Mixed berry jam | Red fruits | Toasted oak | Light vanilla bean | Blackberry

Dry oak | Vanilla powder | Light rye spice | Mixed dark berries | Cinnamon powder | Faint tobacco leaf | White peppercorn

Berry compote | Vanilla tart | Pie crust | Charred oak | Faint rye spice

Musician Neil Giraldo founded Three Chord Bourbon, and the company’s focus on bourbon and music takes his background and fuses the two together. According to the company, Volume 2 represents a new look for the brand, with an all-new bottle design being deployed. They go on to state, “Each bottle of the new release features energetic concert photography of musicians who embody the spirit of the liquid within, and the album-like design reflects Three Chord's commitment to and heritage in music.”

For Strange Collab, the brand highlights Giraldo himself on the front of the label, as Michael Brennon photographed Giraldo playing on stage with Rick Derringer. The company states that the back label is “a tribute to Johnny Strange, the adventurer and philanthropist that inspired this bourbon, finished in barrels from his family’s vineyard.” To create this bourbon, the company blends 4-7 year old Kentucky bourbons before finishing it for 3 to 4 months in pinot noir barrels from Strange Family Vineyards in Santa Barbara. Volume 2 is an ever-so-slightly older and rebranded offering of the company’s original Strange Collaboration Batch 1.

Much like Strange Collaboration Batch 1, this latest iteration is full of flavor notes that are clearly influenced by the time spent finishing in pinot noir barrels. This starts with an aroma full of mixed berry jam, red fruits, and blackberry, which contrasts a pleasing toasted oak and light vanilla bean notes. The midpoint pulls in dry oak, faint tobacco leaf, and various spices, which rest nicely against mixed dark berries. Ending on dessert notes, the sip once again pulls in oak and spice to make sure the berry sweetness is never too overwhelming. Overall, this is a pleasing wine finished bourbon that does a nice job of elevating the base bourbon without overpowering it.