Thomas S. Moore Chardonnay Cask Finished Bourbon

Thomas S. Moore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Chardonnay Casks, 48.95%, Non-Chill Filtered, Natural Color Barton 1792 Distillery uses its high rye mash bill aged 5-7 years in new charred oak barrels. Then the whiskey is transferred to a secondary cask for “extended” finishing. Normally a finish is measured in months, in this case, they are finishing in wine casks for 1-3 years. The smell - this is more of a traditional bourbon smell. I am not getting much chardonnay influence here. Cron husk, caramel, honey, some rye/dill spice, and vanilla The taste - Ahh, there is the sour chardonnay. The first blast on the tongue is a confusing mix of chardonnay and bourbon. There is the sourness of the chardonnay and it hangs around a while, but eventually, you do get some candy corn, and spice but the sourness from the chardonnay overstays its welcome.  Adding water calms everything down but that sour chardonnay component overwhelms the other flavors.  The finish - is medium but the chardonnay sour white grapes continue to dominate the finish. The rye spice tries to make an appearance but amazingly the sourness of the chardonnay keeps the spice in the background. I am quite surprised that a white wine like Chardonnay can wreak this much havoc on a high rye bourbon. This could be an acquired taste OR it could just be a failed experiment. This one doesn’t work for me. It won’t be wasted thought, I’ll experiment by blending this with other bourbons. If I find a good blend for this I will write about it and let you know. Overall Grade: C-  (Below Average)