It's Peach Season – Time for Bourbon

[DanM]

I don't think there is a better compliment for peaches than a glass of bourbon. I am looking for something new. Does anyone have a suggestion for a reasonably priced ($50ish) bourbon produced by a small, craft distillery?

Thanks!

Dan

[teapot]

I recently bought a bottle of Buffalo Trace, a Kentucky bourbon - I like it a lot but don't know if it qualifies as a craft distellery, I had never seen it before. I think it would be fanstastic with peaches.

[Kerry Beal]

I like the Booker's - it's an offshoot of Jim Beam as I heard it - but not a ton made.

[tanstaafl2]

A lot of craft distilleries come to mind although many of them are relativley new so they don't have a lot of aged product that they have made themselves. Some try help the process along by using small size barrels. Others with a lot more experience than I have had positive things to say about Tuthilltown Distillery and their Hudson Whiskeys (NY), Koval Lions Pride (Chicago) and Copper Fox Distillery Wasmund's whiskey (Virginia). I have not tried any of them yet and they are likely to be a bit different from a more mature bourbon. I have had the American Whiskey from the Leopold Bros who are definitely in the mold of a craft distillery and quite like it. It is not officially a bourbon though.

But it can be tricky to identify the small distilleries making their own whiskey and companies that bottle whiskey made somewhere else (they can be good as well but are not necessarily what I would call a craft distillery). And they aren't likely to be the same as some of the bourbons from well established big brand makers.

And as noted many major brands have at least one if not several "specialty" brands that they bottle on a somewhat smaller scale.

Also might depend on whether you are looking for a sweeter wheated bourbon or a rye bourbon. Both have at least 50% corn of course but the type of "flavoring" grain can have a considerable impact on the taste of the bourbon

Edited July 5, 2012 by tanstaafl2 (log)

[Brown Hornet]

Check out Jefferson's Reserve -- a fine bourbon in your price range.

[tanstaafl2]

It occured to me that in addition to their American Whiskey, the Leopold Bros. make a Georgia Peach whiskey that might be a good pairing with peaches.

Or it might be a bit too peachy! Have seen it on the shelf but haven't tried it yet.

[KD1191]

It occured to me that in addition to their American Whiskey, the Leopold Bros. make a Georgia Peach whiskey that might be a good pairing with peaches.

Or it might be a bit too peachy! Have seen it on the shelf but haven't tried it yet.

I got a bottle of their Rocky Mountain Peach Whiskey shortly after their move to Colorado, years ago...if the Georgia one is at all similar, it'll be plenty peachy on its own. I generally adore the Leopold products, but found it hard to taste the whiskey at 30% ABV. It was pretty sweet and I found myself using it more as a modifier than a base spirit...paired with an over-proof spirit, it produced some interesting results.

Edited July 11, 2012 by KD1191 (log)

[tanstaafl2]

It occured to me that in addition to their American Whiskey, the Leopold Bros. make a Georgia Peach whiskey that might be a good pairing with peaches.

Or it might be a bit too peachy! Have seen it on the shelf but haven't tried it yet.

I got a bottle of their Rocky Mountain Peach Whiskey shortly after their move to Colorado, years ago...if the Georgia one is at all similar, it'll be plenty peachy on its own. I generally adore the Leopold products, but found it hard to taste the whiskey at 30% ABV. It was pretty sweet and I found myself using it more as a modifier than a base spirit...paired with an over-proof spirit, it produced some interesting results.

Yes, it is also 30 proof and fairly sweet I am told. Each batch can tend to vary a bit in taste from what I have read.

[Keith Orr]

The Four Roses single barrel would be what I'd grab if I was headed to the liquor store with $50 to buy bourbon.

[KatieLoeb]

Try the Angel's Envy. Jefferson Reserve or Eagle Rare 10 yr. also good choices in your range...

[tanstaafl2]

Try the Angel's Envy. Jefferson Reserve or Eagle Rare 10 yr. also good choices in your range...

The Angel's Envy is one I am trying to find a local source for. I have enjoyed the Cognac finished bourbon in the Parker's Heritage collection so I thought the port finish might be interesting as well.

Although to the original post do any of these really qualify as coming from a "small craft distillery", depending on how one defines a craft disillery?

Lincoln Henderson is more than qualified and I have read that he plans to distill his own bourbon for Angel's Envy at some point but the current product is likely sourced from one of the big distillers.

