Wakey Whiskey: Coopers' Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon

by Eric Ducote

Well Tiger fans... this season has been pretty disappointing so far, but that's not going to stop me from enjoying a #wakeywhiskey before this afternoon's game against Florida. All hate for Alabama aside, I think Florida is my overall most loathed SEC program, especially after last year's football debacle and the College World Series. So, here's to hoping Coach O gets the boys up to play and they bounce back... if not... at least I have some whiskey.

Today's selection is the Coopers' Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon out of Louisville, Kentucky. Coopers' Craft is made by Brown-Forman, a large beverage congolmerate that owns Jack Daniels, Early Times, as well as several scotch brands, tequila brands, vodka, and even wine. This bourbon was created to honor the company's history as a cooperage, as one of Brown-Forman's early ventures was raising fresh charred oak barrels for use throughout the American bourbon industry. One thing to note, barrels are not made or built, the proper term is that they are "raised".



This bourbon is a refined toasted wood whiskey taken through a unique beech and birch finishing process for a smooth and flavorful bourbon. It's a "straight" bourbon which means that it has been aged for a minimum of two years, and it shows, as the color is an amber on the verge of a true brown rather than a lighter straw or golden color. The char on the barrels comes though pretty strong and has done its job on this one.

The nose is char with a sweet undertone of apple or caramel, maybe even some brown sugar, and the taste follows through well with some of the more characteristic vanilla and oak notes I would expect from a straight bourbon. The 82.2 proof alcohol is present and pleasant, helping round off each sip with a little burn to balance out the sweet and rich flavors. Overall, very impressive. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from this one, but it holds it own against several of the better bourbons I've tried recently.

On that note, here's to hoping LSU can hold their own this afternoon. Cheers, and Geaux Tigers!