Orphan Barrel Copper Tongue - Cask Strength 16 Year - Straight Bourbon Whiskey
$129.99
Orphan Barrel Copper Tongue – Cask Strength 16 Year – Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Collection: Found at Cascade Hollow Distillery
Proof: 89.8
Age: 16 Years
Distillery: Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co.
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: Unknown
Website: Orphan Barrel
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Toasted Marshmallows, Charcoal, Baking Spices, Slight Sweetness, and Tart Apple.
Taste/Palate: Dry Mouthfeel like a Brut Champaign. I get heavy char right out of the gate. I mentioned charcoal above and that’s the char that I’m referencing. It’s seems slightly heavier than barrel char. The char is dominant. I also get hints of Citrus sweetness, Tobacco, and Spices in the midpalate. Very bold on the palate.
Finish: This has a short and simple finish. By simple I mean that it doesn’t transition much for me. You get a bit of harshness from the char dominance upfront and that quickly fades away with a Apple Cider after taste. I have tried this juice multiple times just to make sure I wasn’t taking crazy pills and I get the same impression each time. It isn’t bad, but I expect more complexity out of a 16 year old “cask strength”. I put cask strength in quotes because the proof is very low for this. Either it was barreled at a low proof, it was stored in a very humid environment, or the angels were extra greedy on this one.
Verdict: I was able to get my hands on 2 bottles of Copper Tongue. I gave one to my bourbon loving friend and we did a head to head with the Orphan Barrel – Rhetoric 25 that he had in his collection. Long story short… Rhetoric 25 is leaps and bounds better (See Rhetoric 25 Review). If you have a nice bourbon collection this will add variety, but if I saw this on the shelf again (which you are unlikely to see) I’d spend my money elsewhere the second time around. If you can find it for MSRP (around 100) and you haven’t tried it, don’t let this review discourage you.
MSRP: Buy with caution, may not meet expectations Price Ceiling: Not above MSRP (The most I’d pay for this bottle)
The Story: Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co. is driven by Diageo. If you haven’t heard of Diageo I’ll summarize quickly; they are the mammoth umbrella that owns many of the brands you see everyday (Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Ketal One, Bullet Bourbon, Don Julio, George Dickel, and many more). The Orphan Barrel brand goes into existing warehouses which I believe they own and pick out barrels that have been sitting for quite some time. I love the idea and Diageo has the variety of brands to pick from to do this type of experiment. The first Orphan Barrel that I tried was the Rhetoric 25, followed by Muckety Muck (Scotch) and both of these were great. I almost fell over when I saw the Copper Tongue sitting on the shelf and was able to grab 2 of them. Needless to say I was slightly disappointed by this release, by Orpahn Barrel standards, and multiple people that tried this with me also agreed that this bourbon is lacking given prior releases.
The Distillery’s Story: I explained a little of the distillery’s story above, but I’ll go a little more in depth here. Orphan Barrel Copper Tongue found some barrels in the Cascade Hollow Distillery which is owned by George Dickel. George Dickel is managed by Nicole Austin who, in my opinion, is a bourbon Rockstar. She quickly hit the bourbon scene right out of the gate with a Whiskey of the Year award with the George Dickel 13 year Bottle in Bond. She seems to have a great nose for picking out winners. Copper Tongue is certainly unique and isn’t run of the mill.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Nose, Palate, and Finish I rank regardless of cost. Value (recent addition) is ranked based on taste vs price.
Reviewer: David S
Click Image for About Us Page