Have you ever had a high malt wheated bourbon?

Big Chief had a chance to visit Copper Fox Distillery in Williamsburg, Virginia. The original distillery, located in Sperryville, VA, has been in operation for 11 years under the ownership and guidance of master distiller Rick Washmund. Rick learned the craft as intern at Bowmore Distillery in Scotland, and returned to open Copper Fox Distillery in the Spring of 2005.

While there Big Chief chatted with Rick and sampled all they had to offer. What peaked his interest was of course their high malted bourbon. You should know by now that the wheated king of kentucky was going to grab a bottle and run for it and that’s exactly what he did.

Tasting Notes: Copper Fox Dawson’s Reserve Bourbon Whisky

Vital Stats: Copper Fox Dawson’s Reserve Bourbon Whisky is a truly ground to glass all Virginia wheated bourbon that has a mashbill of 60% Corn 20% wheat 20% malted barley, specifically the peach wood smoked barley used in their Peachwood Single Malt. It was aged in new oak barrels for over four years. The bourbon is named for Billy Dawson, a Virginia farmer who passed away in 2017 and whose feed and grain company has supplied Copper Fox with its malt for the last 15 years.  It is 90 proof with an MSRP of $62.99 at the distillery.

Appearance: A classic whisky bottle with a label that tells you everything except the price. We love that they are so transparent. True to their name this whisky is a dark copper.

Nose: Sweet Corn with peach, pear and apricots. A light smoke with the malted barley ever present.

Palate: That malted barley sticky sweetness shines through with light notes of peach and smoke. Not a lot of spice

Finish: Medium that has many layers with little to no Virginia hug.

Overall: This is an excellent representation of craft whisky were someone has been inventive and created something truly remarkable. For us it is a unique sipper and a buy.  Step outside your comfort zone and try something new and exciting.

Subscribe to Newsletter