The bourbon is a warm and golden amber colour when poured, which points to its three years spent in toasted oak barrels. It has a slightly oily texture and, upon being swirled in the glass, produces delicate and slow-flowing “tears of joy”.
A rich and inviting aroma reaches the nose, revealing the unique character of this very special spirit. The classic bourbon flavours of sweet caramel and intense vanilla find their perfect partner in the lively fruitiness of the habanero distillate. With flavours of apricot and peach, along with subtle hints of mango, this bourbon moves into an exotic and refreshing dimension with zero sharpness. A touch of sweet corn and the slight “graininess” of the wheat round out the aroma, with the wheat also adding a soft, buttery element.
The first sip is soft and smooth. The exotic fruit flavours of the habanero distillate quickly unfold, giving the bourbon its unmistakeable character. This whiskey showcases its outstanding quality through the pleasant sweetness of caramel and honey. Slightly spicy flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg come through, along with toasted oak flavours, giving the bourbon an aromatic dimension that guarantees a soft and warm mouthfeel. The fruity flavours from the nose are still doing their thing. Touches of apricot, peach and tropical fruits are making themselves known in the taste now too. This fruitiness, which comes from just a few drops of habanero distillate, is incorporated perfectly, giving an exotic depth and impressive complexity to the bourbon's taste.
The fresh fruit flavours slowly fade, leaving behind a lasting impression of dried fruits and vanilla, which combine with a delicate touch of oak to give a totally well-balanced finish.
About The Horse's Spirit
The bourbon‘s mash bill is made up of 71% deep yellow, non-genetically modified Texas corn, 21% bright red winter wheat and 8% malted barley. A yeast captured from organically farmed pecan nuts is the ingredient that produces the alcohol. Allowing the mash to ferment for three to five days results in a “beer” with an alcohol content of 8 to 12%, which is then distilled twice in a column still. After that, the bourbon – diluted with water to max. 62.5% – is stored for at least three years in freshly charred barrels made from American white oak (200 litres, char level #3). Charring the inside of the barrels gives the bourbon a sweetly caramelised and smoky flavour. It also breaks down the lignin, lipids and tannins in the wood, which infuse the whiskey with vanilla, spice, oak, coconut and floral flavours.
The real key to producing whiskey, however, is keeping control of a well-balanced temperature fluctuation. On hot summer days – have you ever been to Texas?! – the whiskey permeates the charred oak barrel. Then as soon as the temperature drops, it recedes back into the barrel. The more often this exchange takes place, the faster the bourbon will mature and gain its character and flavour balance. Once the storage period is over, the bourbon is diluted with natural spring water from the Black Forest to the drinking strength of 45%. Then at Weinbrennerei JACoBI in Weinstadt it is filled into a specially designed bottle, which is based on a vintage 1920s cut-glass hip flask.
