Spirits of French Lick Lee W. Sinclair 4 Grain Bourbon

Spirits of French Lick Lee W. Sinclair Four Grain Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey has fermented at 85-90 degrees four days from a mash of corn, oats, wheat, and caramel malt using two distinct yeast varieties. The first yeast pulls out the grain profile, and the other yeast pulls out fruity and nutty esters for distillation. The oats add a creamy mouthfeel to the profile and a sweet aroma while caramel malt, which has typically used for brewing, adds a layer of sweetened aroma over the base of the grains.

This Lee W. Sinclair Bourbon is double pot distilled, and the cuts on the doubling run were made immaculately to bring the grain and terroir out in this spirit. The emphasis is on retaining and concentrating the grain during distillation and balancing these elements with the barrel characteristics during maturation.

Spirits of French Lick use number 2 charred New American Oak barrels, toasted before charring, and with toasted heads to provide lignin, caramel, and vanilla flavors. They age the barrels in their Chai / Cellar at their distillery in West Baden, Indiana. The facilities allow them to maintain temperatures that are substantially lower than traditional rack-houses to sustain the volatility of the base grains.

This Bourbon Whiskey has a beautiful medium caramel color for its young age that is almost amber and also heavy legs on the glass. It offers sweet caramel and vanilla alongside sweetened vanilla-like grain aroma from wheat and oats. Its soft entry is almost like light vanilla cake frosting with a big thick, creamy mouth-feel. Barrel tannins are well balanced throughout, finished with a punch of caramel. The sweetness lingers and the oats perceptible on the finish, providing excellent balance. Enjoy!