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Barrell Craft Spirits (BCS) has done it again with their Stellum Black Bourbon Equinox Blend #1. This is a beautifully balanced (spicy and sweet) bourbon that provides a more complex tasting experience than many bourbons on the market at this price point.
Anyway, onto the review of Stellum Black Bourbon Equinox Blend #1.
Rating: 84
| Nose |
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| Palate |
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| Finish |
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| Uniqueness |
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| Value |
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Ratings breakdown based on a 100 point scale.
- 90-100 Exceptional
- 80-89 Very Good
- 70-79 Average
- 60-69 Below Average
- 50-60 Drain Pour
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Detailed Tasting Notes
Nose Review - Rating: 87
Stellum Bourbon Black Label Equinox Blend # 1 has a very dense traditional bourbon aroma from the bottle's opening. A heavy caramel aroma is layered with a beautiful spicy rye fragrance with mild cinnamon. There's also a bit of honey underneath both of those notes. From the beginning, the nose hints at a weighty traditional Bourbon taste. The following note is bizarre, but after the first taste, I can sense a mild green apple aroma that wasn't there in the beginning…mild cinnamon. Something that you would typically associate with a rye whiskey. Oh, now candied butterscotch sweetness takes over. The nose of this equinox blend frequently changes during the tasting experience. It goes from a candied sweetness to peppery rye spice to traditional caramel bourbon notes. I swear I am now getting a little nutmeg on, too…weird.
Palate Review - Rating: 86
The first taste was an experience. The heat hit my tongue and the back of my throat immediately. Then, a wonderful buttery caramel spice took over, balanced out with candied sweetness. The mouthfeel is very oily and heavy. You can feel the oiliness when you rub your tongue against the roof of your mouth. I can sense the oiliness long after the bourbon has exited my mouth. I am laughing and smiling as I write this because this is good. Now I am getting a nutty black pepper taste with a little saltiness.
Finish Review - Rating: 86
The finish of Stellum Black Bourbon Equinox Blend #1 is long, lingering, thick, spicy, and hot. It's real and spectacular (reference?). There is a consistency of flavor from the front palate to the finish. However, the finish is dominated by a nutty, leathery spice…the sweetness has subsided.
Uniqueness Review - Rating: 82
This is a very traditional bourbon with a better tasting experience than you typically find in today's market. According to BCS, this inaugural release of the Stellum Black Equinox Blend was created using Stellum Bourbon. They slowly layered in rare sets of bourbon barrels, step by step, until the evening of the Vernal Equinox, when the blend was completed in honor of the changing seasons. What is unique about the vernal equinox? According to the astronomical definition of the seasons, the vernal equinox also marks the beginning of spring, which lasts until the summer solstice (June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere). All of this probably has no impact on the taste, but it is a nice story.
Value Review - Rating: 79
The retail price of Stellum Bourbon Black Label Equinox Blend # 1 is $99. So, it's hard to give it a good value rating. It is probably priced appropriately considering other bourbons at this price point. It also probably tastes better than many bourbons at this price point. However, $99 is still a lot of money.
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Smell IS taste. I am just a guy who has been hit with the bourbon bug and who has come to the conclusion that life is too short to drink average tasting bourbons. Go Gators!
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