Aged Whiskeys
Some things
are worth
the Wait
Making Bourbon and Rye Whiskey is not for the impatient, it takes time and even if you are willing to put in the time you're still a slave to mother nature. There are several variables that go into aging (maturing is really a better term) whiskey including the size of the barrel, the char level (1-5) and the temperature of the room (along with barometric pressure, humidity and air-flow). The smaller the barrel and the hotter the temperature the faster the whiskey matures, the larger the barrel
and the cooler the temperature the longer it takes to mature.
By Federal Law all of our Bourbon and Rye Whiskey's are aged/matured in new, hand-made, charred,
American White Oak barrels that we purchase from Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, KY.
Gnaw Bone
STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY
100 proof - 65% corn, 25% wheat and 10% malted barley
Most bourbons (85%) are made with corn (the required grain), rye and malted barley, but some (about 10%) are made with corn, wheat, and malted barley, these are called “wheated” bourbons. The most popular wheated bourbon is Maker’s Mark (others include Weller and Pappy Van Winkel). The wheat makes it smoother and sweeter and aging in the New Charred American White Oak barrels gives it the heavy, full bodied, smoky, smooth, caramel-vanilla notes and a great dark amber color.
Gnaw Bone Straight Bourbon Whiskey is our #1 best-selling whiskey, it has great barrel character and is very smooth – great for sipping neat or on the rocks.
Liar's Bench
STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY
100 proof - 55% rye, 35% corn, 10% malted barley
Most rye whiskeys have a very high concentration of the rye grain (above 90%) and can be very spicy on the pallet, great if you are mixing it in a cocktail but can be harsh if you drink it neat or on the rocks. Liar's Bench Straight Rye Whiskey has a very low rye concentration which makes it very smooth with just a little pepper burn on the back of your pallet, letting you know that you're drinking rye whiskey. Matured in the same New, Charred American White Oak barrels as our Bourbon this rye whiskey is heavy and full bodied, very smooth with a great mouth feel and after taste.
Liar's Bench Straight Rye Whiskey is not for everyone but for those who like Rye Whiskey it's a real treat - great for sipping neat or on the rocks and can be used as a mixer in all traditional rye whiskey cocktails.
Wolf Creek
FOUR GRAIN WHISKEY
100 proof - 40% corn, 40% wheat, 10% rye and 10% malted barley
Wolf Creek Whiskey offers the best of both the sweetness of the wheat and the spiciness of the rye because of the 4 grain mash bill. It is medium-bodied, very smooth and flavorful but not as sweet or smoky because it is aged in our used Gnaw Bone Straight Bourbon barrels. After the first use of the barrel most of the sugars and the smoky impact from the new char are removed. The aging takes longer because you get less barrel impact on its second use, however the barrel is still responsible for about 75% of the flavor.
Wolf Creek Whiskey has a great smooth flavor and darker color, with many of the same characteristics of Highland Scotch or an Irish Whiskey. All Scotch and Irish Whiskeys are aged in used bourbon barrels so it is not surprising to find Scotch and Irish Whiskey characteristics in our Wolf Creek Whiskey. It’s not as heavy or sweet as our Gnaw Bone Straight Bourbon but it goes down very smooth. Sip it neat or on the rocks - it's also a great mixing whiskey.
In additional to traditional "aging" in New Charred American White Oak 53 gallon barrels we also use smaller barrels that helps to accelerate the maturation process due to the higher surface-to-volume ratio (whiskey has more contact with the wood which means less time needed on the wood). We always fill 53's when we barrel but most of our barrels are 25 gallons and it only takes about 2 to 3 years to achieve full maturation in a barrel of this size and is comparable to an 8 to 10 year old bourbon.
