Oregon Distillery Adds New Oregon Oak Finished Bourbon

Eastside Distilling out of Portland, Oregon recently unveiled plans for a rebranding of their bourbons, moving towards a more streamlined design and naming. Also in the refocus came a desire to make pretty much exclusive use of Oregon oak as part of the barrel aging process. The distillery has now released the second expression under these new conditions.

Burnside Goose Hollow Reserve, according to those behind it, is a limited edition release of sourced, straight bourbon whiskeys that have been blended and then finished in Oregon oak (also known as Garryana) casks. This additional wood influence for an undisclosed amount of time is said to add earthy and woody impacts on the overall flavor profile.

“On the nose you should smell a robust oak, pine mixed with smoky coals,” said Eastside master distiller Mel Heim in a prepared statement. “Once aerated, notes of fruitcake, apricot and caramel begin to be released. You will taste the unflinchingly 92 proof which undergoes a metamorphosis on the palate from peppery wood and bitter chocolate to tobacco, plums and vanilla.”

The bourbon is available mostly in Oregon at this point. The name Goose Hollow, by the way, refers to a storied Portland neighborhood that was officially established with this moniker in 1879—the same time the term bourbon became consistently used in the U.S. and Kentucky. Goose Hollow is nestled in the lower elevations of Portland’s West Hills near Tanner Creek, a forested lowland gulch in the SW side of the city.