Amador Double Barrel Bourbon Finished in Napa Valley Wine Barrels

Smokey full flavor bit sweet

Smokey bit sweet full flavor

I found this bourbon on the shelves of my local Kroger and thought I’d give it a shot. Amador Double Barrel is a sourced Kentucky bourbon consisting of barrels aged between 3 and 10 years old that are then finished for 6 months in Napa Valley wine barrels of an undisclosed variety. Bottled at 43.4% ABV, what I assume is a natural color of orange amber and is probably chill filtered. The nose has strong corn notes and some alcohol up front. Heavily charred oak and red wine notes that seem to fade in and out. Vanilla, blackberries, red grapes, cinnamon apples. Some typical toffee/caramel notes, stale marshmallows and brown sugar. A slight bubblegum note and some very light florals, lavender maybe. After a while a strong peanut aroma takes over. A fairly weak nose other than the oak and peanuts. The palate mimics the nose almost completely. Corn, charred oak and alcohol. Grapes, apple skins, vanilla and red wine. A bit of spice, nothing over the top but just enough to be enjoyable. Cinnamon, clove, a touch harsh though. Peanuts and peanut brittle. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is a bit watery, mouth coating and dry. The finish is medium length with corn, oak, peanuts, grapes and is dry. I have to say that for a $45 bourbon I was expecting much more. The wine influence is minimal and the bourbon is mediocre. It’s easy drinking but for that kind of money I want more complexity in my bourbons. The peanut note took me a while to figure out, but once I did that was all I could focus on and it became distracting. I’d pass on this one again. 3.25 Cheers

Interesting quad grain build. Smooth and Chardonnay barrel finish lends a roundness and slight citrus note to the corn. Lingering burn in the finish; probably great for cocktails

On the lighter side, very clear body. No outstanding characteristics.

Clean smooth flavor