The Leopold Bros 8 year old cask strength Bourbon is not just the oldest whiskey we’ve released in our history, it’s also the highest in proof. We fill all of our barrels at 50% ABV and, over the course of just a few years in our earthen-floor, dunnage-style warehouse, we don’t see much fluctuation in proof.
However, after 8 years of steady maturation, we’re starting to see a bit more evaporation of water, leading to an increase in alcohol percentage, which makes this cask strength release of our Bourbon quite an anomaly.
At over 55% ABV, it has more punch and concentration than anything we’ve released previously. While our 8 year old Bourbon had plenty of heat, that extra alcohol overpowered some of the sweetness we were hoping to taste, which led Todd to ask: “What if we threw this back into used Three Chamber Rye whiskey barrels for a few extra months?” It turns out that extra maturation was just what this whiskey needed, adding flavors of sweet grains and graham crackers as well as an oiliness from the viscosity of the whiskey still left in those casks.
Coupled with the inherent flavors of candied apricot, and orange marmalade found regularly in our whiskies, the concentration of flavor on display in our 8 year old Bourbon is truly remarkable. We hope you enjoy its unique character as much as we do.
