A couple of us took a trip to Kentucky with our wives for a mini vacation. But we, the two guys, were not going to leave without finding a few bottles of Bourbon or rye that we couldn’t find in Indianapolis. And True Story Volume 1 Finished Bourbon is the first of these we will review. We have tried a lot of finished Bourbons, but this is the first one with extra aging in Moscatel Casks. In fact, none of us had even heard of it before, thinking surely they meant Muscatel. But no, Moscatel is a fortified wine, think port or sherry, we are just using those as an example, because we have no idea how the wine tastes. True Story was started by the co-founder of Angel’s Envy, Wes Henderson, so he definitely knows about extra aging and finishing.
True Story Bourbon is aged for 5-6 years and then spends an extra 6 months in the Moscatel barrels. It is 90 proof, sells for around $55, not readily available, at least where we are, and comes in a cool, sleek, modern-looking corked bottle. We were not able to ascertain the mash bill.
As mentioned above, we have tasted a lot of these “finished whiskeys”. Some we have really liked; others seemed more like a gimmick. Let’s see where True Story Bourbon lands.
NOSE
TB: Very good nose of wood, caramel, spice, and cherry. Also picking up some grain, leather, vanilla, and just a touch of cinnamon. Ice really brings out the cherry and a little white chocolate.
TASTE
TB: More of the same on the nose with oak, spice, fruit, and caramel. Secondary flavors include leather, toast, black pepper, a general sweetness and a little nuttiness. Ice brings out more sweetness and turns the fruit taste to cherry.
FINISH
TB: Medium with a bit of semi-sweet chocolate.
OVERALL
TB: This is good stuff. Better with a little ice, because the ice really opens it up.
Nose 4 out of 5
Taste 8.25 out of 10
Finish 3.75 out of 5
Total score 16 out of 20 barrels.
We all liked this Bourbon, and you could definitely taste the extra aging, for the good. This is a smooth pour with a nice complexity. All here at Talking Bourbon would drink it again. And the price won’t break the bank.
If you can find it, you should buy a bottle of True Story Bourbon. We liked it and we think you will as well.