Starlight Single Barrel Bourbons (3 distinct Single Barrels)

In the Spring of 2021 our tasting team conducted a virtual tour and tasting with Christian Huber, distiller from Starlight Distillery in Indiana. We were impressed by the single barrel samples we tasted and purchased a Single Barrel of Straight Bourbon. The selection is non-chill filtered and bottled at cask strength (120.6 proof). It is an amazing selection. The staves for the barrel on this selection were air dried for 3 years (allowing the tannins to slowly leech out), then toasted low at a 1-2 char level. After being in barrel for 4 years the resulting bourbon has savory aromas of crème brule, leading to notes of brown sugar, and dried fruit, despite the high proof the finish is full and mellow, with very little heat. This selection landed in store in late September and already has a good following.

In August on a trip to Louisville to select single barrels from several Kentucky Distilleries we accepted an invitation to visit Starlight in person. The facility is located over the river in Indiana, a short 25 minute drive from Louisville. The distillery is located on a 600 acre Family Farm that also includes vineyards, a winery, and Farm Market. The hospitality we received from the Huber family was amazing. We tasted in the one of the barrel warehouses and were not disappointed with the variety of choices or the quality of the whiskeys! After about 2 hours of tasting we narrowed our choices for our selection down to 4 barrels. We took a break to rest our pallets and took a motorized tour of the farm, where we picked Regular and Donut Peaches straight from the trees at their perfect ripeness. We returned to the warehouse and narrowed our choice down to 2 barrels. The barrels were very different and both amazing in there own right, so we selected both. The barrels we chose were first a Double Oaked selection and an Oloroso Barrel Finished.

The Double Oaked selection undergoes it regular maturation and then is transferred into an unused charred oak barrel to age an additional 6 months. This process provides intense oak notes, enhanced vanilla flavor, and mellowed rye spice. The Oloroso barrel finished selection undergoes it regular maturation and then is finished in a Spanish Oloroso Sherry barrel for over 8 months. The time in the sherry barrel provides notes of dried cherry and orange citrus that finish with a long supple finish.

The Selections we chose in August just recently arrived at the stores.

All 3 Barrel Selections will be available to taste and offered at 10% OFF on Black Friday, November 26th!

Simsbury: 1PM-4PM

New Britain: 5PM-8PM

Hope to see you all there.

Last year around the Holidays we tasted from Jack Daniels the “Single Barrel Special Release Barrel Proof Rye”. We were blown away by the quality of the offering but discouraged by the small quantities available. We decided to pursue getting our own barrel of Jack Daniels Single Barrel Rye to add to our extensive Single Barrel Selection. We tasted barrel samples in April, our pick just arrived this week, we are happy to offer “Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye Personal Collection”.  This barrel is exclusive to Liquor Depot, and while not finish at Barrel Proof like the Special Release, it is loaded with personality and balance at 94 Proof.

Jack Daniel’s created their “first new grain bill in 100 years” for their rye whiskey line. According to the company, the whiskey uses the same cave spring water from the Jack Daniel’s Hollow and proprietary yeast that’s been used in the distillery’s 150 year old Tennessee Whiskey recipe. The rye is aged in the upper regions of their barrel house where it is exposed to increased temperature variation.

This Historic Creation marries the smoothness of Jack Daniel’s with a unique 70% rye grain bill. Aromas of peppery rye spice bombard the senses with sweet molasses, coffee & dark fruit layering in. A generous amount of butterscotch sweetness is immediately followed by waves of spice. The sweet-spicy flavors are delivered with a thick, creamy mouthfeel that grips the tongue and coats the mouth. A long finish with tapering spice and light oak and a trace of smoke mingle in. This is a big, bold rye that does not overpower.

Just in time for Father’s Day our 2 newest single barrel selections are arriving at Liquor Depot.

Don’t miss either of these great selections.

