What Is Sourced Bourbon
Its said that Calumet Farm sources their aged bourbons. A larger distillery produces and ages the spirit for a new, smaller brand.
While we think theres nothing wrong with using sourced generic bourbon after all, those big players do know how to produce great bourbon some purists might scoff and say that its mass-produced garbage.
Calumet Farm 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review
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Western Spirits Beverage Company is based out of Bowling Green, Kentucky and includes some brands in their portfolio you may have heard of.
Sam Houston, Bird Dog and Lexington are just a few bourbon labels that they bottle alongside the star of todays review, Calumet Farm 15 Year Bourbon.
For the last 3 years, Sam Houston and Calumet Farm continue to release double digit age stated bourbon that is more than likely sourced from Barton in Bardstown, KY.
They typically price it around $8 or $9 per year aged and release it around 100 proof. Previous years saw it bottled below 100 proof but now in 2021, the 15 year version of each gets bottled above 100 .
It is not a single barrel, instead Calumet Farm batches single racks totaling about 19 barrels.
Selling bourbon above the $100 threshold is an easy sell these days. Most customers still equate a high price with being a higher quality bourbon.
Enthusiasts know this is not the case, but its tough to convince anyone otherwise. To be fair, the allure of the 15 year age statement is simply be too irresistible for most to pass up.
Reviews & Tasting Notes
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Based on 11 votes, the average rating for Calumet Farm 15 Year Old Single Rack Black Bourbon Whiskey is 8.5/10.
Top reviews for Calumet Farm 15 Year Old Single Rack Black Bourbon Whiskey:
& horbar Its absolutely a great whiskey to sip. Smooth with just the right amount of bite.
& horbar This bourbon is awesome. It has hints of cherry and spice and is a perfect bourbon to have neat.
& horbar This won our whiskey tasting bracket. Great notes and the mouth feel lingers around
Scroll down for all reviews.
Why people love it?
Calumet Farm 15 Year Old Single Rack Black Bourbon Whiskey which is carefully distilled at Western Spirits Beverage Company is adored for its oaky, grassy, molasses and plum flavor notes.
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Calumet Farm 15 Year Old Bourbon Bottle Review
Last Updated on August 22, 2022 by Lydia Martin
Calumet Farm 15-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a rare bottle sold by Western Spirits Beverage Company in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Thankfully, we could get ahold of one from the liquor aisle. Heres our review on the 15-year-old bottle from Calumet Farm.
Calumet Farm Bourbon Overall Thoughts And Score
Easy, simple, nothing special. I picked up some green notes and some raw corn as it opened, but lightly. Its like a celebrity bourbon, but for a source of racing horses. Its a MOTR bourbon in a nice-looking bottle and Im having trouble coming up with more to say about it.
I guess I could point out that easy-to-find bourbons which are as good, or better than the Calumet Farm Bourbon, can be had for $20-$30 bucks. On top of that, youll know who made them and know nothing was added because theyre straight. Something over there has obviously changed in the last few years so I think I should try something a bit more current but, I have to say, this doesnt exactly motivate me to do that.
SCORE: 2.5/5
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Tasting Notes: Calumet Farms 15 Year Old Rack Black Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
I love Calumet Farms 14 year old. It amazes me that Sazerac isnt putting this fine bourbon out itself, which is distilled and aged at the 1792 Barton Distillery. The new 15 year old release is not only a year older but comes in at a higher 105 proof. Still non-chill filtered like the 14 year old.
Color is a lovely deep amber with some reddish tones, reflecting those 15 years in a barrel in the cooler part of the warehouse. Nose has wonderful vanilla and oak notes, with some nice fruitiness. On the palate, vanilla and heavy candied cherries come to the fore, with wonderful oak tannin in the background. Medium mouthfeel. Super long finish with the cherry notes becoming muted with drying oak and candied rye. This is amazing bourbon.
At $120 a bottle, yes, this is on the pricier side of bourbon. But, given what the secondary market is paying for ultra-aged and high proof bourbons, this is a bargain and it is just that good and available. And, before someone spends secondary market money getting a bottle of Blantons, Elmer T. Lee, Weller, and a host of other bourbons, your money is better spent on Calumet Farms at retail.
My friends and acquaintances always ask me for recommendations for a special bottle for someone. Given that so many things I would recommend are now allocated and impossible to get, the Calumet Farms 14 and now 15 year old bourbons are what I recommend.
Calumet Farm Bourbon Details And Tasting Notes
NOSE Caramel, oak, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, touch citrus, biscuity and fruity.
Light. This is incredibly light. Its so light and basic that its the definition of MOTR .
PALATE Caramel, oak, vanilla frosting, biscuity, copper, touch fruity and baking spice.
Yup, the palate of the Calumet Farm Bourbon keeps up the light trend and does little else.
FINISH Medium -> Oak, caramel, fruit and spice fade out evenly.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL Ok balance, medium body and a soft watery feel.
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Review: Calumet Farm Bourbon 15 Years Old Single Rack Black
There isnt much information on Three Springs Bottling Company, based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, although they have been strategically releasing tribute bourbons that have been steadily garnering attention. We recently reviewed their Sam Houston 15 Years Old here at Drinkhacker, which was offered in tribute to the legacy of Sam Houston.
We take a look now at another 15 year old bourbon released in tribute to another legacy, this an ode to Calumet Farm based in nearby Lexington, which has at turns been affiliated with baking powder, thoroughbred race horses, and most recently, bourbon. Calumet Farm 15 Year Old bourbon, similar to the Sam Houston 15 Year Old, is non-chill filtered with a mashbill of 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley.
But the spin on the Calumet Farm 15 Year Old is as follows: All barrels used to craft these rare batches are aged in a single, center cut rack thus the releases subtitle of Single Rack Black. Previous releases from Calumet Farm have featured the same mash bill and have been aged between 8 to 14 years, and all were distilled and aged in Bardstown.
Lets see how it performs.
52.5% abv.