Every Year, Mystic Mountain Distillery releases a new version of the Outlaw Legend. This limited release, typically available around the holidays, has become one of my favorite bottles to look forward to every year. This years release proved a continuation of the excellence I have come to expect, but with a remarkable difference from years past.
This is a 3 year bourbon is aged in small New American Oak barrels, and for the first time, it has been Chill Filtered through a filtration line chilled by dry ice. Chill Filtration is an interesting subject, as the effects that it has on whiskey really seem to be more up to each individual palate. For me, at least with this particular bottle when tried side by side with the ’22 release, it took some of the oily and creamy mouthfeel away, but opened up some more nuanced flavors that could just be from this years batch, or could have been hidden by the thick and creaminess of a non-chill filtered. Trying these side by side was a very enjoyable experience, getting to experience the evolution of a Colorado Distillery essentially in real time.
Please Note: This bottle was provided to us at no charge by Mystic Mountain distillery to be reviewed on the site. As laid out in our about us page, this does not influence our final tasting notes or opinions of the bottle.
In the Bottle:
Mashbill:
By the regulations to be labeled bourbon, it is at least 51% Corn but we don’t have additional mashbill information currently.
Age:
3 Years in smaller New American Oak Barrels (Not standard 53 Gallon Barrels)
Proof:
96 Proof (48% ABV)
In the Glass:
Color:
A red/copper tint or even an amber to a brown gold. The liquid is remarkably clear, with some oily legs on the glass.
Without Water:
Nose:
A little astringency at first, but lots of baking holiday spices accompanied by a red fruit, even almost apple quality. There is a sweetness to the nose that is reminiscent of baked desserts.
Palate:
Sweet vanilla pudding right up front, soft but very inviting. Spices on the mid palate, cinnamon and clove but it’s very clean and crisp, a light mouthfeel but a depth of flavors. The red fruits/apple flavors come through on the mid palate. Again, baked desserts, flaky pie, come to mind.
Finish:
This is where I think the chill filtering is the most noticeable. It is a full of dried fruit, cinnamons, and sugars but with a great tannic oak note that is playing with all the other flavors. I even get an almost cola quality on the finish. It is very crisp and clean, where years past the Legend has had a more rounded and creamy feel this feels more crisp. It lingers a long while, particularly the tannins.
With Water:
Nose:
The astringency completely fades, leaving behind more red cherry and cinnamon. Cherry pie, especially the crust, comes to mind.
Palate:
The vanilla pudding soft right up front is still there, which really contrasts the rest of the palate as that is a more rounded type of flavor where the rest is that great crisp style. Baked crust with cinnamon, brown sugar, and just a great amount of soft spices.
Finish:
More dry and tannic with a couple drops of water. The cola note comes through a little more, and the red, dry, candied fruits all come through strongly. It still lingers for a very long time. Absolutely impressive, crisp and clean.
Final Thoughts:
I was not sure what exactly to expect when I was first told this was chill filtered. I thought that it would lose that heavy creamy and oily consistency which would in turn take away from the flavors. This was only half true as the mouthfeel is completely different that years past, but it is crisp, clean, and has a ton of depth. It has a lot of quality of baked holiday pies, without just being a sweet bomb. The tannins from the oak balance everything out very well, and the baking spices add a terrific layer of complexity.
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