We first approached Sean from Pinhook about this small batch project in 2021, and it has continued to be a highlight these last few years. This year, we welcome you to join us building the blend in the video above.
For this selection, Jay West from r/bourbon and Whiskey Raiders, Sean Josephs from Pinhook and myself (Blake from Seelbach’s) assembled in Jacksonville, FL for an in person blend. After the success of the 2021 & 2022 True Small Batch the expectations for the blend increase every year! This selection is to create a special blend for r/bourbon, Seelbach’s and Pinhook fans. It’s also a way to pull back the curtain on the blending process. Often, distilleries and brands skip over this in their marketing. As I’ve mentioned before, the blending process may be the most crucial part of having a quality product in a bottle. Here’s how we create this blend.
For the most part, these blends start the same. We tasted through all six barrels and add 3-4 descriptors to each barrel. These are the building blocks for the blend. This ends up being a mix of notes that say sweet, spicy, fruity, great nose, short finish, etc. The goal of a blend is to highlight the best characteristics while showcasing balance. This blend does just that! It’s heavy in dessert and fruit notes. However, those find balance as the whiskey opens up to toasted spices and tannins. A well balanced blend with depth of flavor, with a fantastic price point to boot.
A beautiful bouquet of peach cobbler, apple pie, sweet oak and a dash of pepper on the nose. This batch brings me back to 2021 in a fun way, this releases balances sweetness, decadent desserts and fruit. The palate is textured and silky, full of sweet cream, moderate tannin, pleasant peach cobbler, vanilla bean, toffee and brown sugar. Long, well developed finish that blends sweet vanilla, warm brown sugar, pie crust and a hint of pepper and clove.
