Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Dixon Dedman was perplexed by the fame that he had garnished through the Kentucky Owl brand in the early 2010s. Dedman considered his life work to be running the Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg, Ky. To the whiskey world though, he was a bit of a celebrity.
Dedman’s great-great-grandfather created the brand Kentucky Owl in 1879. The brand operated for decades until prohibition shuttered the liquor industry, along with many of its counterparts. In 1916 the equivalent of 4,700 barrels were seized by the government and Kentucky Owl was no more.
According to legend though, the pre-prohibition Kentucky Owl would have a bit of an afterlife. One night, the barrel warehouse where the last of the whiskey was stored burnt down. However, according to those who witnessed it, the fire lasted only a few hours. This would’ve been almost impossible if it had been an alcohol fire. Many believe that this was proof that the whiskey had been spirited away by bootleggers, to be enjoyed in an illicit fashion that was common during the period.
In the 2010s, Dedman, who was familiar with the story of his ancestor, sought to restart the iconic whiskey brand that his family had begun so many years ago. After some years of success with it as a cult brand, Dedman sold Kentucky Owl to Stoli Group in 2017. Since the sale, the brand has seen larger releases and much wider distribution. Dedman has not left the whiskey world behind though; very recently he started a new company, 2XO Whiskey.
The whiskey I’m reviewing here is a very interesting collaboration between Kentucky whiskey distillers and a Louisiana rum distillery. The whiskey is a Straight Kentucky Rye Whiskey, aged for eleven years and then finished for one year in a rum cask from a distillery in the heart of the southern United States.
The rum barrels used in the finishing process hail from Bayou Rum in Lacassine, Louisiana (another Stoli Group company). This distillery opened in 2013 and is looking to bring back the long tradition of rum made in the US. For the collaboration with Kentucky Owl, barrels from the Bayou Rum Mardis Gras XO bottling were used.
This rum is copper-pot distilled from Louisiana sugar cane that is processed at the oldest family-owned and operated sugar mill in the US. Then the rum is aged for 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels, at which point some of those barrels were given to Kentucky Owl to be used to finish the eleven-year-old rye whiskey.
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The result of this collaboration is the Kentucky Owl Mardi Gras XO Cask 11-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey.
Tasting Notes: Kentucky Owl Mardi Gras XO Cask 11-Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey
Vital Stats: 11-year old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey finished for one year in rum casks. 102.8 proof (51.4% abv). 750ml, SRP $500.
Appearance: Colors of rich golden brown and burnt amber.
Nose: Aromas of candied orange and molasses mingle with notes of vanilla and caramel.
Palate: Flavors of toffee and cooking spices at first and then rich dark chocolates and orange peel.
Finish: Whiskey coats the palate nicely and allows for a long, lingering finish of barrel and baking spices.
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