I’d like to thanks CraftCo and their PR team for sending me this sample with no strings attached.
Hey, it’s bonus review time here at the BourbonGuy house. Samples are stacking up faster than we can taste them, so I figured, “Why not just do some bonus posts?” And here we are.
Fox & Oden is one of the many brands in the CraftCo portfolio, along with the CopperCraft bourbon we reviewed back in May. CraftCo, in turn, is part of the DeVos-owned Windquest Group based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Much like its portfolio-mate, this bourbon is also "Distilled in Indiana." According to the brand’s website, this particular bourbon is a blend of eight- and fifteen-year-old bourbons, utilizing both MGP’s 21% Rye and 36% Rye bourbon mashbills.
The company doesn’t provide much more information beyond that. However, I don’t know about you, but for me, "Distilled in Indiana" on an unknown bourbon is a plus. If it’s coming from MGP, it will probably fall somewhere between pretty darn good and great. So, let’s see how it tastes, shall we?
Fox & Oden Straight Bourbon
Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $99.99.
Price per drink (50 mL): $6.67
Details: 49.5% ABV. A blend of 8- and 15-year-old bourbons using MGP’s 21% and 36% Rye bourbon mashbills.
Nose: Brown sugar, red fruit, and a lot of oak.
Mouth: Caramel, cinnamon, leather, and oak.
Finish: Warm and medium in length, with notes of red fruit, orange zest, almond, and oak.
Thoughts: In a very rare occurrence, my oak-loving wife pronounced this as being too oaky. Once the shock of such a statement from her had worn off, I was forced to agree. But I tend to have a low bar when it comes to calling something "over-oaked." By no means does this taste like you’re sucking on a stick or anything, but oak and oak-derived notes like leather are the predominant flavors here, with other notes playing a supporting role. It’s good, but I’m not sure I’d personally pay $100 for it. That said, this would be an easy recommendation for someone who enjoys oak-forward bourbons and doesn’t think twice about dropping a hundred bucks on a single bottle.
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