Kentucky Owl Dry State

Kentucky Owl Dry State, 12 YO, 50 %

This is a special release from Kentucky Owl, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Prohibition starting. The Kentucky Owl Dry State is a blend of straight bourbons between 12 and 17 YO. It was created by Kentucky Owl co-founder Dixon Dedman, the great-great-grandson of the founder of Kentucky Owl. The original C.M. Dedman Distillery was founded in 1879 and closed in 1916.

The price tag for the Kentucky Owl Dry State is a rather dizzying USD 1,000 per bottle! It was released in September 2020 and was limited to 2,000 bottles.

Nose: Deep and rich aromas of toasted oak, tropical fruits, leather and vanilla. Earthy notes of cinnamon and coconut. Cotton candy and popcorn flavored with sticky caramel and honey. Softly spicy. With time I even find hints of citrus as well as a dusty old attic.

Taste: Medium to full bodied. Oaky and peppery. Caramel, cinnamon, leather, and ginger. It has a certain spring in its step. This is a fun dram. Top notes of fluffy, vanilla clouds. A light drizzle of fruit juices and red berries fall on a landscape of caramel lakes, grassy hills and oak woods.

Finish: Long finish. Drying and softly astringent. The oak is very much present on the finish, but it does behave. Polish, soft perfume, and leather upholstery. White pepper and caramel. Orchard fruits and the more tropical variety in the background. Sweet mint hard candy in the end.

Comment: A damn fine bourbon!

Score 92/100

Sláinte!
- Thomas