Some whiskey manufacturers dig deep into obscure historical past for his or her backstory, however Mary Dowling, the newest from Rabbit Gap founder Kaveh Zamanian, is a narrative I’m actually stunned hasn’t been informed but. I had the chance to speak with Kaveh about his new enterprise on the Kentucky Bourbon Competition in September, and he gave me the brief model of Mary’s story.
Mary and her husband John had been companions in each life and enterprise, proudly owning and working three distilleries collectively, together with the famed Waterfill and Frazier. They had been pillars of the enterprise neighborhood and social scene in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on the flip of the twentieth century. When John died younger, Mary took over the empire and have become the one girl to run a serious distillery. Not even Prohibition may cease her. When the federal government shuttered her distillery, she employed Joe L. Beam to relocate operations to Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, famously preserving the Beam’s uninterrupted household legacy of distilling. That’s simply the tip of the Mary Dowling iceberg, however fortunately a e-book is within the works, per Kaveh.
So, what’s within the inaugural Mary Dowling bottlings? The flagship is a singular excessive rye double malt bourbon (70% corn, 25% malted rye, 5% malted barley). In a nod to Mary’s exploits south of the border, it has spent 2-4 months ending in tequila casks. The second expression is a mode of bourbon we’ve but to come across from Rabbit Gap, a wheater comprised of a mashbill of 65% corn, 25% wheat, 10% malted barley. This double barrel providing has seen secondary maturation in a frivolously toasted, #1 char barrel from Kelvin Cooperage and is bottled at cask power. Let’s dig in!
Mary Dowling Bourbon Tequila Barrel – The aroma is fairly easy regardless of such a singular ending with a spry mixture of creamed corn, butterscotch candies, and cinnamon toast. Because it opens, the ending comes into play a bit extra with refined, inexperienced notes of lower grass and dried citrus peel. The palate is mild and candy with notes of sweet corn and lemony candy tea. A pleasing, warming rye spice arrives on the midpalate, including some heft earlier than dissolving into a simple end of cracked pepper, agave syrup, and lime zest. This one gained’t simply get pegged as a tequila-finished bourbon, and that’s maybe for one of the best. Distinctive and interesting however a bit youthful for the worth level. 93 proof. B+ / $75
Mary Dowling Bourbon Double Oak Barrel – With ample time to open, this one actually sings within the glass. The aroma is wealthy and toasty with sandalwood and Chai spice, pipe smoke, and Bing cherry, all wrapped in darkish brown sugar and clove syrup. All of the makings of the right winter hotter. On the palate, it’s a little bit of a stroll by means of the lumberyard, at the least initially, with a great deal of candy sawdust and seasoned oak. However as soon as style buds alter to tannins in double-time, there’s one thing very near concord with notes of toasted coconut, crunchy chocolate cookies, grilled peaches, and cherry cordial all dusted in darkish baking spice. Whereas there are dry patches right here and there, issues stay silky and candy for probably the most half particularly on the lengthy and warming end accented by notes of cocktail cherry and Tootsie Roll. A formidable addition to the rising toasted bourbon class. 107 proof. A- / $130
Mary Dowling Bourbon Double Oak Barrel
$130
