The Story

As bourbon continues to rise in popularity, higher aged stocks are becoming harder to find. With increase in demand and decrease in aged supply, prices are on the rise. While this progression is natural, it’s forcing a lot of whiskey enthusiasts to make more measured decisions on their bottle purchases.

Enter Calumet Farm’s 16 year Single Rack Black Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This is a relatively new brand emerging in 2012. Calumet Farm has a deep history with Kentucky, dating back to the 1920’s. Since those days, their M.O. has been breeding thoroughbred racehorses. They are owned by Western Spirits Beverage Company (Est. 2008) who are known for sourcing whiskey for the various brands they own.

With that being said, 16 year old whiskey is not easy to come by so we had to give this one a try. The MSRP in most states is $150 for this bottle. With little known about Calumet buying a bottle like this is always tough. Especially if you’re someone like me who has a bourbon budget and this one bottle consumes most of it. The price point is a hard pill to swallow, but when you consider the seemingly new (unwritten) standard of $20 per year aged, $150 isn’t too bad.

While the source of this whiskey isn’t disclosed, it seems that anybody who’s anybody says it’s sourced from Barton 1792. This is largely based on Calumet stating it was barreled and aged in Bardstown, KY with a mash bill of 74% Corn, 18% Rye, and 8% Malted Barley. Those somewhat fact supported statements were enough for me to splurge on the bottle. 16 year Barton juice? Count me in!

Nose

Sweet oak blasts the senses, strong fruit notes reminiscent of grape flavored Powerade accompany the oak, as well as burnt sugar, caramel and chocolate.

Palate

The palate matches the nose, with an oily mouthfeel, sweet oak funk, dill, molasses, and notes of sarsaparilla with vanilla like that of a root beer float.

Finish

The finish is long, oaky and sweet.

Verdict

This whiskey is still priced below the $10 per years aged benchmark. Because of this, we definitely would recommend a ‘buy’.

Nowadays good whiskey isn’t hard to find. With so many options out there you can always match your palate preferences. As whiskey costs continue to rise, it seems spending upwards of $100 on a bottle is becoming the norm, are we okay with this? It would appear so. Either way, this entry by Calumet Farms hits the marks we look for in a bourbon.

We’re going to rate Calumet Farm 16 Year Single Rack Black Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey an 8.5/10.

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Cheers friends!