Traverse City Single Barrel Bourbon Beast Masters Pick “Vaxxed, Waxed & Ready to Party”
Traverse City Single Barrel Bourbon Beast Masters Pick “Vaxxed, Waxed & Ready to Party” Bottle. Image courtesy of Beast Masters.
In case you haven’t noticed, there are a SHITLOAD of whiskey groups out there, ranging from your local group of friends to online-only groups that get pick after pick of Good Times (and only that) to nationally recognized groups with membership harder to get than a table at Rao’s.
Of course, the keys to any whiskey (or spirit) group worth joining are group chemistry and solid picks. Beast Masters, centered in New York City, manages to mix both quite well - with a give-no-shits attitude that makes every pick and every event a blast. Offended by beaver jokes? Not the group for you. Afraid of high-proof spirits? Keep walking. Think whiskey is just for men? Get the **** out.
I honestly don’t know exactly when I found out about the Beast Masters club. It might’ve been a random pick of theirs I came across…probably a Four Roses Single Barrel, to be honest. It was high proof, high quality, and I wanted more. Membership to the group is free, but as they point out, the more you engage the more you’ll enjoy it.
There’s also a second level - Society of the Bearded Beaver - but I can’t say much about that other than the last event was bananas crazy good. Moral of the story? Take a look at the Beast Masters, their picks, and their podcast - but don’t you dare take my bottles.
Anyway - this particular pick is from Traverse City Whiskey Co. (TCW) in Michigan. It’s an 8-year-old bourbon from MGP clocking in at a cool 116.2 proof. “Vaxxed, Waxed & Ready to Party”, featuring a beaver in a bathing suit with wax strips and a razor and a vaccine in its arm, pulls no punches on the sticker or on flavor. It’s full-on MGP bourbon goodness, closer to nine years than eight, with a creamy oak and cinnamon spice drop flavor. At first sip, it was a bit oaky for my tastes, but it opened up well to balance the oak with fruity, baking spice flavors.
Traverse City Single Barrel Bourbon Beast Masters Pick “Vaxxed, Waxed & Ready to Party” Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Origin: MGP
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Proof: 116.2 (58.1% ABV)
Age: 8 Years Old
Location: Michigan
Traverse City Single Barrel Bourbon Beast Masters Pick “Vaxxed, Waxed & Ready to Party” Whiskey Price: $110
Traverse City Single Barrel Bourbon Beast Masters Pick “Vaxxed, Waxed & Ready to Party” Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Bruleed orange. No rims, droplet syrupy legs.
Nose: Spicy and oaky, some proof but more oak spice than anything. Caramel popcorn with some sea salt flakes. Classic MGP 75/21/4 flavor with a little extra oak. Cinnamon opens with air.
Palate: Oak is front and center with spice, but also a warm creaminess. Tip of the tongue heat, cinnamon custard, and warming baking spices. A touch of menthol on the back end. Mouthfeel is creamy and silky like creme Anglaise. Spicy and oaky still, but stays just short of being overbearing.
Finish: The cinnamon spice drop continues especially on the tongue for a good while on a long, creamy finish.
Overall: The first time I tried it, this was oaky as hell. Just a bit of air really opens this up and calms the woodiness. The oak turns spicy while the cinnamon notes round out to a creamy mouthfeel. Solid, verging on great pick.
Final Rating: 7.0
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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