Cleveland Bourbon Review
It seems like a new micro-distillery is opening up every week recently and each and every one that aspires to make bourbon faces the same problem: how can you afford to pay your operating expenses for the years it takes your bourbon to age?
BOTTLE DETAILS
- DISTILLER: Cleveland Whiskey
- MSRP: $34.99
- BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com
GINNY'S NOTES
NOSE: Cedar | Citrus | Acetone
TASTE:Honey | Strong Wood | Pepper | Acetone
FINISH: Good god! This has a rough punchy aftertaste that grabs on to your throat and won’t let go. There are some barely discernable bourbon flavors, even a sweetness, that are present for just about half a second before the harsh taste of wood and a chemical burn hit you. Even several moments after swallowing the aftertaste sits on your tongue like an obnoxious party guest that just won’t leave.
SHARE WITH: Clevelanders so committed to buying local that they are willing to sacrifice real bourbon.
WORTH THE PRICE: At $35 a bottle, this is so not worth the price. For less than half that price you can buy a bottle of Very Old Barton and be much more satisfied.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST:I think it will come as no surprise that this is a bust. Bottom line is that despite the claims of its makers, Cleveland tastes forced and very rough around the edges. Try it at a bar to appease your curiosity if you must but don’t make the mistake of buying a whole bottle. Word has it that the bottles are selling well in the Cleveland area but I am willing to bet that the biggest market for Cleveland Bourbon will end up being overseas.
NEAT, SPLASH OR ROCKS: With a burn like that I though trying it over ice would have to be an improvement. I poured it over my whiskey ice ball and the ice actually made it worse. The burning was less but the ice also took with it all of the more pleasant bourbon flavors. The only thing it left behind was the wood pulp flavor. A splash of chilled water proved to be the most palatable way to drink it. That splash allowed some more delicate notes, rose and a bit more lemon flavor, to come through while taming the worst of the aftertaste. That was the first time that I thought this might be able to be used in a cocktail if nothing else.
BRAND NOTES
WE ARE WHISKEY INNOVATORS.
Named “Whiskey Distillery Innovator of the Year,” Cleveland Whiskey has won more than 60 medals at competitions around the world including twenty-two gold and double gold awards. Our process allows us to create unique finishes with woods that include black cherry and apple, limited runs of coffee infusions plus local craft beer and maple syrup barrel aged bourbons.
PS – Pops here folks. I think Ginny really hit this one on the head folks. I tried my sample last night. It was so bad I had to pour it out after only 3 or 4 sips. I really tried to give it a chance but it was pretty bad in my book. Let’s just say there’s no cheating the time required by Mother Nature to age bourbon the right way.