Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Mind, Body, and Soul
Not content to be your run-of-the-mill blending house, Doc Swinson’s is also intent on exploring the possibilities of finishing their Blender’s Cut Bourbon in various casks. These include Cognac, Oloroso sherry, and Pedro Ximenez sherry. This trio - Mind, Body, and Soul - arrived as part of my tasting pack for my episode of the Whiskey Ring Podcast with Head Blender Jesse Parker.
For all of the finishing done to American whiskies, the actual proportion of products finished is quite small. There are several possibilities when looking for a reason, among them: finishing was more popular with Scotch whisky and, to a lesser extent, Irish whiskey, and ran into resistance with American palates. Another possibility is that corn produces a relatively thin distillate in flavor and texture, meaning finishes can easily overwhelm the base spirit.
Rye - at least as compared to corn, in my opinion - has more heft in the distillate and more flavor. Thus, it often stands up better to finishings - one need only look to Doc Swinson’s own Alter Ego Rye, finished in Caribbean rum casks, for an example of how a rye can be finished in a strongly flavored cask without losing the underlying rye flavor.
For the greatest range of flavors and finishings, Barrell Craft Spirits is the place to look, with Bardstown Bourbon Company a distant though notable second. What’s notable here is that both of these are well-known and well-respected for their blends. There’s no talk of Kentucky Gentleman or Seagram’s 7 here: these blends are all from whiskies that could be called whiskies on their own, no neutral grain spirits included. Doc Swinson’s might not be able to compete on volume (with no plans to, for what it’s worth), but they can compare on finishing. Like Barrell and Bardstown, Doc Swinson’s has a deft touch with blending, a necessity for successful finishing, since no amount of finishing can mask a poor base.
So, how did they do with this trilogy? Pretty damn well, that’s how. The biggest surprise for me was which finish came away best for my palate. Pedro Ximenez (or PX) sherry is a syrupy sweet after-dinner treat that’s like a concentrated sweet red wine. Oloroso sherry is brighter and drier, with fresh red fruit, baking spices, and some nutty rancio. The cognac used in this series is unknown, but in general a cognac finish will give you different flavors depending on the age - this batch used older barrels, many of which had been used for 20+ years (note: this doesn’t mean it held 20-year-old cognacs, but rather that it was used multiple times over two decades). The barrels for all three were also large format sherry butts, which are large enough for an average adult to stand in, with the cognac in a large format cask that was still above the standard 53-gallon size. Finally, the barrels came to Doc Swinson’s wet, meaning there was still cognac and sherry soaked into the wood that was starting to leach out.
As I said in my review of the Blender’s Cut Bourbon, MGP bourbon is great - we all know that. But what you do with it can make a huge difference. Not every finish is successful, and I certainly enjoyed two of these more than the third. More importantly, though, the finishes show a restraint and skill, with a blender’s palate that matches my own. I can’t wait to see what else comes in this series going forward.
Thanks to Doc Swinson’s for providing samples of each at no cost. While full editorial control remains with me, it is greatly appreciated.
Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Soul (L’Esprit): Specs
Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac casks
Origin: MGP Distillery
Mashbill: A Blend of 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley and 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley Mash Bills from MGP, Finished in Cognac Casks
Proof: 114.7 (57.35% ABV)
Age: 5 Years Old, Plus Finishing
Location: Indiana, Blended and Bottled in Washington
Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Soul Price: TBD
Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Soul (L’Esprit) Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Fossilized amber. Disappearing rims and splotchy drops all over.
Nose: White chocolate and cascara fruit. Sauternes-like vinous notes, if less sweet. Gentle nose overall, with barrel char and oaky pepper opening up. An unexpected gin-soaked raisin scent at the end (personal memory - don’t ask).
Palate: Oak - vinous and cognac-heavy. Spicy and peppery oak with creaminess and mild astringency. Tobacco leaves, warm wood, barely any proof heat. Mouthfeel is creamy and spicy, coating the entire palate with Mexican hot chocolate and spiked raisins. Medium-to-full-bodied, with plenty of bourbon, vanilla, and coconut underneath.
Finish: Long and balanced as the bourbon comes to the fore. The cognac fruitiness fades a little, but by no means disappears.
Overall: Wow - that is balanced. Great flavor, both sides crystal clear. Complex at each step and excellent overall.
Final Rating: 8.0
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Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Body (El Cuerpo): Specs
Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks
Origin: MGP Distillery
Mashbill: A Blend of 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley and 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley Mash Bills from MGP, Finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks
Proof: 114.6 (57.3% ABV)
Age: 5 Years Old, Plus Finishing
Location: Indiana, Blended and Bottled in Washington
Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Body Price: TBD
Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Body (El Cuerpo) Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Golden apple juice or black iced tea. Barely-there rims and uniform running droplets.
Nose: Of all three, the bourbon base is strongest on this nose. Heady proof up the nostrils. The PX is surprisingly minimal, nearly absent. There’s a dark undertone, but it’s not necessarily a flavor, more a feeling.
Palate: There’s the PX! But it’s super hot and peppery - oddly so. The dark fruit notes are hidden for a few seconds before coming out, rich and toffee-like without being overly sweet. Date and pomegranate syrup. Mouthfeel is textured, still quite hot, numbing even. Coats the palate with a pepper-heat lacquer that turns chocolatey at the very end.
Finish: Spiked, super dark hot chocolate with some date cake on the side. Can’t tell if the bourbon flavor is there beyond the vanilla.
Overall: Surprisingly imbalanced…the flavors are there but they don’t make sense. PX sherry is notoriously sweet, but even when it’s diluted or blended into something else, it’s never gone peppery-hot like this. The heat overtakes both the bourbon and PX flavors for most of the sip, from nose to finish. With the other two being so balanced, it puts this blend’s imbalance more into focus than it would be otherwise.
Final Rating: 6.1
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Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Mind (La Mente): Specs
Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks
Origin: MGP Distillery
Mashbill: A Blend of 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley and 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley Mash Bills from MGP, Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks
Proof: 114.5 (57.25% ABV)
Age: 5 Years Old, Plus Finishing
Location: Indiana, Blended and Bottled in Washington
Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Mind Price: TBD
Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask Series: Mind (La Mente) Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Mott’s apple juice. Thin rims and sloughing droplets along those rims.
Nose: Red fruit candies, raisiny sweetness. Touch of proof, but not much. Semisweet chocolate and roasted almonds. Hint of mint in the background, fresh tobacco and red wine.
Palate: Hotter than expected up front, but intensely flavorful, too. All the oloroso rushes forward - almonds in dark chocolate, plums and red nectarines and fresh cherries with spices. The bourbon underneath isn’t lost, either. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and coating, velvety, settles onto the tongue with lingering sherry sweetness. Cigar smoke on the tail end.
Finish: Cigars pop into my mind, as does holiday fruit-chocolate-nut mixes. Finish is oloroso-forward again, with oak barely building in the corners of my mouth.
Overall: Nicely balanced finish/base combo. Perhaps a bit heavy on the oloroso, but it doesn’t overpower the base and adds excellent flavors. The slightly smoky cigar note is a lovely addition.
Final Rating: 7.4
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Old Label Batch 4 or 2, Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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