Town Branch Bourbon Single Barrel 107.6 proof (Lexington, Kentucky)

A key feature of Town Branch is its light, easy drinking character. The odd thing about Town Branch Single Barrel is how the increase in strength has increased the intensity of the bourbon, but without sacrificing it’s easy drinking nature. This Single Barrel bursts with sweet caramel and orange zest, and the rye spices really stand out. While Town Branch Single Barrel may not fit into the “big and bold” category, it’s definitely got big personality. The more intense flavors coupled with the light finish make it ideal for summertime drinking.

Sagamore Spirits Barrel Select Rye 110 proof (Baltimore, Maryland)

Sagamore Spirit Barrel Select immediately inundates me with a rush of dark and dense honey, anise, and licorice from the rye. Getting past the rye, there are hints of dried cherries and berries, maple syrup, wood, and cinnamon on top of grain. The initial sip has a huge surge of honey, licorice, peppermint, and dried citrus peel. It’s a wonderful explosion of sweet and herbal rye flavors.   The finish continues with more sweet honey, and licorice notes with growing heat and cinnamon notes.

This recent addition to our Single Barrel Program at Liquor Depot offers a little insight into the selection process. 

Liquor Depot’s Knob Creek Barrel was put into barrels on March 14th, 2005. It was put into Warehouse F on the 4th floor in rick 2 on the first tier. It was selected by Liquor Depot on March 16th, 2020 and then bottled at 120 proof.

You can check out the chart below that gives the location of the barrel in the warehouse!

This 15-year-old bourbon comes from a true “Dream Barrel.”

1993 Balblair Single Cask #3420 Highland Single Malt Scotch

This offering marks Liquor Depots first foray into choosing a single barrel (cask) of Single Malt Scotch. We are excited about our selection and know you will be once you’ve tasted it. This offering comes to us from Balbair Distillery in the Highland District of Scotland. The distillery was established in 1790 and has an impressive track record in producing well aged exquisite tasting Scotches.

Balblair whiskeys are uniquely Vintage, Their bottles are not marked with an age statement, but simply with the year the whiskey was laid down. Every year, Distillery Manager, John MacDonald, tastes, judges and selects straight from the casks, and at exactly the right moment when the balance between the age and the character of the whiskey is just right, he has it bottled. Occasionally Balblair will offer a single cask which has been judged to be very special indeed. These casks represent the finest and most exclusive expressions of Balblair; each cask selected displays unmistakable Balblair style, yet with subtle nuances of taste and character which make it truly unique.

Liquor Depots Selection, Cask #3420 was laid down in 1993, and bottled in 2016, making it a true 23 Year Old Single Malt. The Whiskey is Non Chill-filtered and bottled at 108 proof. The Whiskey is bright golden in appearance. This is a full bodied malt with distinctive aromas of cloves, bananas, butterscotch and green apples. Hints of coconut and honey can also be detected. On the palate it is sweet and spicy with hints of butterscotch and tropical fruits. The finish is full bodied and long lasting. Ask to try a sample during your next visit, you won’t be disappointed.

Liquor Depot Price $97.99

Blanton’s Single Barrel #3

Begins with spicy caramel and vanilla on the nose, with a very pleasant but subtle with little burn. The palate begins with caramel, and orange coating the mouth with a soft but full amount of flavor. A little spice on the back end balances the initial sweetness.  As the spice on the back end of the palate fades away, burnt sugars, caramel, and vanilla take over. This is just as pleasant as the rest of the sip and lasts a little longer than most bourbons.

Liquor Depot Price $46.99

Stranahan’s Single Barrel Colorado Whiskey

Our Single Barrel of liquid gold (Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2014 ) just arrived from Denver, Colorado. Chose in conjunction with Northeast Wine & Spirits. This Small Batch Whiskey is crafted with Rocky Mt snow melt, unchill filtered, unique flavor. Hints of caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate and a light oakiness are some of the hallmark tastes of this unique whiskey.

Liquor Depot Price $56.99