Apple cider | Baking spices | Caramel | Light oak | Vanilla | Cinnamon stick | Faint chocolate muffin | Pleasing

Baking spices | Caramel chew | Apple strudel | Light rye spice | Cinnamon stick | Spice cake | Faint oak

Rye spice | Spiced baked apple | Oak | Vanilla powder | Cinnamon spice | Light heat

Trackside Founder Release 2025 High Proof is the follow-up to the company’s standard Founder offering. Like the initial offering, it uses a four grain mashbill, however this time around, the company increases the proof to 107 and adds an additional year of aging. A limited Kentucky-only release, this year’s Trackside Founder Release High Proof was made up of only 900 bottles. 

Trackside Distilling Company is run by Master Distiller Jade Peterson and industry veteran Jeremy Dever. Peterson is known for his role as master distiller at Kentucky Artisan Distillery for over a decade. Familiar brands produced there currently include Jefferson’s Bourbon, Highspire Whiskey, and Whiskey Row Bourbon. Dever was the general manager at Kentucky Artisan Distillery from July 2013 to May 2018. He subsequently held various leadership roles in other spirits companies, currently serving as Vice President of Operations and Procurement at Avalon Spirits, the parent company of Kentucky Artisan Distillery.

Trackside Founder Release 2025 High Proof  sip is full of bright, sweet flavors that are nicely accented thanks to the bourbon's 107 proof. An intriguing scent of apple cider and baking spices kicks things off, along with overall pleasing scents of caramel, cinnamon stick, and chocolate muffin. These translate into an immediately enjoyable midpoint of the sip that highlights spices, apple strudel, and a dab of sweet caramel chew. Continuing the theme of spice and apple, the finish highlights rye spice and baked apple, along with traditional flavor notes. Overall, this bourbon doesn’t try to be anything more than it is, which is an easy-to-enjoy sip.