Oak & Eden: Bourbon & Spire

Size: 750 ML

Proof: 90 (45% ABV)

Origin: Bottled in Lewisville, TX/Distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN

Distillery: Oak & Eden

In my last review of the Sugar Maple Wood Bourbon, I said “I am a type of person that believes that some traditions should be upheld.” After tasting Bourbon & Spire, I am quickly rethinking my line of thinking. I am thinking that while tradition methods are fine and dandy, do we really have to cling to them? Oak & Eden still age their bourbon in oak barrels, but instead of switching it over to a second barrel to finish aging it they use a technique called “In-bottle finishing.” Which is a trademarked process along with a patented “spire” that they use to, as you guessed it, finish the bourbon in the bottle. I highly recommend you checking their website. It has a treasure trove of information about this process and where it came from, and you can see their entire line up of products.

I decided to venture out to Market District in the search for a new spirit to try, and while there I ran into one of the distributors for Market District. We had a rather informative talk, and she recommended several things to try and I after a rather long time settled on the Bourbon & Spire. Upon getting home and settling in for the evening, I cracked open the bottle and poured myself a few fingers into my glass. The nose delivers a nice aromatic blend of oak and sweet notes of vanilla and what I can only describe as a cinnamon sugar. It reminds me of fall cooking. The palate delivers a broad range of flavors ranging from sweet all the way to savory. I pick out hints of vanilla and honey that transitions into something akin to a sweet bread with honey, and then it goes into for the knockout with a finish of those fall spices I picked up on the nose.

I am not a sommelier, nor have been in the bourbon world for any long amount of time, so it is a little difficult for me to give a proper standard that a more experienced person might be able to give. But I will say that I am really surprised by the Bourbon & Spire. I like how they are thinking outside the box when it comes to whiskey making, and I hope they continue to improve upon their process. I will recommend this bottle to you and my friends, and I will look forward to trying their other products. I am going to give this one a 4 out of 5.

The only thing I am thinking on with this bourbon is the fact that there is a lot going on. It might prove to be a bit overwhelming to some. While I do enjoy all the flavors I do feel like there is a battle royal going on with my taste buds. But in the long run let that battle rage for I am still going to sit and enjoy this glass that I poured.