Heavy corn syrup | Very faint vanilla | A hint of oak | Overpowering corn scent

Corn syrup | Vanilla | White peppercorn | Hint of marshmallow fluff | Fresh oak

Corn syrup | White peppercorn | Light leather | Touch of oak | Sweet | Short

Dread River Straight Bourbon Batch 1 was the first bourbon distilled in Alabama in over 100 years. The company’s Master’s Series is a limited edition whiskey line, highlighting unique one-off products. According to the company, “for the Master Series Batch 2 Bourbon, Dread River transferred the straight bourbon originally aged in American oak casks for one year into a 60-gallon French oak cask for an additional two years.” In total, 500 bottles were produced from this single cask release.

The youth of the bourbon pulls through as the nose opens with intense dominant notes of heavy corn syrup, which ends up producing an overpowering corn scent. The midpoint of the sip provides slightly more definition as vanilla and marshmallow fluff join the sweet corn syrup, and white peppercorn and fresh oak add a reprieve from the sweetness. Ending on the same notes found throughout, the finish is short and sweet, literally. Compared to their standard bourbon, Batch 2 rounds out some of the harshness thanks to its time finishing in the French oak barrel. While an improvement over their first release, this bourbon still conveys heavy youth with an over-reliance on a one-dimensional corn syrup note to get the job done.