Origin: Tennessee (USA)
Type: Tennessee Bourbon
Strength: 40%ABV
Ageing casks: American Toasted Oak
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Halewood Wine & Spirits
Average price: € 40.00
Official website: www.americaneaglewhiskey.com
Vote: 71/100
Although we are here to talk about a bourbon, those who put it in the bottle comes from the UK, Halewood Wine & Spirits, founded in 1978 by John Halewood with very modest origins, starting with the sale of Hungarian wine in his garage.
Soon the business expanded, diversifying into gin, vodka, wines from around the world and the ingenious (commercially speaking) reinvention of ginger beer with the launch of the hugely popular Crabbie’s brand in 2009.
Over the years, the company has established its own distilleries, both of gin and whisky, the latter with brands that may not be very popular with aficionados (Crabbie’s, Gelston’s) but which have been able to ride fashions, such as the labels dedicated to The Pogues and the well-known TV serial Peaky Blinders.
For this bourbon, the company sources from an undisclosed distillery in Tennessee, although the charcoal filtration and 84% corn composition (plus rye and malt) may give discreet clues as to its origin.
The basic version of the label, devoted to blending, is accompanied by an 8 and a 12 year old from the same series.
Tasting notes
Full gold in the glass.
Oak, vanilla and caramel tick off the aromas you expect on the nose, accompanied by popcorn, nutmeg, honey, orange compote. Maple syrup. Light and predictable but not unpleasant.
Slim-bodied, in the mouth it picks up the toasted oak theme with a subtle peppering on caramelised apple, candied orange, nutmeg, vanilla. Not very incisive, it tends to let the spices of the wood prevail over the rest, flattening the tones of the dram.
The finish is quite short, spicy and a little cloying, with vanilla, honey and caramel.
The vocation for mixology is evident, the clear spice that crushes the flavours is well suited to accompany other elements of a cocktail. In purity, it isn’t unpleasant but has little or no impact.