A funny aspect to my incredible access to the best whiskey out there through my work on Whiskey & Horror is that when folks in my hometown of Portland, Oregon ask for a recommendation, I have a surprisingly limited list to offer. That is due in large part to our state-controlled allocation of inventory – one of the last gasps of the nearly extinguished Prohibition-era regulations that at once makes Oregon whiskey prices a steal and highly restricts and reduces the selection of whiskey available. My old tasting room, The Whiskey Wash, gives a detailed explanation here, but needless to say, I’m often left recommending my favorite local distillery due to accessibility, not true passion of the whiskey itself.

All this to say, on my third tasting of Savage & Cooke, this time of the Savage & Cooke Cask Finished Bourbon Whiskey, I would absolutely recommend every expression from this California-based distillery owned by Napa Valley winemaker Dave Phinney. This Cask Finished Bourbon is made with grains grown within 50 miles of the distillery, and all production happens on site on historic Mare Island.

According to the press release, Savage & Cooke Cask Finished Bourbon blends five batches of distillate prior to barreling, and the aging process took place for three years in White American Oak. After maturation, the American Whiskey was transferred to Phinney’s own Cabernet Sauvignon barrels for around two months, resulting in a well-rounded, full-bodied whiskey that comes in at 100 Proof and retails at $49, a fantastic price point for such an impressive bourbon.

Aesthetic:

The whiskey is the color of rich mapled amber with medium legs.

Nose:

I enjoyed a lot of disparate but surprisingly well-married aromas. First sniff gave pronounced sulfuric elements, a burn of chili and chocolate. From there the nose opened to notes of cherry, and caramel that added a much-needed sweetness that never crossed over into overpowering.

Palate:

My notes were plentiful with this tasting! That’s not always the case for my particular palate, as I often have to focus deeply with each sip on pulling the different notes as I taste. Presenting early on is tobacco and that familiar chili, along with chocolate covered bing cherry, the kind I used to enjoy at Christmas, and short bread cookie. While the taste is much sweeter than what I experienced on the nose, there was an elemental distinction between sections of the palate and that offered a tasting that surprised me in a great way.

Rating: 🥃 🥃 🥃 🥃 .5/5

**This whiskey was provided as a review sample by those who created and released it. My reviews are my own, and I tell it how I taste it.**