Gunslingers with exciting cask combinations - Post by Luka Gottschalk.

Testing three unique releases, straight from the Wild West.
"I've been cautiously moving out of my natural habitat of Scotch whiskey and tasting some American whiskey instead." Whisky blogger Luka Gottschalk takes a look at three releases from the Golden Moon distillery located in Colorado.

Post by Luka Gottschalk
Golden Moon is a relatively new distillery, founded in 2008 by Stephen Gould and Dr. Karen Knight. Although the current production is relatively new, Golden Moon possesses and utilizes four antique stills dating back to the early 1900s. In addition to Bourbon and Rye, Golden Moon also produces many other types of spirits, including single malt, brandy and various liqueurs. Golden Moon is certainly not afraid to be daring and many of their bottlings feature some adventurous and exciting cask combinations. A good example of this is the focal point of this post, the Gunfighter series.

The Gunfighter series features American whiskey, including Bourbon and Rye. For those in doubt, these two types of whiskey are closely related, as much Bourbon whiskey contains rye in its mash. The difference is that Rye whiskey contains a minimum of 51% rye in its mash, whereas a Bourbon does not have a requirement for the rye content, but rather the corn content. The requirement is the same, 51%, but with corn instead of rye.

The three versions of Gunfighter that I have tasted are all bottled at 50% alcohol and all three have finished their aging time either in port wine barrels or rum barrels. It's not often that I've come across American whiskey with this kind of barrel aging, so it's been quite an alternative experience.

Gunfighter American Bourbon - Double Cask Port Finish - 50% ABV

The first whiskey I tasted was the Bourbon version. In classic Bourbon fashion, this whiskey is first aged in fresh oak barrels and then transferred to port wine barrels where it has completed its aging time. There is no age statement on the bottle and I assume from my experience that this is a very young whiskey. However, I can assure you that it has been in some very fresh casks!

Nose: I encountered a strong aroma of cherries, sweet corn, sweet licorice and of course port wine.

Taste: This is an incredibly sweet Bourbon, possibly the sweetest Bourbon I've experienced so far. Imagine waves of cane sugar, orange juice, cherries and sweet canned corn on the tongue!

Finish: The fruit sweetness turned into a sort of fermented fruit flavor after a while, along with notes of figs and cinnamon. The port cask greatly dominates the finish of the dram.

Quite simply, this is a unique experience that really appeals to the sweetest of palates. I would venture to say that this Bourbon is best served as a dessert dram after dinner. It would also be great in a Manhattan cocktail!

Gunfighter American Rye - Double Cask Port Finish - 50% ABV

The next whiskey has gone through the same barrel aging process as the Bourbon version, but this time it's a Rye whiskey. This is an excellent example of how much of a difference it makes when a minimum of 51% rye is used in the grain blend.

Nose: The aroma was again very strong, but it took a completely different turn than its predecessor. Here I found a scent of grape, pepper, menthol and again the scent of port wine. Menthol is often a note I recognize in Rye whiskey.

Taste: The rye content and the port cask have created a special bitter and sour taste in this whiskey, but there is still a sweetness in the background. Notes of cranberry, rosehip, hibiscus, lemon juice, rye and powdered sugar dominated the taste experience.

Finish: I found the finish to be longer in the Rye version than the Bourbon version. It stays long in the floral area, followed by a cocoa flavor.

Despite using the exact same barrel aging process as the Bourbon version, this is a completely different whiskey. It is slightly more complex and challenging and, in my opinion, lends itself to being served either neat or in an Old Fashioned.

Gunfighter American Rye - Double Cask Rum Finish - 50% ABV

The last whiskey I enjoyed this time around was still a Rye version, but with a rum finish instead of a port finish. In this case, we were talking about a more muted cask character from the rum cask. Here we get a little closer to a classic Rye whiskey, but with a little rum twist in the background.

Nose: The first thing I noticed was that the smell was much more fresh and 'summery' than its two predecessors. At the same time, it was also clear that it is related to the previous Rye whiskey with its scent of grape, pepper and menthol.

Taste: The characteristic Rye whiskey notes were also in full swing here, very similar to its predecessor with the taste of grapefruit, lemon juice, menthol and pepper. I also began to sense the rum cask with a subtle tropical fruit flavor in the background.

Finish: In the aftertaste, the rum cask came into its own and completely dominated the experience. The menthol note lingers for a long time along with a flavor that reminded me of an Agricole rum.

This was a more subdued and balanced experience than its two predecessors. The modest cask character gave the whisky a cleaner and slightly more balanced expression. Quite paradoxically, this is the one of the three options that I would particularly recommend to the whiskey drinker.

It was a refreshing experience to taste some slightly alternative takes on American whiskey. The first two examples I would almost call "sugar bombs" due to the hyperactive port wine barrels. For the sweet tooth, they are excellent both neat and mixed. My personal favorite would have to be the third and final option, as I prefer a lighter, lighter and fresher American whiskey. But taste and impressions are of course subjective, so your experience may be completely different from mine. One thing is for sure, Gunfighter is a different and unique taste experience!

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