Glenns Creek Café Olé

Hints of coffee. Muy delicioso

Café Ole is made with heavily toasted barley to add rich chocolate notes then aged at a minimum of 46 months before being released as a single barrel product and my barrel is number 14 that was bottled at 53.8% ABV. The nose is rich and bold starting with a mix of chocolate covered caramel clusters, dehydrated apricots and suede then circus peanuts and espresso followed by caramelized peaches, lemon zest and sour cherries that transitions to light baking spices and mild oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich syrupy mouthfeel starting mildly sour with a bitter spice that slowly fades to chocolate brownie batter, dehydrated apricots and suede then toasted marshmallows, peanut brittle and espresso followed by caramelized peaches, lemon candy and maraschino cherries that transitions to light baking spices and mildly ashy oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with dark chocolate covered espresso beans, sour cherries, caramelized peaches, ginger, cloves, leather and mild oak spice. This is a rich and decadent chocolatey treat that those toasted barley notes are dominant underscored by sour citrus and mild baking spices that has a mild youthful astringency on the taste that finishes with earthy dark chocolate and coffee along with light sour fruits and light oak spices. For a bourbon that is younger than 4 years, this is a real treat that any chocolate lover would likely find quite enjoyable, but suffers from a youthful sourness that could use more time aging in the barrel to help polish those flavors better. It’s another tasty dram from Glenn’s Creek which is creating some unique spirits and are on my must visit list whenever I go to Kentucky to pick up a bottle or two. I’d highly recommend a visit for anyone that is able to make it to Kentucky as it’s a tiny little operation, but the people clearly have a lot of passion and knowledge in the products they are creating.

Another of the bottles we purchased from Dave while visiting Kentucky last May. Just an excellent craft distillery that's not afraid of experimentation. Loved meeting the gang and touring the facility. This expression offers just what the name on the label suggests; coffee and chocolate from nose to long lingering finish. Another very interesting and pleasing pour from Glenns Creek. Cheers! Barrel #12, Bottle #102 12/21/22 - Revisited this one tonight. Less coffee and chocolate this time around. Really getting the oak and barrel char. Not off-putting, just more pronounced tonight. Finish is just as long, with a drying effect going on.

Amazing. Coffee notes. How do they do it?? So good.

This is an absolutely stellar bourbon, I can see why Dave named it as he did. The chocolate malt brings out so much coffee it’s unbelievable! I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Glenn’s creek on my last two visits to Kentucky and feel extremely fortunate to have stumbled across this gem! David is doing some unbelievable things in my opinion and it is truly a craft bourbon, I can not recommend them more! This particular bottle I’m sampling is from batch 5 and weighs in at a big 118 proof though you’d never know it while sipping. The rye spice is evident on the nose along with some dark chocolate and the obvious coffee. The palate just blows me away, sips incredibly easy and again, loads of espresso. The finish is long and drawn out, really an incredible pour! I can see where this may not be for everyone but I challenge you to find a better late night after dinner pour!!