Review: Samuel Maverick Barrel Proof Bourbon
Review: Samuel Maverick Barrel Proof Bourbon
Sam Maverick Spirits in San Antonio isn’t a brand I was familiar with before this, but we’re diving right in with its limited edition barrel proof bourbon. Some details, courtesy of the distillery:
Maverick Whiskey’s limited-edition Samuel Maverick Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a Certified Texas Whiskey, has the gusto to make any dad happy. It is pot-distilled from a mash of 72% Texas-grown corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley, and aged a minimum of two years in new charred white oak barrels. The Texas Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey is non-chill filtered and hand-bottled at 114 proof. The distillery is owned by Kenneth Maverick, a direct descendent of Samuel Maverick, a famed defender of the Alamo. This whiskey is distributed in Texas and for purchase online with shipping in 41 states.
Let’s see what Maverick can do when he’s not shooting down MiGs.
To start with, there’s no mistaking this as a Texas bourbon: The nose has ample char, though it’s filtered through some interesting, fruit-forward notes of grilled peaches and a ruddier baking spice that’s akin to overbaked gingerbread cookies. Char hits harder on the palate than the nose, creating a dusky, punchy character that’s hard to shake. This gives the whiskey a certain dark chocolate flavor, the peaches a bit candylike but also a bit smoky, layering in notes of dairy cream and more of that baking spice. It’s all char on the finish, though, a rustic and toasty experience that washes away a lot of the fruit — and which feels like something Samuel Maverick probably would have enjoyed back in 1836.
114 proof.
B / $56 / maverickwhiskey.com
Samuel Maverick Barrel Proof Bourbon
$56
I bought Samuel Maverick light whiskey batch 19-1 bottle 398, and it was a disappointment, I haven’t tried any other, and to be honest I don’t think I will.
It lacks finesse, and flavor.