I got to visit the Sugarfield Spirits distillery in Gonzales, LA this past weekend and got to spend some time with Master Distiller Dr. Thomas Soltau. We had a great visit and I got to try a number of things from barrels he is aging and that will be released in future. While the whiskies Sugarfield releases have thus far been sourced, that may change in the future. However, even their sourced whiskies are spending a good bit of time at Sugarfield, and there will be a new barrel house built in the future as their current area where the stills are that also houses barrels is busting at the seems with aging stocks. I was able to pick up two of their distillery only release whiskies – their bourbon SR8 and rye finished in port barrels FB3. Of note is that SR8 is the same low rye mashbill from MGP as can be found in small batch #8 which is available in stores across Louisiana, but this is a single barrel, barrel proof version. Although they don’t have a chill filtering machine and have no plans to buy one, which is a good thing. One interesting note is that after aging whiskies at the distillery for a few years now, the Louisiana humidity keeps the barrels from evaporating water, and what little angel’s share that gets taken is alcohol. SR8 is 112.5 proof, and FB3 is 113.4 proof.

Sugarfield Bourbon SR9 (Special Release 9)- color on this is a very deep amber with hints of mahogany, which is impressive given its four year old age statement. I am betting this is a few years older than that. On the swirl is a light film but with tons of legs. The nose is very traditional bourbon, with really nice notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak. On the palate, the vanilla and caramel almost dance together, before baking spices and cloves present a wonderful contrast to the sweetness. On the finish, cloves and cinnamon linger than fade into lovely oak tannin. Really can’t get over how good the finish is on this. The mouthfeel is a nice medium; not really thick or syrupy but it is decidedly not thin. The Soltau brothers are passionate about good bourbon, and SR9 really shows that.

Sugarfield Rye Whiskey Aged in Port Barrels FB3 (Finishing Barrel Batch 3) – this is a rye whiskey sourced from MGP from whom many producers source their rye whiskies, and then finished in port barrels, much like Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban scotch and High West Mid-Winter Night’s Dram, and bears a five year old age statement. This whiskey is dark – with lots of dark red mahogany showing the influence of both the newly charred American oak used for the primary aging and the port barrels for the finishing. On the swirl is a thin film but legs that are thicker than the bourbon. On the nose I get traditional rye whiskey notes that come with a rye/corn mashbill, but then there are rich dark fruit notes. On the palate is some nice sweetness and richness with vanilla and lovely dark fruits permeating the whiskey, with the herbal grassy notes barely being there, and I like that. Instead, there is some nice rye spice including white and black pepper that provides a wonderful contrast to the sweetness. The barrels have done their magic and transformed the grassy herbals notes that can often be off-putting with particularly younger ryes and high rye recipe bourbons. Really nice mouthfeel, and a bit fuller than the bourbon I think because this is really well matured. On the palate, cloves and dark fruits linger for a long time and then fade into oak. I much prefer this over High West’s Mid-Winter Night’s Dram (when they were still sourcing from MGP and before they started using their own stuff which is not as good), because basically Sugarfield FB3 is the same thing, but at cask strength and non-chill filtered. This is a really special bottle and I hope the Soltau brothers will continue to finish rye whiskies in port barrels in the future.