There are some releases I get a little more excited for than others. This is definitely one of those releases. We’re constantly brainstorming new releases for our Seelbach’s Private Reserve. A Cabernet wine finish is something we had never tried before. I reached out to my friend and Aonair Wine owner, Grant Long Jr. He sent us a Howell Mountain California Cab barrel to use. We took the blend from our Seelbach’s Private Reserve 9-Year and filled the barrel. Something about the high proof in a bold cab barrel just sounded right. Our plan all along was to blend this barrel with another finish.

That was until we started tasting this barrel and were blown away by the taste. There was tons of dried fruit and strawberry notes. The finish lingered with the addition of the cab barrel. We knew this one needed to stand on its own!

I hope you enjoy this release as much as I have. It’s probably the most sampled barrel in Seelbach’s inventory since our 15-year release. “Sampled” for scientific purposes of course.

Batch 001

Finishing Barrel: Aonair Winery California Cabernet Barrel; 4-months

Mash Bill: 75/15/10 Corn/Rye/Malted Barley

Source: Bardstown, KY

Proof: 130.1 Proof; Barrel Strength

Bottle Count: 240 bottles

Tasting Notes: Strawberry jam, molasses, white pepper and buttered toast. This is syrupy and viscous. The perfect combination for a high proof finish. The Howell Mountain Cabernet adds richness. The bourbon balances perfectly as it touches on notes of dried fruit sweetness that transition into a long finish of toasted oak and heat.

About: Seelbach’s is dedicated to ‘unlocking craft spirits.’ As a bespoke independent bottler, we embrace patience, waiting for that special whiskey to cross our path. When a boutique winery offers barrels for aging we jump at the opportunity. The secondary finish adds notes of dried fruit and strawberry jam. The barrel compliments without overpowering the bourbon. This is a balancing act we we perform with each batch. But, the end result is always worth the added attention.  Enjoy!

A Note About Batch Numbers

As the Seelbach’s Private Reserve continues to grow we’ve revamped how we use batch numbers. Each core release will now have it’s own sequential numbers. This replaces our old system of each release getting the next batch number. I.e. even though Cab Finished is our seventh release, it’s Batch #001 because it’s the first cab finished bourbon. This may be a little confusing in our first few releases. In the future, it should help Seelbach’s customers track each release a little easier. But, if you have any questions about a specific batch please feel free to reach out!

 

Here’s what we have coming in the next few weeks: