Baking spices | Cinnamon | Brown sugar | Tobacco leaf

Black cherry | Caramel | Dense seasoned oak | Brown sugar | Baking spices | Intense

Black pepper | Cherry | Cigar box | Dry leather | Vanilla custard | Charred oak | Lingering spice

Brothers Wright Distilling Co. was founded by brothers Shannon and Kendall Wright. Operating out of Pikeville and Aflex, Kentucky, the company embraces their Appalachian roots by aging its barrels in underground coal mines. The company ages their barrels in Leckie Collieries Mine No. 1, with hundreds already laid down and room for thousands more. The company states that “our process is a tribute to  the ingenuity, grit, and craftsmanship of Central Appalachia — a region we are proud to call home.” While the bottle in review was sourced, with the company’s recent acquisition of Dueling Barrels Brewery & Distillery, it’s presumed that they’ll begin to move production in-house.

The company’s four grain barrel proof product is released as single barrels aged 4 to 7 years. It’s sourced Kentucky bourbon and aged for an undisclosed amount of time in the coal mine, which could induce a range of possible conditions and temperatures depending on the exact location of the barrels within the mine.

I found myself really enjoying this bourbon due to its intensity and the fact that it leans into some of the flavors I tend to gravitate towards. It has a deep color, which seems to come out in the bourbon’s intensity of flavors. Cherry, brown sugar, and tobacco with accents of seasoned oak, black pepper, baking spices, and vanilla custard make for a more dynamic pour. The inclusion of both wheat and rye in the mashbill likely plays a role, but its proof is dialed in nicely to bring everything to the surface. With that being said, it is not the most balanced bourbon, instead allowing the flavors to dip and spike with more notable intensity. As a result, it makes for a more memorable off-the-beaten-path pour.

The bourbon in review is bottle number 77 from barrel #78.