I like to use this site to help learn a bit more about various American whiskeys. It seems quite helpful but I have no way to verify the accuracy of all the content.

Eagle Rare is a one of the many smaller "craft-ish" offerings from Buffalo Trace although by all accounts a lovely bourbon and Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon is bottled by McLain and Kyne "Distillery", which as far as I know doesn't distill anyting but does reportedly use Stitzel-Weller stock in the Reserve version which is generally pretty well regarded! Don't know what the source of the regular younger Jefferson's Bourbon is.

I had some Balcone's Baby Blue Corn Whiskey at a restaurant this weekend and really enjoyed. Enough to try to hunt down a bottle for myself! I think that probably qualifies as a craft distilled whiskey although not a bourbon of course. As to how it would go with peaches I couldn't say. Don't think it would be a bad choice though.

[jsmeeker]

Tell us more about how you plan to use the peach with the bourbon. I've made a bourbon old fashioned using peaches before. But that's it.

[tanstaafl2]

Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon is bottled by McLain and Kyne "Distillery", which as far as I know doesn't distill anyting but does reportedly use Stitzel-Weller stock in the Reserve version which is generally pretty well regarded! Don't know what the source of the regular younger Jefferson's Bourbon is.

I have since read it is only the Jefferson Presidential Select 17 and 18yo bourbons that use Stitzel-Weller wheated bourbon. Not sure of the source for their other bourbons including the Jefferson Reserve.

[KatieLoeb]

If you have some peaches and a home smoker you can make a Smoked Peach Bourbon Smash, recipe for which is found in my book. Peaches and bourbon have such a natural affinity for one another, and the addition of the smoke just gilds the lily. Good stuff. A drizzle of peach syrup atop your mint julep is a thing of beauty as well, as I'm certain I've mentioned before. That may be one of the best bartender tricks I ever learned.

[blue_dolphin]

Tell us more about how you plan to use the peach with the bourbon. I've made a bourbon old fashioned using peaches before. But that's it.

Not sure if these guys are thinking about actual peach-bourbon combos or just want to drink bourbon at this time of year but I tried this peach and rosemary bourbon cocktail from Serious Eats this evening. A lovely, lovely flavor combination.

The recipe calls for muddling 4 ripe peach slices with 1/2 ounce rosemary simple syrup and then shaking with:

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 ounces bourbon

The peaches from my tree ripened a few weeks back and are no more so I used some slices that I'd frozen and they pretty much disintegrated during the muddling process. They were dead ripe when picked so they contributed great flavor but the result did NOT flow easily through a strainer.

Also I prefer the bright flavor that results from shaking fresh, tender sprigs of rosemary with ice to that of a cooked rosemary simple so I used 1/2 ounce of vanilla simple and added several sprigs of fresh rosemary to the shaker instead of making the rosemary simple.

Very, very nice. I'll try again with some fresh peaches but I'm not sure they'll approach the flavor of my frozen, but home grown, perfectly ripe fruit.

[DanM]

Tell us more about how you plan to use the peach with the bourbon. I've made a bourbon old fashioned using peaches before. But that's it.

Peach in one hand, bourbon in the other,,,

[DanM]

I was going. Ack and forth between Jefferson's Reserve and Hudson, but the liquor store guy twisted my ear about a special offer... They had a tasting of several Eagle Rare Single Barrels and they bought a barrel for the store. At $35 for a bottle, it is worth the risk and experiment.

More later after I have my peach quota.

Dan

[ScottyBoy]

So funny that this comes up...

I had some incredible yellow peaches at my house and invited a friend over. He brought a bottle of locally blended Breaking and Entering bourbon.

It was a perfect pairing and he said the bottle was $40.

I'm in the same camp, stone fruit season is bourbon season.

[Kent Wang]

Does this work as well for rye?

[Brown Hornet]

Does this work as well for rye?

Depening on the rye, it may be a little too agressive for a peach pairing. Personally, I think the peppery/spicy rye notes pair better with blackberries or cherries. I'd still give it shot and see how it works.

[DanM]

The Eagle Rare is very restrained, but with layers of complexity I cannot adequately describle. I think there is a slight sourness in the finish... but I will have to drink a few more glasses to make sure.

Rye does not work well for me with peach consumption. The herbal, spicy notes seem to clash with the juicy sweetness of the peach.

[FrogPrincesse]

I made this white peach old-fashioned for my husband last night. He did not like the little bits of muddled peach in the drink so I ended up straining it for him.