Before we begin, I’d like to acknowledge that there are way more important things going on in the world today than talking about Bourbon. The news out of Eastern Europe is heartbreaking. And knowing that I have occasional readers from Ukraine, I just want to say that I hope you are currently, and remain safe.
Those of you who have been around the Bourbon World for a while will remember a time when Willett Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Bourbons and Ryes were affordable, but always delicious whiskeys. They stopped being affordable so long ago now that I’m not actually sure they are still making them. When prices passed $200 in the gift shop, they fell off of my radar. But back in the day, I really enjoyed picking up a 5- or 6-year old bottle of Bourbon for $50 or less whenever I visited Kentucky. Sure it was sourced, but the people they were sourcing from make delicious whiskey. And the folks at Willett have a fantastic ability to choose delicious single barrels. Excuse me while I reminisce about the “good old days.”
Actually no. I’m of the opinion that we are still in the midst of the good old days of bourbon. Sure, the prices were lower a decade or more ago, but there was comparatively little variety. I used to be able to keep a list in my head of which bourbon was cheaper at which store. Now I have a hard time remembering all the brands that a single store carries. I mostly brought Willett up because I recently picked up a store-pick of Copper & Cask Bourbon that reminded me of those old Willett bottles.
There is very little about Copper & Cask online. The label is owned by Latitude Beverage Co. out of Rhode Island. They are an independent bottler/rectifier with an extensive wine portfolio and a few spirits brands under their belt. The bottle of bourbon I picked up was sourced from MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. According to the back of the bottle, the juice inside is MGP’s 21% Rye bourbon mashbill. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at cask strength. Best of all, I got it for under $50.
This particular bottle was part of a barrel selected by Top Ten Liquors here in the Twin Cities. According to store employees, it is the best of the three barrels of bourbon that they have selected from Copper & Cask. So keep that under advisement as you read my thoughts on this particular bottle. Your mileage may vary.
Copper & Cask Single Barrel Bourbon, Top Ten Liquors Selection.
Purchase Info: $49.96 for a 750 mL bottle at Top Ten Liquors, Rosemount, MN
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33
Details: 56% ABV. Barrel number: MK-152. Filled June 2015, bottled October 2021, 6 years old. Mash bill: 70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Malted Barley.
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, almond, and wintergreen.
Mouth: Nice and spicy. Notes of caramel, vanilla, wintergreen, and almond.
Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of cinnamon and oak.
Thoughts: This is so delicious that I went back and grabbed a case for the ol’ whiskey closet. It’s a very good, cask-strength MGP bourbon. And like I said, it reminds me of bottles that you could get from Willett circa 2012: top-quality sourced MGP bottled at cask strength. That’s a recipe that is darn hard to beat.
Keep in mind though, your mileage may vary, this is both a single barrel product and a store pick. I’m looking forward to finding other bottles of this in the future just to see how the quality varies.
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