Atlanta-based Shortbarrel is back with another sighting of Sapsquatch, the maple-finished bourbon that quietly built a following when it first appeared as a single-barrel run in May 2025. This time it's a proper blend — 20 to 30 barrels deep, 110 proof, $89.99 — and it's being timed for the dad on your list who'd rather get a good pour than another grill brush.
Sapsquatch is the sister bottling to Shortbarrel's Bee's Knees honey-finished series, but where Bee's Knees leans into floral sweetness, this one's wired for the back of the porch in late summer. The base is a blend of six- to eight-year-old bourbons sourced from a roll call of names that Roadies will know on sight — Jim Beam, Barton, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Green River, and MGP — with most barrels in the high-rye range (70% corn / 21% rye / 9% malted barley and 75% corn / 21% rye / 4% malted barley).
The unusual part: a two-stage maple finish
This is where Shortbarrel's Master Blender, Clinton Dugan, has taken an angle most maple-finished bourbons don't bother with. Instead of just rolling the whiskey into a former maple syrup cask and calling it done, Sapsquatch goes through two distinct stages designed to extract structure from maple without chasing dessert sweetness.
Stage one: the blended, non-chill-filtered whiskey conditions in stainless steel tanks for six to eight weeks with sugar maple infusion spirals. That's the foundation — a controlled layer of maple oak character, caramelized sugar, and toasted depth, dialed in to be consistent before any barrel comes into play.
Stage two: the conditioned whiskey transfers into Kelvin-toasted barrels that previously held maple syrup from Barred Woods Maple in Vermont and Seldom Seen Farm in Ohio. Vermont contributes a richer, more robust profile; Ohio brings brighter and more delicate notes. The barrel stage is where the layered flavors from conditioning integrate with oak structure.
"Any great finished bourbon starts with great whiskeys," said Dugan. "We chose barrels with a higher rye content to give us that spicy flavor that goes so well with the sweetness of the maple, making it reminiscent of the great southern cooking you can find here in our hometown of Atlanta."
The goal Dugan keeps coming back to is mouthfeel and mid-palate density, not syrup. "Maple here is a structural component, contributing to mouthfeel, mid-palate density, and a perception of roundness without pushing the whiskey into dessert territory."
Tasting notes (per the producer)
Nose: Toasted oak up front, driven by maple wood and charred sugar, followed by dense caramel, vanilla bean, and layered baking spice with a subtle edge of ethanol lift.
Palate: Bold and structured with immediate oak presence, carrying into dark caramel, burnt sugar, and seasoned wood. Maple shows as depth — not sweetness — supporting notes of clove, cinnamon, and roasted nut with a firm, whiskey-forward backbone.
Finish: Long, drying, and oak-driven, with lingering toasted wood, caramelized sugar, and persistent spice. Maple integrates into the structure, leaving a warm, slightly tannic close with lasting heat.
Where to find it
Sapsquatch is available online at shortbarrelbourbon.com — Shortbarrel runs one of the more sophisticated DTC operations in craft spirits and ships to 48 states. On retail shelves it's distributed through Empire in Georgia, Kentucky Eagle in Kentucky, Green Light in Florida and Texas, and Advintage in Tennessee.
If Dad's already deep into Bee's Knees, this is the natural next pull. And if he's the type who'll lean in on the BBQ this Father's Day, the spicy/sweet pairing pretty much writes itself.
About Shortbarrel
Shortbarrel was founded in 2020 by Adam Dorfman, Clinton Dugan, and Patrick Lemmond — three friends who turned a shared love of whiskey into a full-on brand. In 2023 they acquired Old Fourth Distillery, the hyper-local Atlanta operation known for its white spirits and specialty whiskeys. Between the two labels, Shortbarrel has been quietly building one of the more interesting independently owned craft spirits portfolios in the Southeast.
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