Tennessee USA 13 Year Old 2003 North Star Spirits

Imagine my surprise when independent bottler North Star Spirits announced the release of a 13 year old Tennessee Bourbon. 13 years is already quite a lovely age for a bourbon, so I am expecting a complex whiskey. This was distilled in 2003 and bottled in 2017, but the distillery is a safely guarded secret. Let’s find out what we can find out. Oh, my! My nose is immediately filled with a wonderful amount of tropical fruity notes from mango to cherries to baked pears and back. A touch of vanilla, some caramel, sniffing tobacco… Roasted peanuts – unsalted, mind you! Yes, this is truly a nice, round and complex nose!

On the palate, it starts off soft and sweet – again baked pears, but also a marmalade of mango and apricots – before the oak spices join the fray. Midpalate a hint of corn on the barbecue and even some Itallian coffee kick in. There is also a mild floral note. This is very good.

The finish is long, warm and spicy on more of the same.

This makes me happy. And if it is indeed George Dickel – from the Casdade Distillery – than it is my first, but certainly will not be my last. Recommended!