Zachary-Robbins
Woodinville Cask Strength Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Washington, USA
Reviewed
October 10, 2020 (edited April 2, 2022)
Bull City Bourbon Club pick, named "Honey Smack'd"
Barrel No. 3306, Bottle No. 156
59.96% abv, 119.92 proof
Open 1.5 months
Nose - Bright honey, boozy mead, artificial cinnamon, young oak, apples and white grapes, bourbon cask strength version of pot-still Irish whiskey
Palate - Honey, butterscotch, honey crisp apples, French toast, sweet oatmeal. Finishes with an ethanol punch that was disguised on the nose and tongue, then transforms to a light honey syrup with hints of cinnamon and oak.
I took a chance on this expensive craft bourbon because I heard the Bull City Bourbon Club (BCBC) was a new group that has picked some good local stuff in 2020. This drastically exceeded my expectations. I've had a lot of cask strength bourbon in the last 2 years and this is wildly different. While most are spicy and dense in profile, this is light, bright, and sweet. I think the distillery location in Washington lends to a unique profile that is a nice addition to the bourbon category. The name Honey Smack'd by BCBC is appropriate, this tastes like the alcoholic version of Honey Smacks and is more like a strong mead than something like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. I've been seeing a variety of store picks around NC and I doubt any of them are bad. I highly recommend picking one up, I guesstimate it'll be a welcome change to the typical Kentucky cask strength bourbon.
69.95
USD
per
Bottle
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@BDanner Appreciate the recommendation, need to give that one a try!
@BDanner How much was that, and the proof?
@Southpaw22 I was in there today. Looked at it again but picked up the New Hanover ABC Single Barrel Cask Strength Stranahan’s on sale. I highly recommend.
@BDanner Give it a try, I frequent the WB store as well and think they still have a some left. This one does well after opening up for a week or two, reminded me of EH Taylor BP a bit.
@Zachary-Robbins I enjoy these silly names, but I suspect you're right that the particular batch matters a lot! I can't imagine "Honey Smack'd" and "Thicc Mintz" as being all that similar of drams.
@BDanner Good idea, it is pricey. Another Bull City Bourbon Club pick was called Thicc Mintz so my guess is the picks vary a lot.
@Zachary-Robbins might have to try a pour at Front Street before committing to a bottle.
@BDanner I really like it, but I'll stipulate it's a lot different from the cask strengths we find in NC.
Wrightsville has a pick and I seriously considered it, but my bad experience with their standard issue Bourbon stopped me. After your review, I may take a flyer.
Glad this was a good pick! For a CS barrel pick, it seems like a good price :)