O. H. Ingram River Aged Whiskey Review

Jim Knudsen -

BOTTLE DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: Produced by O.H. Ingram River Aged Whiskey, distilled in Indiana (presumably by MGP), and bottled by Brown Water Spirits in Owensboro, KY.
  • MASH BILL: A blend of a rye whiskey (95% rye | 5% barley) and a bourbon whiskey (60% corn | 36% rye | 4% barley).
  • AGE: No age statement (NAS) - but the bottle claims it's aged a minimum of 3 years.
  • YEAR: 2020
  • PROOF: 96 Proof (48% ABV)
  • MSRP: $72.99
  • BUY ONLINE: Check out the brand's FIND US page for information on where to purchase your very own bottle.

JIM'S NOTES

NOSE: Caramel  |  Corn  |  Spiced Cherries  |  Toasted Oak

TASTE: Rye Spice  |  Oak  |  Faint Sweet Honey  |  Green Apple

FINISH: Medium with lingering sweetness and some grain

SHARE WITH: While young, this is a blend to share with your “drink curious” not too judgy friends.

WORTH THE PRICE: I found Ingram an interesting expression. I am generally a Midwest Grain Products fan, and I like to support craft distillers/blenders with innovative ideas. With all that being said, at over $70 for a less than 4-year-old, sourced, blended whiskey, this would be a tough sell for me.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: This whiskey is not a bust. It has interest and depth that you wouldn’t expect by its age. The blending is done well and with the innovative take on aging, I will give it a BAR rating. Try it first, if you can, before you buy. In the fifty dollar range, I would be tempted to go bottle.

OVERALL: O. H. Ingram River Aged Straight Whiskey, I found interesting whiskey. Aged in a floating “rickhouse” at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, in Ballard County, Kentucky. The theory being the gentle rocking of the barrels enhances the aging process. This process has its roots in the river transport of barreled distillate from Bourbon County delivered to New Orleans, with the transformed taste that apocryphally led to our native spirit. Does it make a difference? I have no idea, but there are a lot of people putting barrels on ocean voyages, riverboats, playing music to them, and even aging in cranberry bogs.

I have an issue with brands using invented or unrelated stories to support the “marketing” of their spirits. I don’t see that as an issue with O.H. Ingram. They have family history tied to the river and actually age on floating barges. They don’t hide the source, age, or mash bills of their product. Starting from typically quality rye and bourbon distillate from MGP in Indiana, aging for over three years and blended well, has produced a straight whiskey. It has a surprising depth for a young age. I found it drinkable neat, better with ice, but not particularly suitable for cocktails. My only issue with this product is the price, which is high for what it is. Understanding that the cost of sourcing and barreling probably drives this cost. If you find it in a bar, or you have the resource and drinking curiosity, I would not dissuade you from giving this one a try.

BRAND NOTES

O. H. INGRAM RIVER AGED STRAIGHT WHISKEY
O. H. Ingram River Aged Straight Whiskey is the first release in the River Aged series. Combining traditional distilling practices with our innovative maturation process, we’ve created an extraordinary whiskey with exceptional character and smoothness.

OUR PROCESS

The process of river aging our barrels exposes them to the climate of the river and its drastic rise and fall.  The river’s constant motion, and the friction it causes, ensures that our whiskey never stops working, creating a spirit mature beyond its years.

94 POINTS, THE TASTING PANEL MAGAZINE

“River-aged barrels expose them to the drastic rise and fall of the water’s temperatures. The constant motion and friction of the river keep the barrels in motion, aiding in maturation of its 3-year minimum age statement. This 96-proofer is rye-based. Aromas of tangerine and butterscotch lead to a silky palate, coated with notes of crème brulée, marked with papaya, dried apricot and pine nuts. The long finish brings forth key lime pie and graham cracker crust.”

APPEARANCE: Amber, honey, gold, medium viscosity, clear.

