When @Rickhouse_ramblings over on Instagram (and here) invited me to get a bottle of a barrel pick they were doing, I was all over it. Barrel picks are a great way, especially in NC, to get some great bourbon. Christian and Mike headed up to Charlottesville, Virgina to Ragged Branch Distillery to make the pick. They said it would be a wheater, which I am all about, so I was excited to try a fairly local craft distiller.
Ragged Branch is a farm to bottle distillery in that they use all local grains. Even more, they take the spent grains and feed cattle on the ranch where the distillery is located. Word is, they are even taking the the cowhide from the cattle and creating high-end leather goods. This completely closed ecosystem instantly gives Ragged Branch a HUGE score in the That’s Cool category.
In speaking with Christian and Mike, they gave me details on their journey with this pick and had nothing but great things to say about Alex, the owner. Alex learned the art of distilling from Dave Pickerell, master distiller at Whistle Pig. After hearing the story of Alex and how he handled this pick, I was excited to give this pour a try.
There is a conundrum, however. The mashbill of 66/17/17 is screaming corn and wheat sweetness. BUT…the 123.52 proof is telling me heat. This should be fun.
A deep copper color greets me in the glencairn. With a swirl, I get pretty quick forming legs that trail down the inside of the glass fairly quickly. Gorgeous color shows some a bit more depth than I would expect with a 3 year aged product. The double oaking has had an obvious impact on the color.
The nose initially blasts with oak and some ethanol vapor. Once it breathes a bit, the ethanol trails off, leaving it more accessible. On following nosing, all I can say is two words: Fig Newton. The obvious wheat notes combine with the sweet fig to where I immediately was transported back to when I was a kid and LOVED Fig Newtons. I looked for other notes, but the fig was so prominent. Maybe some light citrus, but a fairly single-note nose, but I SO love that single note.
On the first sip, immediate heat with big oak notes forward. A nice silky mouthfeel presents, but the oak (as expected) is the winner initially. Subsequent sips still have the oak, but some more subtle notes come across like some light brown sugar, marshmallow, and that citrus I picked up on the nose. All the other notes, however, taste like they were smoked over a nice oak fire. The heat is still present, but it is tamed down with some corn sweetness on the back end. Picking up some light grains as well. I had initial concerns that this may come across as a heat miser, but was pleasantly surprised as it developed a little complexity on the back.
The medium-long finish keeps the nice heat that transitions over to some backing spice. This is further enhanced but the sweet coating that is left in my mouth that has me wanting more. The light burn on the inside of the lip lingers long contrasts very nicely with the sweetness. Again, much more than I had expected. Smoke and oak round things out to complete a thoroughly enjoyable pour.
In summary, this Ragged Branch pick is a solid pour. A bit one-sided nose of fig and big oak notes throughout may throw some people off, I but I truly enjoyed it. A very unique flavor profile that leaves me wanting more. A drop of water or a cube may open up her up a bit more. Will have to give it a try….and I have no problem giving this pick another pour. Great first pick for Christian and Mike over at Rickhouse Ramblings and an introduction to Ragged Branch that has me wanting to try more of their products.
Ragged Branch Double Oaked Barrel Proof Pick
7.1
Pros
- Unique flavor profile
- Solid unsourced craft product
Cons
- Singular note on the nose
- Big oak notes may throw some folks off