Whisky: Stellum Bourbon
Producer: Barrell Craft Spirits (Non-distiller producer from Louisville, KY)
Distillery: Undisclosed
Region: Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana
Whisky Type: Blend of Straight Bourbons
Age: NAS
ABV: 57.49%
Aged in Cask: New charred American oak
Price Range: $$
Stellum Spirits is a whiskey brand created by Kentucky-based Barrell Craft Spirits, which sources straight bourbons from distilleries all over the world.
The Stellum blend has three straight bourbons from Indiana (MGP Distillery), two of which are high rye bourbons and one almost entirely corn. Two older bourbons from Tennessee and Kentucky are also part of the blend.
Stellum blue label is the flagship of the brand with the goal of celebrating the new modern-day whiskey drinker.
The brand lineup includes Stellum Bourbon (blended), Stellum Rye (blended), Stellum Single Barrel Bourbon, and Stellum Single Barrel Rye, all offered at cask strength.
Barrell Craft Spirits produces other types of whiskies like Barrell Bourbon, which consists of blends of bourbons sourced from all over the world, and American Whiskies with the same approach.
According to founder Joe Beatrice, “The Stellum name is derivative of the Latin word stella for star. Stellium also has an astrological meaning of a group of planets concentrated in a house.”
Also from the founder: “Stellum uses a “daisy chain” blending technique where a large portion is blended, and then the rest is topped off with the same recipe and adjusted only with other cask strength barrels for taste and proof for consistency. This is a technique developed as a hybrid of our technique for constructing Barrell Batches and the reverse-solera we use for the Barrell Infinite Barrel Project.”
The are some nuances in naming U.S. requirements for blended whiskey. For example, If a whiskey (i.e., bourbon) is made from several bourbons from the same state, it can be called Straight Bourbon. However, if the same type of bourbon (i..e, Straight) comes from several states, it must be called a “Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies”.
American distillers try to avoid the word “Blend” on their labels because the word has been historically associated with adulterated whiskey “Blended” with Neutral Grain Spirit and other questionable ingredients.
Tasting Notes for Stellum Blend of Straight Bourbons
Nose: Restrained aromas of caramel, cinnamon, and a touch of oak.
Palate: Creamy arrival of caramel, pepper, leather, cumin, clove, and cinnamon. Full-bodied and rich. Very well-integrated flavors. The flavors are complex and intense. Add water and the blend becomes more assertive in baking spices reminding me of Canadian Whisky. Pair it with your favorite chocolate (i.e., Ferrero Rocher Golden Experience), and enjoy the hazelnut from the chocolate with the baking spices. Yum!
Finish: Long and savory. Sweet caramel and oak spices. Beautiful.
Conclusion: Stellum bourbon hits all the right notes for a classic bourbon delivering caramel sweetness, a touch of baking spices, and oak achieving balance and richness due to the 57.49% ABV. There is no burn from the alcohol at any point in the experience despite the high ABV, very impressive. Highly recommended. Cheers!
Score: 4/5 ⭐
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