Van Brunt Stillhouse 10th Anniversary Bourbon
In May 2022, Van Brunt Stillhouse celebrated its 10th anniversary in Red Hook. Of course, to get there, they had to manage their liquid supply and plan for the future.
So many smaller distilleries - and after 10 years, Van Brunt is still smaller - go out of business because they have a bad liquid strategy. Either they release too early and run out, or hold too long and lack cash flow (there are a lot of complexities in there, but that’s the basic idea).
Van Brunt, thankfully, looked to the future. Not necessarily in terms of huge growth, but in terms of keeping the distillery and its products going. To that end, this bottle was six years in the making.
Three years ago, Daric and the Van Brunt team selected multiple three-year-old casks of their bourbon, vatting them together and aging for another three years. The result is a maple and walnut-focused bourbon that never veers too sweet, balanced by a slightly increased proof from the standard bourbon and more age behind it, too.
The best distillers and distilleries have a plan. Those that want to be in this game for the long-term are constantly thinking forward, trying to improve without losing their core. Especially in the wake of 1) the Heaven Hill fire in 1996 and 2) the bust of so many distilleries that didn’t plan well, even in the distilling boom we’re seeing nowadays,
As a consumer and as a person outside the distillery, you don’t always see the plan until a product comes out and slaps you in the face.
This product slapped me in the face.
It was one of the last products I tried from Van Brunt’s lineup. The bourbons and ryes I tasted before (including the White Rye I reviewed yesterday) were good to great, showcasing the grains Daric was using and the barrel influence he wanted to impart to the distillate. This went above and beyond, though, demonstrating what can only happen with age.
Sure, this isn’t a craft bourbon in the sense of being “grain forward” - I wouldn’t be able to pick out the grains from this if it were focused on the varietals - but it does show phase two, where those whiskies that highlight the grain move to highlighting the barrel. This is maple- and vanilla-forward, and has a rich, peppery mouthfeel that builds and builds. It has creamy oak without being woody, and is intensely flavored for anything at 100 proof.
If I’m right, there might just be a few left in the tasting room. Go taste, go visit, and enjoy!
Van Brunt Stillhouse 10th Anniversary Bourbon Whiskey: Specs
Classification: New York Bourbon Whiskey
Origin: Van Brunt Stillhouse
Mashbill: 65% New York Corn, 20% Wheat, 10% Barley (a small amount roasted), 5% Rye
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: 6 Years
Location: Red Hook, New York
Van Brunt Stillhouse 10th Anniversary Bourbon Whiskey Price: $65.99
Van Brunt Stillhouse 10th Anniversary Bourbon Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Buckwheat honey. Bleeding rims and medium drops.
Nose: Warming, toasted wood about to catch fire. Less overtly sweet than the Bottled-in-Bond, but vanilla and maple still lead. Tobacco being rolled and the first smoke from a cigar.
Palate: Vanilla taffy on fire, spicy rye peppercorns, spun sugar and caramel chews. Sweetness kept in check by a well=balanced proof and oak spice. Maple and caramel building. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, effervescent, like a house made cream soda syrup. Slightly numbing with fresh coffee beans.
Finish: Fills the whole palate and coats like syrup. Delicious, long-lasting, vanilla and cream soda float.
Overall: Wow - that’s a new level for me. Great balance of sweet and spicy, leading into the soda syrup. Well-paired on proof, age, and profile.
Final Rating: 7.2
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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