For my final bourbon review of 2020, I decided to crack open a bottle I picked up at Hokus Pokus after Christmas, from their last barrel of the year. This is fitting of course as my own discovery of Sugarfield Spirits in Gonzales, Louisiana, has been one of the good highlights of this most messed up year.

This Gold Select bottling is a hefty 121.6 proof, aged seven years at MGP (Midwest Grain Products) and is of the high barley mashbill as Sugarfield’s SR1 bourbon.

The color is a lovely deep dark amber with some mahogany, reflecting the wonderful age on this bourbon. As shown in the above picture of my Glencairn, this has wonderful think long legs. The nose has lovely vanilla and wood sugar notes. The mouthfeel is rich, and on the palate is a really deep vanilla, buttered dark cinnamon toast with cane syrup, and lovely lovely oak; the palate is oaky without being drying which is really wonderful. On the finish, the oak mingles with wonderful baking spices.

This is a really lovely bourbon. I have to say it is better than SR1; I am betting this one has a little more age on it, given the color, proof, and age statement. This is really a refined flavor profile; this high barley mashbill bourbon only seems to get better with time, much like wheated bourbon mashbills. The mashbill is a great vehicle to show off what the barrel aging can do to the flavor profile.

A very good bourbon for the last call of 2020. Happy New Year!