Taconic Bourbon Notes on Tasting

Aromas of toasted wood and nutmeg fill the nose. A lengthy, smooth finish should be the result of amazing tastes of caramel, baking spices, and sweet vanilla.

Concerning Taconic

The famous Hudson Valley is home to a legendary distillery. The region is dotted with abundant farmland and National Historic sites. The Coughlin family bought a piece of Laured Beef Farms in Stanfordville, New York, in 2010 because they loved the rustic outdoors and wanted to farm the land. Changing the name to Rolling Hills Farm.

The 113 acres of undulating hills on the previous farm served as the model for Taconic Distillery’s entry into the local agribusiness industry in Dutchess County. Taconic’s team is inspired by a sporty lifestyle and has a passion for the great outdoors. Hunting, fishing, and a general love of the outdoors are all things they share. All of their products reflect this way of life.

In addition to having a top-notch culinary institute, this region is the top producer of wine in the US. Taconic takes pleasure in upholding the tradition of bourbon whiskey:

“From George and Martha Washington’s home during the American Revolution, to the Great Estates of the Vanderbilt’s, Roosevelt’s and Rockefeller’s, to the hunting preserves and horse farms of today, bourbon whiskey has been savored for generations” (Taconic Distilling Company).

Taconic distills their whiskeys below 160 proof to preserve the characteristics from the grains and never cool filters to preserve the whiskey’s natural flavor. The “cloudiness” in the whiskey is caused by the flavor of the grains being transmitted as fatty molecules or “flavor oils” during the distillation process. These tastes are conveyed as fatty molecules (flavor oils) during the distillation process. For clarity, some distillers will cool filter the fatty molecules, sacrificing some flavor in the process.

The Independent Stave Company’s distinctive Coopers Select, Char #3 fresh oak barrels are used in Taconic. They mature their barrels in shipping containers, which is a unique maturation procedure. Because the air inside the containers is saturated, less is lost to the angel’s share. More spirit moves into and out of the barrel staves as a result of being exposed to large temperature swings.

Ageing happens in cycles; in the summer, for example, when temperatures are higher, the whiskey expands through the char and reaches the untreated wood underneath. The whiskey dissolves a variety of flavoring chemicals in the wood. Lower temperatures cause the liquid to constrict, bringing out all of the wood’s tastes and creating flavors that go well with the whiskey’s body.

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