbal tones. After nosing for quite some time, everything came together as a peach turnover with caramelized sugar. The nose is delightful, but not particularly strong and it doesn’t pull far in any direction. While it is perhaps weaker in comparison, this bourbon’s nose has a balance that reminds of the 5yr Nashville Barrel Co bourbons. There isn’t much ethanol to speak of for a sub-5yr 124 proof whiskey.
The palate is robust and picks up any slack the nose may have left. It has toffee, caramel, and the combo of golden pastry and sugar on the crispiest part of a turnover. There is some stone fruit on the palate as well, but it’s mostly a yeasty, sweet, buttery baked good.
The finish is medium-long with savory butter on the middle of your tongue, and lots of sweet caramel. The proof prickles your tongue pleasantly as the finish moves backwards on your palate. On the very end of the finish, some nutty and faint smoky notes come in.
7.0/10 - This is a really solid bourbon and I’m glad I got a chance to try Taconic via the r/bourbon group. If I were to happen upon a local shop with a barrel pick bourbon, I think I’m curious enough to go for it. I’m definitely curious enough to go for a rye SiB.
Glassware - Glencairn
Rested - 15+ minutes
Bottle opened - ~2 months ago
Setting - winding down in the evening in a dimly lit room
Watching - Fargo Season 4
