For part 25 of 30 in the finished whiskey series were taking a look at samples of 3 pretty different finished MGP whiskies. From an MGP light whiskey finished in Pinot Noir casks by Bull Run to a crazy one off Boone County pick to the legendary batch 1 of Belle Meade Honey!
For this sample set I did a blind tasting of all 3 and then sat down to write more detailed notes.
Reviews #255-257: Finished MGP Trio
Bull Run 12 year Pinot Noir Finish
Age: 12 years
Abv: Unfortunately not sure
Neat
Nose: Sweet but also harsh with artificial sweetener(Splenda?), ethanol and fainter dark fruit notes.
Taste: Sweet dark fruit and caramel, vanilla, warm spice, a touch of cinnamon. Great mouthfeel.
Finish: Long cloyingly sweet finish with red fruit, honey, and a bit of oak.
0 Stars - Fine: I would not specifically choose to drink this over other readily available options
Boone County 10 Year Sauternes Finish Local Vine Pick
Age: 10 years
Abv: 90.8 proof
Neat
Nose: White wine notes with honey and grape followed by vanilla and hints of wood
Taste: Sweet with more honey, apple, caramel, rich oak and grape notes. Decent mouthfeel, especially for the proof.
Finish: Long finish with baking spices and sweet honey
2 Stars - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle
Belle Meade Honey Cask
Age: 8-11 years
Abv: 113.6 proof
Neat
Nose: Honey, rich oak, brown sugar, vanilla, more honey.
Taste: Rich and sweet with honey, oak, caramel, warm spices.
Finish: Medium length with warm spices, honey, oak and caramel.
3 Stars - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle
Conclusion
First off the Belle Meade Honey lived up to the hype! That was fantastic. If I could buy a bottle for an even semi reasonable price I would jump on it. The Boone County was also a surprise as I thought the low proof would really hold it back but it did not. The Boone County is a special release from back in 2017 and before this I didn’t realize Boone County had ever done a finished bourbon. The Bull Run was a definitely a let down and I’m not that surprised as MGP light whiskey tends not to be my thing.
TL;DR: Belle Meade Honey > Boone County Sauternes >> Bull Run Pinot
I’ve finally figured out how I am going to wrap this series up. We’ve got 3 more review style posts, a post on home finishing and then something I am excited for as the series wrap up.