EZdrinking

Spirit Reviews, Tasting Events and Consulting

Searching for the world's best drinks and what makes them extraordinary. EZdrinking is a drinks blog by Eric Zandona that focuses on distilled spirits, wine, craft beer and specialty coffee. Here you can find reviews of drinks, drink books, articles about current & historical trends, as well as how to make liqueurs, bitters, and other spirit based drinks at home.

Review: Blackland Bourbon

Sample bottle provided by Blackland Distillery

AT A GLANCE

  • Owned, Blended and Bottled by: Blackland Distillery, Fort Worth, Texas

  • Still Type: Pot Still

  • Aged: 70% aged 2 years, 30% 4 years

  • Spirit Type: Bourbon

  • Mash Bill: Wheated bourbon

  • Strength: 41.5% ABV

  • Price: $48

Named for the Blackland Prairie, Markus Kypreos founded Blackland Distillery in 2015, after 15 years of practicing law in Fort Worth, TX. Looking to take a more modern approach to distilling spirits, Kypreos and his head distiller Ezra Cox use an automated iStill distilling system that has created numerous award-winning spirits around the world. Currently, Blackland is distilling their vodka and gin from Texas grown wheat and as well as making bourbon and rye whiskey. The bourbon is distilled from a wheated bourbon mash and then aged in a variety of barrels sizes, which are then vatted to achieve their target flavor profile. According to Blackland, they were supplementing their in-house whiskeys with sourced whiskey from Minnesota though they expect to transition to 100% Texas distilled and aged stock.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: The nose has a nice aroma of sweet cherries and fresh peaches with just a touch of vanilla underlying oak notes.

Palate: On the palate the bourbon is light, and flavors of peach and nectarine combine with soft notes of vanilla, oak, and a touch of spearmint.

Finish: Fruitiness carries through on the finish with notes of real peach iced tea, a hint of brown sugar and enough oak tannins to balance the sweetness.

Conclusion: Overall, this is a light and fruity bourbon that is easy to drink and would make a refreshing summertime tipple either served on the rocks, in a highball, or in a Texas Grog. Blackland Bourbon Whiskey makes me believe that we can expect more good things from this Fort Worth distillery and it is a testament of how the Texas climate can make young whiskey sip beyond its age.