HORSE SOLDIER BREAKING BOURBON 13 YEAR BARREL STRENGTH STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY

Another pick with Breaking Bourbon and we have now done quite a few picks with them. We were excited about this pick. Aged bourbon can always be a hit or a miss, but anytime we get a chance to do a 10-13-year-old barrel, we always get excited. This age range can present some real gems, which is exactly what we ended up finding with Horse Soldier. It offers a really nice well-rounded palate with a proof that allows it to be approachable to all.

Not every barrel we pick needs to be a high proof burner to be good, and this is a great example of such a barrel. For the sticker concept, we wanted to pay tribute to the background of the brand itself. In the days after the events of September 11, 2001, a group of special operations officers answered their nation’s call to defend it. These officers soon found themselves riding horseback in a Green Beret insertion in Northern Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. These men are honored at America’s Response Monument at Ground Zero and have been given the nickname Horse Soldiers. These same men banded together to create American Freedom Distillery. Forged in Honor pays tribute to this true story of acts of courage, and reminds us all that freedom should never be taken for granted.

• Nose: Cherry | Pecan | Toasted marshmallow | Fresh cut cedar | Rose petal | Elegant
• Palate: Berry | Spearmint | Honey | Seasoned oak | Nicely balanced with pitch-perfect proof intensity
• Finish: Sweet oak | Dark brown sugar | Cocoa | Dark fruit | Sweet & warming