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Old Soul Tintype Series #3 Review

Can a Mississippi distillery craft world-class bourbon? Cathead's 11-year Tintype Series honoring blues legend Kenny Brown makes a compelling, richly flavored case.

OVERALL RATING

9
$135
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Born in Jackson Mississippi, Cathead Distillery is embracing their states roots as a home of Blues innovation. This release honors legends of the Blues. This release, according to marketing materials, “Honors Kenny Brown, the Hill Country blues legend and lifelong torchbearer of North Mississippi’s distinct musical tradition.

Bottled from fewer than 30 barrels, this 11-year-old bourbon introduces a bold new mash bill of 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley, bringing a deeper spice backbone and unmistakable Mississippi character to the Tintype Series.

The bottle features an original tintype portrait of Kenny Brown, captured by legendary tintype photographer Bill Steber, whose work has documented Southern musicians and Mississippi blues culture for decades. Like the artist it celebrates, this bourbon carries grit, soul, and a sense of place shaped by Mississippi’s heat + humidity and more than a decade of barrel aging.”

Mississippi doesn’t jump out to many as a location making top tier bourbon, sourced or otherwise, but all it takes is one distillery and a little ambition to make something out of nothing.

Vital Stats
Corn 60%, Rye 36%, Malted Barley 4%
Appearance:
Tawny – Thin slow legs
Nose:
Just a welcoming and warm bourbon profile that you love to smell all day. Maple syrup, old oak, vanilla ice cream, brown sugar, oats (like a crumble topping), and the softest touch of char/smoke. Overall a nice inviting aroma.
Palate:
The palate follows it up nicely. The profile is heavy and rich which compliments the nose well. Caramel followed by rich cigar tobacco. The taste is immediately warming. Toasted oats with a pop of charcoal and maple syrup. For me this body was all “body and sugar” almost no floral notes at all.
Finish:
Buttery mouthfeel with a long finish. For the savory body the finish is brown sugar and rich oak. Almost feels like a reward for taking a bit of a body blow through the drink. We fade with nice oak and charcoal before a soft fade out on the tongue.
Comments:
Overall truly a wonderful dram. It’s a heavy expression with a lot of body and slow notes. I really believe Bourbon, especially in the American South, is best around that 12 year age statement. Here we have an 11 year and it is showing off the maturity of aging. You really get a taste for the caramels in the wood while also balancing out the natural oak and char. The maturation that occurs is really quite lovely with this bottle.

You can get a real sense of where this brand is heading with this release. It’s a nice, slow whiskey ready for reflection. Far be it from me to provide a lesson on the artistry of Blues music, but I will say this dram felt like a great Blues record. A few scratches here and there but it only adds to the depth of what you’re experiencing. So grab a good LP, pour a glass, and just appreciate the music.

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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