Doc Swinson’s Garryana Exploratory Cask Straight Bourbon bottled at 54.4% ABV, mash bill: 1: 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% mal — a $80/ 750ml bottle expression that merits close attention.
Nose
This is one of the more aromatic whiskeys in the summer line up. I taste notes of raw honey with a rich sense of whole vanilla beans and sassafras root beer. The body is light and zippy with a linen-like crispness to the alcohol. Am I sipping on a chocolate ice cream root beer float? Theres a note of yeast here like a whole grain bread dough fermenting while dense rye bread is being pulling steaming from the oven. I applaud the use of local wood for this release. Its notably different from the base bourbon, available as the Doc Swinsons Five-Year Blenders Cut Straight Bourbon, and quite distinct from the other Exploratory Cask series release I tasted that was finished in French oak. The complexity of the spice and mineral aromatics kept things interesting with all the rich chocolate and root beer notes. Of the five Doc Swinsons I tasted, this would be the first one in my shopping cart.
Palate
Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by Whiskeyful or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
Finish
Aged for over five years in new American oak and finished in Garryana oak casks, 54.4% ABV, mash bill: 1: 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley and 2: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley, SRP $80/ 750ml bottle.
Verdict
Doc Swinson’s Garryana Exploratory Cask Straight Bourbon is an exceptional expression that stands among the finest in its category. It rewards patience and attention in equal measure, and we recommend it without reservation — though at $80/ 750ml bottle, one expects nothing less.
