Pinhook Bohemian Bourbon 114.5 High Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2020) 75cl
Pinhook Bohemian Bourbon 114.5 High Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2020) 75cl
Proofed at 114.5, this High Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon has a bright nose of tangerine, preserved lemon, and brioche, which lead to a deep and lush palate of dried papaya, toffee, cocoa, and almonds.
To date, Pinhook has sourced their bourbon from MGP, but Bohemian Bourbon High Proof marks a drastic change for the company. For the last few years they have been contract distilling a proprietary mashbill with Castle & Key Distillery. Bohemian Bourbon High Proof was distilled and aged at Castle & Key. A total of 100 barrels were blended and proofed by Sean Josephs, Pinhook’s co-founder and master taster to create this bourbon. Bohemian is the first bourbon to come out of the resurrected Old Taylor Distillery since it was abandoned in 1972.
TASTING NOTES
Lively and bright, the nose opens with light ripe pears, a bouquet of floral scents, and a hint of caramel which does a good job of masking its higher proof. Inhaling deeper brings out corn and new oak, which remind you of the youth of the bourbon, but also mingle nicely with the other scents. While it’s not an overly complex nose, it’s enjoyable and one that seems suited for the late spring season in which it was released.
The youth of the bourbon radiates in the palate as bitter wet oak and corn take centre stage. These are joined with rye spice and green peppercorns. The palate has an oily mouthfeel and is not shy in displaying its high proof title. Fighting to get out from behind the heat are sweeter notes of vanilla and caramel which try to balance out the more bitter notes. However, the heat makes that hard to do, leading to an unbalanced overall palate.
The high proof of the bourbon combines with a burst of spice to start off a fiery finish. Once these dominant flavours die down, they’re followed by a drier flavor of leather along with a very light note of dried peach. Unfortunately, that wet oak flavour carries over to the finish and casts its shadow during a long slow burn down.
For the years leading up to this release, Pinhook has exclusively used bourbon sourced from MGP for their brand. This is a common tactic used by many new brands while they distil or contract distil their own spirits and wait patiently for them to come of age. In Pinhook's case, they went with contract distilling from Castle & Key and are the first brand to have a bourbon distilled and released from the historic Taylor Distillery site.
While this was always Pinhook’s plan , it also involves a calculated risk. For the past number of years Pinhook has accustomed their fanbase to one flavour profile, mainly younger MGP, while it now tries to transition everyone to an entirely new profile. In this case, Pinhook definitely is on the road to a distinctly unique product.
57.25% ABV
75cl
