Review #239: Seelbach’s 15yr Private Reserve PRO Blend

MASH BILL: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley

AGE: 16 yr 3 mo

PROOF: 120

COST: $300 for 750mL bottle (I’m reviewing a sample)

Mike over at Mostly Bourbon hooked me up with this sample, and when I first poured this up it was with the intent that I would just enjoy this one on the porch as spring is creeping and just document a few tasting notes for myself without trying to type up a full review. Then I took one smell of it and said to myself, “Damn! This is something special!” Then I did a little research on this and found that the distillate in this might be something particuarlly special, a Buff Turkey, but with a John Wayne tie(?) to it. Since I haven't reviewed a Buff Turkey yet, here we are! Bourbon Culture did a very nice deep dive into the whiskey in this bottle and concluded it’s a Wild Turkey mash bill that was contract distilled by Buffalo Trace (Buff Turkey). It’s well worth a read and I’m personally convinced he’s on to something, and unless something else comes along that disproves him, he’s right. Seelbach’s provides an interesting amount of detail on this particular batch as well. It is comprised of 4 barrels, with no 1 barrel containing more than 20 gallons of whiskey. The total volume being 66.83 gallons and averaging out to 120 proof (this is an undiluted batch strength bottle). Let’s get to it!

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: A reddish old oak color (1.8), very oily looking with thick, slow legs.

NOSE: Cherry vanilla syrup dominates while chocolate and butter toffee come in more subdued. Varnished oak provides a consistent backdrop with fleeting notes of orange zest and thin mints. There is a spice note that I’m picking up as well, but not with enough definition for me to pinpoint it. A few sips into the dram I start getting a burnt marshmallow note. This is just a lovely nose!

PALATE: That varnished oak note from the nose is much more potent on the palate and quite front and center. Terry’s Chocolate Orange, caramelized vanillin oak, and burnt butterscotch. After a couple of sips I get a bit more notes with a bite: fennel, acetone, and lemon peel. There are ample aged notes such as old seasoned oak, book leather, and a sort of dustiness to it  This has a lot of character that unfolds through the sip.

FINISH: A long, dry finish. Sweet, vanillin rich oak, fennel, and dark chocolate carry over from the palate. Black loose-leaf tea joins in, book leather, maduro tobacco, and a touch of black cherry. As these notes start to fade, they all start to homogenize into a cola note to bring this to a close.

RATING: 8.9/10

OVERALL: This was a delicious pour! Tons of notes showing its age throughout and lovely sweet notes on the nose. The palate and finish accentuated the barrel character of a 15-year-old bourbon. I do wish the sweet notes on the nose carried through the sip, but that said, the aged notes on the palate and finish were pleasant without being overly bitter. It did have some proof heat to it. After the first ounce of this 2 oz pour, I added a few drops of water to the second ounce and it did a lot of good for this sip. On the nose, the cherry note was brighter, almost like a raspberry. On the palate, the acetone and proof heat dropped out and the orange and chocolate notes were amplified, but the book leather and tobacco notes on the palate and finish were a bit more subdued. All around, more caramel notes appeared. Thanks to Mike for letting me experience this excellent pour!

1 | Disgusting | see my 1/10 ratings

2 | Poor | see my 2/10 ratings

3 | Bad | see my 3/10 ratings

4 | Sub-par | see my 4/10 ratings

5 | Good | see my 5/10 ratings

6 | Very Good | see my 6/10 ratings

7 | Great | see my 7/10 ratings

8 | Excellent | see my 8/10 ratings

9 | Incredible | see my 9/10 ratings

10 | Perfect | see my 10/10 ratings

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