Ragged Branch Signature Bourbon

Easy to drink whether neat or mixed. I won’t lie, the store I purchased from offered the Wheated and Straight as a BOGO deal and I was amazed at the price and willing to taste. Probably wouldn’t buy as a replacement, but glad I tried it and enjoyed the distilleries story.

A really fascinating find. For background, see Lee Stang's article in Bourbon & Banter, https://www.bourbonbanter.com/drink/drink-reviews/bourbon-reviews/ragged-branch-distillery-is-coming-of-age/. Pretty amazing result for a distillery that started in 2014! The picture in Distiller doesn't match the bottle I have, exactly, so to clarify, I'm tasting Ragged Branch Signature Bourbon, Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Batch 4, Bottle 376, 90 proof, 750ml. (Note Lee Stang's review was from Batch 5.) The Virginia ABC web site says the mash bill is 66 percent corn, 17 percent rye and 17 percent malted barley. There's no age statement but I believe this is a 4-year bourbon. Glassware: "Stave & Thief" Glencairn. On the nose (neat) there's very little, and I found that fascinating. I finally discerned something between graham crackers and malted milk balls (other than the perpetual vanilla and caramel bouquet in every bourbon). On entry, lots of front-of-mouth flavor and pleasant mouth feel. I prefer wheated bourbons, so I am sensitive to rye but this was not very spicy. Again with that mysterious hybrid of graham crackers and malted milk balls! The finish was equally smooth and pleasant, with an almost-sweet aftertaste. With a little room-temperature water, the bouquet opened up to a degree I've not experienced before, much more aroma on the nose than when sampled neat. That same mix of flavors was there as well as another that I couldn't identify. On the tongue, entry to finish, the same as before but enhanced. Then I remembered Lee Stang's reviews of this and other Ragged Branch bottlings where he mentioned "chocolate" and "malted milk balls" several times. I realized I'm tasting nougat, like from the center of a Three Musketeers candy bar! Definitely different from other bourbons. This is a really satisfying bourbon and I recommend it highly.

Blind tasting