This is the second major release from Resilient. Their first batch of single barrels were sourced from MGP, aged 10 years, and released late 2016. You can read our impressions of those first releases below. This second offering comes from Tennessee, clocks in at 14 years old and bottled at the same 107 proof.
Read our blog post, You’ve Had A Store Pick, But Have You Tasted A Distributor’s Pick?
Distiller:Â Somewhere Tennessee
Bottler:Â BC Merchants
Type of Producer:Â Non-Distiller Producer
Year Established: 2016
Name: Resilient Straight Bourbon Whisky (Tennessee)
Bottling Proof:Â 107
Age: 14 years
Mashbill:Â 84% corn / 8% rye / 8% barley
Style:Â Single barrel (Barrels 110, 88, 39)
Release Date: August 2018
Availability: Binny’s and other select retailers
MSRP: $79.99 (750ml)
Barrel # 110
Nose:Â Caramel, baking spices, the boldest nose of the bunch, light smoke and leather notes
Palate:Â A complexity that builds and transforms over several seconds from spicy and hearty to herbal and mellow
Mouthfeel: Medium thickness
Finish:Â A surge of spice and a heat that builds to a peak then tapers off to a nice long finish
Barrel # 88
Nose:Â Lighter than barrel 110, cherry notes, cocoa
Palate:Â Light, bright, cocoa, fresh ripe cherries, vanilla
Mouthfeel:Â Light viscosity
Finish:Â Slightly longer finish than I was expecting, some lingering sweetness, soft corn
Barrel # 39
Nose:Â Sawdust, pepper, popcorn
Palate:Â White pepper spice with a lingering heat and bursts of cinnamon
Mouthfeel:Â Medium viscosity, a bit of grainy-ness
Finish:Â Similar to barrel #110 with a building heat and long finish though not quite as prominent as the former
Final impressions:  These are 14-year-old barrels picked by the expert palates of Brian Ciske and the BC Merchants team. While each offers its own uniqueness there is an underlying grain note that’s present across the bottles. I couldn’t tell exactly what it was at first but looking at the masbill of 84% corn it makes sense. I get soft corn on the palate that carries through to the finish and could almost be mistaken for honey. If you enjoy this higher corn presence it’s hard to go wrong with any of these 14-year-old bottles. The label transparency and bottling proof are two things I love about Resilient and there’s even more info on the handwritten labels of this release compared to last year.
Barrel #110 is the boldest of the bunch. Though it has the same 8% rye of the others I get more of a rye punch.
Barrel #88Â is definitely the most “spring” like and could be great in a frothy shaken cocktail or a hot toddy.
Barrel #39 is easily a balance of the two others and hits somewhere in the middle of bold spice and soft sweetness.
Notes from the brand:
Full details and brand tasting notes found here:
https://www.resilientbourbon.com/resilient-bourbon-tennessee-14-yr-old/
