McKenzie Single Barrel Bourbon, Barrel No. 1768

Okay...so, there’s two reasons to stop chasing the unicorns like BTACs and Old Forester Birthdays. There’s also two reasons now to stop trying “quite not ready” American craft whiskeys where you feel you just spent $100 and got little to show for it. The first reason is Arizona’s DelBac Dorado if you like smoky whiskey. The second reason is NY’s very own McKenzie if you like balanced complex whiskey. These two are the very best out of the USA vfm. Full stop. Thanks to a generous pour sent by @jonwilkinson7309 , I got try this one. I’m not sure I can even fully write down the compete ever changing flavors I got out of this. Deeply enigmatic with oranges, vanilla, cloves, allspice...all wrapped up in silky smooth texture. Just amazing, Look this one up folks and give it a go...money well spent Thanks Jon!

This is a single barrel offering available in limited quantities from Seelbach's.  As of this writing, it's still in stock but the total number of bottles is very limited (204).  But even if you can't get this specific bottle, I believe it's representative of the high-quality bourbon McKenzie is producing. So I felt a review was in order. I love exploring craft offerings, but I'm not always rewarded for those efforts.  Certainly, there are many craft products that are average (or worse), overpriced, or both.  But I've purchased enough craft spirits that are gems to ensure I'll keep hunting craft.  This bottle is one of those gems. The mashbill is corn-65%, spelt-13%, wheat-11%, wheat malt-6%, and barley malt -5%.  If I had been asked to describe the perfect wheated bourbon, I would have mentioned notes of vanilla, oak, caramel maybe some fruit. Bold but not harsh, and certainly not one dimensional  This bottle has all of that and more.  The ABV of 52% seems to be perfect - this dram bursts with flavor without any harshness. I was so impressed with this whiskey that I felt that a reality check was in order, so I opened a bottle of Weller Antique 107. The 107 is a wonderful dram, but there's no question in my mind - I prefer this McKenzie over the Weller (I've repeated the comparison on three different days prior to writing this review).  That's not to say the McKenzie is better - that's a matter of personal taste.  Comparatively, the Weller is more spicy and feels like it's wound a bit tight.  The McKenzie takes my palette on more of a ride, and I find it to be a better example of a wheated bourbon in terms of the flavor profile. This is the second McKenzie bourbon that I've tried, with the first being their Bottled in Bond (also wheated).  McKenzie also has a mashbill with rye that I can't vouch for.  But if you're contemplating any of their wheated offerings, go for it!