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Bourbon Review: Bear Fight Kentucky Reserve Tequila Cask Finish

Bear Fight Kentucky Reserve Tequila Cask Finish is a Kentucky Bourbon with a mixture of about 70% corn, 21% rye (a high rye), and 9% malted barley, finished in a reposado tequila casks.

OVERALL RATING

6
$37.99
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes

About:

A traditional Kentucky Bourbon with a mixture of about 70% corn, 21% rye (a high rye), and 9% malted barley, finished in a reposado tequila casks. I was not able to identify the origin of the casks. There is an interesting relationship between bourbon creators and tequila in recent years. Corazon famously introduced a line of their Anejo tequila aged in Buffalo Trace Antique Collection barrels several years ago. I’ve had a few tequilas in Bourbon and I have to say it’s a mixed bag. Not to be outdone, multiple bourbons have finished their whiskey in tequila cask. Again, it’s a mixed bag. Multiple people really believe there is merit here, and maybe Next Century Spirits has finally cracked the code.


Appearance:
Russet Moscat
Nose:
Airy and light, toasted oak, agave syrup, sweet tequila
Palate:
Tequila bursts onto the scene with the first sip. Obviously sweetened by the bourbon sugar. It evolves into oak, light smoke, salt, and represents the nose well. We evolve the taste into walnuts, caramelized sugar and whiffs of vanilla pudding. The tequila is unshakable throughout and rarely steals the show or the sip.
Finish:
Strong alcohol notes at the last half of the taste. The flavor holds but not indefinitely and eventually leaves notes of tequila and rye on the tongue.
Comments:
I need to be honest with you, dear reader, I want to like tequila a lot more than I actually like tequila. Take my comments with a grain of salt, not a rim.

The tequila here is balanced and does not overpower the whiskey. I think it provides a nice contrast to the otherwise sweeter whiskey. Agave is complex with depths of unique flavors. It is hard to balance a robust cactus plant against softer grains, so kudos to Next Century for balancing these two. At the same time, I want more bourbon flavor. I think the proof, for me, is too low. The tequila never really went away and sort of enveloped any other notes throughout the tasting. Like a tootsie pop, there was always this outer casing before enjoying the sweet flavor inside.

For some, this may be exactly what you’re looking for. If you enjoy tequila more than you like bourbon, this might be right up your alley. If you’re a bourbon fan who also appreciates the nuance to reposado tequila, this may also be for you. I did enjoy this, it is interesting and certainly a cut above other tequila finished whiskey I’ve had, but probably not the first whiskey I’d reach for.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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