LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — September marks Bourbon Heritage Month, and distillers across the Bluegrass are showcasing America’s native spirit. In Louisville, Castle & Key is taking that exploration of heritage to the next level, blending flavor profiles that span continents, cultures, and centuries of history.
On Sept. 12, head of Castle & Key’s barrel finishing program Henry Bradly unveiled a seven-year wheated bourbon that had been finished for 14 months in Hungarian Tokaji casks.
What is Tokaji?
Bradly said the first mentions of Tokaji date back to the 1620s, when a Hungarian fruit harvest occurred late in the year and was overtaken by a fungus called “noble rot.”
Distilling experts noted that the accident led to the discovery of shriveling grapes that had “an almost gelatinous texture.”
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“Instead of ruining [the crop,] [noble rot] concentrated the aroma, flavor, and most importantly, the concentration of sugars in the grapes,” Bradly said. “At its height, Tokaji was known as ‘the wine of kings, the king of wines,’ according to King Louis XIV.”
Experimental flavor profile
Craftsmen at Castle & Key said the September experimental batch, finished in Tokaji barrels, transformed the bourbon, adding opening notes of orange creamsicle, jasmine tea, and currant, with middle notes of cotton candy and rum raisin. The fruity combination finds harmony with the bourbon’s natural oak and vanilla flavors ahead of a tobacco leaf finish.
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Bradly said the newest experimental series offering, released Sept. 12, came in at a proof point of around 104.
Bourbon fans will only be able to find Castle & Key’s experimental spirits at the Boiler Room and the company’s Louisville storefront, Castle & Key 502. More information can be found on the distillery’s website…