Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Limited Release Double Oaked

ReviewsAmerican WhiskeyIndianaStarlight DistilleryBourbon

Nov 7

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Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Limited Release Double Oaked

Indiana Straight Bourbon from Starlight, Indiana finished in unused Seguin Moreau Vanilla Toast bourbon barrels for 8 more months

52% ABV/104 Proof

4.5 YO, Batch #DB005

Eye: Dark maple syrup, thin-to-medium rims with thick droplets.

Nose: Not nearly as oaky as I expected: sweet oak, clear bourbon underneath. Some sweet rye mint with the barest of proof heat. Sweetened black licorice, sweet corn.

Palate: All kinds of corn burst from the glass - fresh off the cob, roasted, corn pudding, charred, it’s all there. Lots of vanilla baked goods remind you that this is a bourbon. The oak is sweet, only slightly drying, and incredibly well-balanced. The mouthfeel is deliciously creamy oak, cinnamon-scented corn pudding, and a hint of dryness without any proof heat on the palate.

Finish: Follows the mouthfeel exactly, with perhaps a bit more rye sweetness and herbal anise you’d find in a smooth absinthe.

Overall: Toasted barrel finishes have been mixed in their successes, and there have been no shortage of them the last year or two with Elijah Craig joining Michter’s as the most popular of these. This can easily hold its own aside both of those. Vanilla, corn, cream, and oak - what could be better?

Rating: 7.6

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, 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)