Brown sugar | Plump raisins | Hint of clove | Vanilla Bean | Spiced syrup | Light charred oak | Distinct port aroma | Subtle expressive scents

Dry oak | Light grain | Touch of rye spice | Vanilla syrup | Prominent plump dark raisins | Aged dry notes

Raisins | Dry oak | Subtle dark berries | Rye spice | Lingering warming heat

Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Traverse City Whiskey is a craft distillery that continues to make strides year after year. Their latest finishing series release features in-house distilled whiskey that was finished in sherry casks, cab franc casks, or in this case, port casks. According to the company’s press release, the bourbon used was aged “for five years and rested for nearly 12 months in massive 300L Ruby Port wine barrels.” The extended aging time was quite evident throughout the sip.

Traverse City Port Finish is one of those bourbons that makes you want to linger on a single glass, dissecting all it has to offer. The bourbon starts off with a really great nose that is full of subtle expressive scents that draw you in over and over. Brown sugar and plump raisins combine with clove and spiced syrup. The palate surprisingly highlights more aged dry notes versus the sweetness that the nose leads you to believe. Dry oak and rye spice mingle together with vanilla syrup and a prominent plump dark raisin note. Ending with familiar notes of raisins and dry oak, the finish is the weakest part of the sip as the flavors tend to drop off quicker than not, leaving a warming heat in their path. Traverse City Whiskey Co. certainly has a knack when it comes to port finished bourbons, and makes me hope that the company continues to explore barrel finished bourbons.