American Whiskey - Conecuh Ridge Whiskey
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Clyde May's Conecuh Ridge Whiskey
Bardstown, Kentucky
Grain - Corn, Rye, Barley, Water from Alabama
PROOF: 90 (45%)
AGE: 4 Years
TYPE: Small Batch
PRICE: $25.00 - 750 ML
Update: This whiskey is undergoing a revival with new ownership. Yes, you can buy this whiskey again! Details to follow as they become available. Please note new web page.
Notes: This whiskey is produced somewhere in Kentucky (the distiller is rather secretive about that), but the water is trucked in from Alabama. The whiskey is put in charred oak barrels then shipped to Alabama for aging. This is a small batch whiskey. As the grain composition and age of this whiskey is unknown (and proprietary), it cannot be classified as a bourbon or rye.
Appearance: Deep red/gold in the bottle, lighter body than most bourbons.
First Impression: Sweetish corn and a trace of rye, leather and mint notes, slight citrus and on more warming: char, toffee, some spiciness, and a faint trace of orange/maple.
Taste: A mix of sweet and dry start somehow, with medium to light mouth feel, with some wheat bite to it. A young whiskey that due to being aged in Alabama, had dramatic temperature swings. Hence, intense respiration in the barrel which leads to a very rapid aging (compared to the sedate pace of other spirits) which has mellowed it beyond its years.
Drinks: Works well for whiskey or rye drinks such as a Manhattan when you are looking for a lighter bodied whiskey. Good with a light bodied cigar.
Final Thoughts: A interesting whiskey if a bit on the light side. A good starter whiskey for people who are starting to explore brown spirits. But not something that would challenge the serious bourbon drinker.
Bottle: Squarish workman-like bottle,
simple graphics. Strikes you as a old no nonsense design with no attempt at
pretention. The only drawbacks are it does not catch the eye and there is very
little (substantive) information on the label.
Web site: http://www.clydemays.com
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