Amador Whiskey Co. Double Barrel Bourbon Review

I recently posted an article about the rise of craft distilleries and whiskey companies where I highlighted Koval Distillery in Chicago in particular. In keeping with the same theme, I thought it would be interesting to do another post about a craft whiskey company that is doing some creative work in the bourbon world called Amador Whiskey Company.

Amador Whiskey Co. has put out two unique bourbons. Their first bourbon, Amador Ten Barrels was released in 2014, and more recently in 2015 they released their Amador Double Barrel Bourbon, which I’ve had the privilege to review.

The Double Barrel Bourbon is called such because the whiskey it sources from Kentucky is first aged in new charred oak barrels for 3-10 years, and then finished in Napa Valley wine barrels in California for at least 6 months. “Born in Kentucky, Raised in California,” is a quote you’ll find on Amador Whiskey Company’s website, and a theme in which you will find throughout their marketing material.  Approximately 280 of these Kentucky sourced barrels made their way to California to be finished in Napa Valley wine barrels.  I could not find an exact distillery in Kentucky that Amador sourced it’s whiskey from, but am interested to know for any of you out there that have this information.  However, I did find in my research that the connection to Napa Valley comes from the owner of the Amador Whiskey Co. label, which is Trinchero Family Estates, a large wine company that is branching out into other spirits.

Here are some of the notes from my experience with their Double Barrel Bourbon. The bourbon is bottled at 86.8 proof, which allows for a more mellow whiskey compared to some higher proof bourbons out there.  The tasting notes came with hints of vanilla, caramel, and oak, along with some fruity notes that I’m sure come from the finishing in the wine barrels.  I found the body to be mostly thin, but there was some texture present to the feel in the mouth.  The finish was predominantly smooth with a slight spiciness towards the end.  Overall, it was an enjoyable bourbon that provided a unique tasting experience with the wine barrel finish, even though I still found the bourbon to be in line, character wise, with most of the traditional Kentucky bourbons out there.