Black Draft Straight Bourbon

BONUS Guest Review x2!

Nose: The nose was pretty light without a lot of distinguishing characteristics. It had a hint of youthfulness in it. Palate: I picked up on youthful flavors in this one, but they didn’t fall into the “moonshiney” category. I got a decent amount of cinnamon and pepper. It is on the sweet side, but more a “bourbon sweet” than a “candy sweet”. The mouthfeel was about average and the finish was on the shorter side. There were some slight chocolate notes in the finish. There was a little bit of heat that comes across as a pleasant warming, rather than a burn. It really wasn’t that hot. Overall, this was a decent craft distillery effort. There wasn’t anything that would make you rush out and buy a case of it, but it was perfectly serviceable as a pleasant sipper. Comments: This clocks in at 96 proof, but I think that is a good choice for this bourbon. It isn’t too hot but the extra proof also distracts from the youth of this a bit. This comes from the Black Draft Distillery in Martinsburg, West Virginia (http://blackdraftdistillery.com) They describe themselves as the “first grain-to-glass craft distillery in Martinsburg, WV since prohibition”. They started up in 2014 and unlike other craft distilleries, they did not source any of their whiskey. They started out making moonshine and its popularity convinced them to make a bourbon. They also make vodka and other flavored products. Neither the bottle nor their website indicates the age of their bourbon, but an article written in 2017 indicated that it was 2 years old (at that time). They make limited quantities and availability is very limited. You can, however now get it in some places in MD. At a mid $30 price point, there are many other choices, but if you wanted to support a small business, you could do much worse than to buy this. Guest Reviewer # 1: "Some heat, some pepper, a little bit of sweetness, and not very complex." Guest Reviewer # 2: “Sweet smell, typical light caramel. Sweet on the pallet, short finish, at 96 proof not a lot of heat. For the $36 price, This is a passable bourbon. I don’t know that I would pay more than $35 or $36 but supporting a craft distillery plus my local wine merchant was worth the purchase."