| Rating | 31.5/40 |
| Origin | USA |
| Distillery | Savage & Cooke |
| Series | The Burning Chair |
| Style | Single Barrel Finished Bourbon |
| Cask | New Charred American Oak, 90% Grenache + 10% Cabernet Finish in Barrel #35 |
| Bottled | 2017 |
| Strength | 44% (88 Proof) |
| Retailer | E-Ville Wine & Spirits |
This release of David Phinney’s “Burning Chair” Bourbon was finished in a single barrel seasoned with a mix of 90% Grenache and 10% Cabernet from David’s wine projects. It was exclusively bottled for E-Ville Spirits & Wine in Upper NY. The mash bill is 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley.
Nose: The wine doesn’t give itself away here at all. Instead it presents a deep, mellow Bourbon nose with a hint of Japanese cedar bath salts and a sweet… something… that slowly rises to the top. Some kind of berry flavored candy perhaps? Maybe that’s the wine making itself heard after all. The mildly intrusive sweetness knocks a half point off of what is otherwise a great nose just because it displaces some other stuff I really like. (7.5/10)
Palate: One day a nice Bourbon decided to take a long and relaxing bath in a welcoming tub filled to the top with friendly red wine. The whole bathtub has been placed in your mouth which, presumably, is why you’re perceiving the Bourbon as floating somewhere in the center while the periphery is all wine. The sweetness of either compliments that of the other quite well. This makes for a very smooth and relaxing experience. Like taking a nice bath. This is great stuff and I find that I don’t want to swallow it quickly. (9.0/10)
Finish: The back-end definitely feels a little underpowered after the great palate though it does just about manage to reach the mid-chest point. Mild flavors gently spread themselves around and faintly glow on every breath. I wish it was a little more potent back here but, still, it’s all very pleasant in the end. (8.0/10)
Balance: I prefer when the flaws of a whisky manifest themselves up front so that the last part of the experience is the best. Here unfortunately there’s a bit of a downhill slope in the experience with the relative weakness of the finish which leaves me wistfully contemplating the amazing palate. (7.0/10)
