The Story: Whiskey Acres Distilling Co, established in 2013, is no stranger to Chicago Bourbon. We’ve been following this farm turned distillery (but still very much a farm) since the early days. Before Co-Founder Nick Nagele and his wife had twins. Before I learned that Head Distiller Rob Wallace is also known as “Heart-throb Rob”. Back when the juice coming out of this distillery was clear and the visitors center was a tiny cabin. For 7 years Whiskey Acres has worked toward this Bottled-In-Bond release. Distilled from corn and wheat planted in the spring of 2014 and curated from only seven carefully selected 53-gallon barrels.
We followed all of the required rules for bourbon and bottled-in-bond. What makes this truly special is that we distilled our own grain from one single harvest. Think of this as whiskey with a vintage.
Whiskey Acres
Name: Whiskey Acres Bottled-In-Bond 2020 Batch 1 (2014 Harvest)
Distiller: Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.
Bottler: Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.
Type of Producer: Farm Distiller
Year Established: 2013
Bottling Proof: 100
Age: 4+ years
Mashbill: 75% estate grown yellow-dent corn, 15% estate grown soft red winter wheat, and 10% malted barley.
Style: Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled-In-Bond (Sweet Mash) (Non-Chill Filtered)
Release Date: April 4, 2020
Release Type: Limited (Seven 53-gallon barrels)
Availability: IL, including the Whiskey Acres Visitors Center. Limited release in WI and NE.
MSRP: $49.99 (750ml)
Tasted: Whiskey Acres Bottled-In-Bond 2020 “Batch 1”
Nose
Peppery spice
Hints of smoked meats
A noticeable thickness in the nose
Grain notes prevalent in the 2-year-old bourbon have matured into a caramel sweetness
Those familiar with Whiskey Acres bourbon will notice a new level of depth to this release
Palate
Sweet at first
Transforming into a nice peppery spice
A taste that instantly evolves from light and sweet to deep ribbons of caramel to bold and spicy
Comes across extremely well at 100 proof
Mouthfeel
Medium weight/viscosity to this one
Finish
The finish quickly morphs from tame to a nice lingering spice
Final Impressions
This is pretty much what I had hoped for as I’ve been following Whiskey Acres since their start in 2013. Their first bottlings of young juice began with a strong foundation and a flavor profile that showed promise. At 2 years the Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon significantly smoothed out some edges and again left me optimistic. Over those years I’ve asked Co-Founder Nick Nagele, more than once, if they’d consider bottling at a higher proof. The Whiskey Acres “2020 Batch 1” Bottled-in-Bond gave me the answer I was looking for. Following the rules of BiB this bourbon is aged 4+ years and bottled at 100 proof. Time has been good to this bourbon. With some higher proof bourbons I find adding a spot of water opens things up but I feel this bourbon is just right at 100 proof.
