Belle Meade Sour Mash Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Tennessee, USA

Belle Meade Sour Mash Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a mashbill of 64% corn, 30% rye, and 6% malted barley. Once the grains are milled and mashed, they are fermented with two unique strains of yeast. "I think the two yeast strains really work well together to create that balanced flavor," says Andy, "not going too heavy or too light on any single characteristic." Following fermentation, the bourbon is distilled and matured in new, American oak casks. Once the bourbon has matured for a minimum of six years (although the average age of the bourbon is closer to seven years), Charlie and Andy hand-select four different barrels to bring to proof and bottle by hand. "We choose each barrel based on how it will mingle with the other three in the batch," says Andy, "and we look to maintain a consistent, robust flavor profile." Each bottle of Belle Meade Bourbon is adorned with a vintage label that includes the portrait of two horses whose origins can be traced back to the original Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville. The horse on the right, known as Bonnie Scotland, was one of Belle Meade's leading sires and was an ancestor to Man O' War, Seabiscuit and Secretariat. The horse on the left, who was known as Brown Dick, was the descendent of a horse simply named Whiskey. "He's the reason we removed their names from the label," says Andy, pointing to the horse on the left. Belle Meade Bourbon has an aroma of maple syrup, caramel and citrus zest that opens up to notes of creamy vanilla, oak, peaches and spicy rye. The finish, while is smooth and mellow, has hints of dark fruits, including cherries and plums, that are accented by a touch of cinnamon and rye. Pick up a bottle today!