ON THE NOSE: Mid-age (6-8 years), honey, aged newsprint, butterscotch, Cherrywood

MOUTHFEEL: Warm, velvety

PALATE: Stone fruit, dried apricot, raisin, honeycomb, caramel

FINISH: Long, soft baking spices, cinnamon and allspice, warm rye spice, honey, citrus, orange peel.

INTRODUCING O.H. INGRAM RIVER AGED, A NEW WAVE OF WHISKEY

Aged inside a barge in a first-of-its-kind floating rickhouse, Ingram River Aged is ‘Mellowed on the Mississippi’

NASHVILLE (Oct. 8, 2020) – Brown Water Spirits LLC is proud to introduce today its first release, and the first whiskey ever to be aged in a floating rickhouse on the Mississippi River – O.H. Ingram River Aged Straight Whiskey.

Inside a first-of-its-kind floating rickhouse moored on the riverbank in Ballard County, KY, O.H. Ingram River  Aged is exposed to the climate of the Mississippi River and its drastic rise and fall to provoke a unique  interaction between wood and spirit. The constant motion of the river ensures that the whiskey never stops  working, creating an extraordinary spirit with a taste mature beyond its years.

All whiskeys are products of their environment, but only O.H. Ingram River Aged is ‘Mellowed on the  Mississippi.’

“O.H. Ingram River Aged is different than anything whiskey lovers have tried before. It’s really innovation  captured in a bottle,” said Hank Ingram, Proprietor. “Using the cadence and unique climate of the river, we’re  bringing innovation to the whiskey making process, specifically the aging process. O.H. Ingram River Aged takes advantage of the Mississippi River to create a whiskey with a personality all its own.”

“The taste, character and balance we are able to achieve through our process creates a whiskey with  unmatched, mature character,” Ingram continued. “O.H. Ingram River Aged is a new wave of whiskey. It’s taken  a lot of hard work to get us to this point, and we’re thrilled to finally be able to share the first release in the  O.H. Ingram River Aged Series with the world.”

“The way whiskey has been made has changed little over the years, but this is something the industry hasn’t seen  before,” said Jeff Hopmayer of the Brindiamo Group. “The rickhouse sits right on the water, where the constant  rocking of the river makes the distillate interact with the wood of the barrel more than a traditional rick house,  giving it better notes of caramel and vanilla. In a way, they’ve hyper-charged the aging process, and it’s  remarkable the flavor they’ve achieved for a 3-year-old whiskey. O.H. Ingram River Aged is a spirit I highly  recommend.”

The first release in the River Aged Series, the O.H. Ingram River Aged Straight Whiskey is the result of  combining traditional distilling practices with this innovative maturation process. A Straight Rye is next in the River Aged Series and will be released this November.

Beginning October 2020, O.H. Ingram River Aged Straight Whiskey is available in portions of Tennessee and additional markets as inventories are available.

Hank is the latest in his family to bring a great idea to the river’s edge. Five generations ago, his family began its American success story with two things — oak trees and a rushing river. Now, more than 150 years later, he’s carrying on the spirit by mastering the combination of wood, whiskey, and the magic of the river to create O.H. Ingram River Aged Whiskey.

Credentials: O.H. Ingram River Aged Straight Whiskey

  • Proof: 96
  • Tasting Notes:
  • Appearance: Amber, honey, gold, medium viscosity, clear
  • On the Nose: Honey, aged newsprint, butterscotch, cherrywood
  • Mouthfeel: Warm, velvet
  • Palate: Stone fruit, dried apricot, raisin, honeycomb, caramel
  • Finish: Long, soft baking spices, cinnamon and allspice, warm rye spice, honey, citrus, orange peel

To learn more about O.H. Ingram River Aged and sign up for updates, please visit IngramWhiskey.com.

Our whiskey uses the climate of the river along with its rise and fall to provoke a unique interaction with wood and spirit.
HANK INGRAM, PROPRIETOR

Disclaimer: O.H. Ingram River Aged Whiskey provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.