476. New Year's Eve Sample Blowout: Calvados Casks to Mesquite Smoke

Happy New Year from The Bourbon Road! Jim and Todd ring in the New Year at the Bourbon Road bar with one final sample show to close out 2025. With the "Whiskey of the Year" episode just around the corner, the hosts are clearing the decks and diving into four distinct and intriguing pours that range from experimental finishes to classic Kentucky profiles. It’s a diverse lineup that takes their palates on a journey from the coast of France to the American Southwest.

The tasting begins with a luxurious offering from Bardstown Bourbon Company's Distillery Collection: the Normandy Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish. This blend of 12 and 13-year-old Indiana bourbons was finished for 28 months in apple brandy casks and an additional four months in toasted oak. Clocking in at 104.2 proof, it delivers a "flavor explosion" of honey crisp apple, vanilla cream, puff pastry, and a rich, compote-like texture that leaves the hosts searching for descriptors like "candle nose" and "apple pie."

Next, they take a sharp turn to Oxnard, California, for Sespe Creek Distillery's Warbringer, a Mesquite Smoked Southwest Bourbon. This 98-proof experimental pour features mesquite-smoked corn and malted rye, resulting in a savory, polarizing profile. Todd and Jim pick up notes of "burnt all-beef hot dogs," barbecue smoke, and pumpernickel, describing it as a "smoky beast" that definitely ruffles some feathers but delivers on its promise of uniqueness.

Returning to the Bluegrass State, the hosts sample the inaugural release from Jackson Purchase Distillery: the Full Proof. Produced in Hickman, Kentucky, by Master Distiller Craig Beam and Assistant Master Distiller Terry Ballard, this 4-year-old bourbon (roughly 117.8 proof) punches above its age class. It offers a definitive, classic bourbon profile with notes of buttery caramel, brown sugar, and a viscous, oily mouthfeel that Jim calls the "Wikipedia picture of bourbon."

Finally, they explore the New Riff High Note Confluence Project Volume 1, a 100% Wheat Whiskey. This 6-year-old expression uses a complex mash bill of Red Turkey Wheat and various malted wheats. At cask strength, it surprises the table with a dark, complex profile featuring notes of cotton candy, mint tea, medicinal cherry, and a "Good & Plenty" black licorice finish that showcases the depth of heirloom grains.

The episode wraps up with a "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner" segment where Jim and Todd attempt to rank these four very different whiskeys. Will they lock stock on their favorites, or will the polarizing pours divide the room? Tune in to find out and get ready for the 2025 Whiskey of the Year show coming next week!

Be sure to check out our private Facebook group, “The Bourbon Roadies” for a great group of bourbon loving people. You will be welcomed with open arms!