Black Forest Distilling Mashbuild Batch 3

Black Forest Distilling Company
Mashbuild Batch 3
Mashbill (14 different Mashbills listed here)
Age: 2 Years (Ranges from 2 years to 18 Years)
50% ABV (100 Proof)
Bottle #34 of 810

Mashbuild Batch 3 from Black Forest Distilling Company in Elbert County, CO is a relatively small operation that sources its whiskey externally and then blends them to create a bourbon that “cannot be created by a single mash bill bourbon.” Most of the whiskey comes from Colorado (from what we’ve found out) and is blended and bottled in Elbert County, Colorado.

Color: Copper Straw or Golden Hay.

Nose: Multiple sweet notes come through with black cherry, honey, vanilla, orange/citrus and pipe tobacco. There are some leather and char notes that balance it out, really making the nose enticing and not letting it be too sweet.

Palate: Sweet notes start off the front and follow all the way through. Some spices come in on the middle of the palate, allspice and rye notes. The back of the palate comes through with leather, oak, and char. It has a coating mouthfeel, and is very well layered. The sip is reminiscent of the top of a creme brûlée.

Finish: Leather and Oak notes, lingering and smooth.

With Water:

Nose: More sweet notes come through with some more toasted oak.

Palate: A lot softer once the couple drops of water are added. A lot more delicate and less coating, but some dark chocolate comes through with the water.

Finish: A good amount sweeter, more corn with less leather and a bit shorter.

Final notes: With the goal of creating a bourbon that can’t be made from a single mash bill, Black Forest Distilling definitely accomplishes this task with Batch 3. The different mash bills with their different ages all appear to play to a role in what becomes a well rounded, layered, and full bodied bourbon.

Ratings:
A:89 (A little too sweet to crack the 90, but a terrific dessert bourbon)
Z: 92
Overall: 90.5/100.

Mash Bills Used in Batch 3:

1. 18 Year Old (Barreled Feb. 2000)-75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
2. 17 Year Old (Barreled June 2000)-75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
3. 16 Year Old (Barreled Nov. 2001)-60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
4. 13 Year Old (Barreled 2004)-75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
5. 11 Year Old (Barreled 2006)-75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
6. 10 Year Old (Barreled 2007)-80% Corn, 10% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
7. 9 Year Old (Barreled 2008)-84% Corn, 8% Rye, 8% Malted Barley
8. 4 Year Old (Barreled 2014)-70% Corn, 10% Rye, 10% Wheat, 10% Malted Barley
9. 4 Year Old (Barreled 2013)-100% Colorado Sweet Corn
10. 4 Year Old (Barreled 2013)-100% Sweet Corn
11. 4 Year Old (Barreled 2013)-100% Bloody Butcher Corn
12. 3 Year Old (Barreled 2014)-51% Colorado Sweet Corn, 49% Colorado Rye
13. 3 Year Old (Barreled June 2015 then re-barreled in new oak Nov. 2015)-75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
14. 2 Year Old (Barreled Dec. 2015)-70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Malted Barley