Tonight, a friend of mine gifted me a bottle of Horse Soldier Signature Bourbon, from American Freedom Distillery in Ohio. American Freedom produces four expressions, including the Signature.
In October of 2001, shortly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a small group of Green Berets were the first American armed forces to enter Afghanistan. These brave men, who fought against a vastly larger force, came to be known as the Horse Soldiers. After leaving the service, several of them founded American Freedom Distillery. One of those men is my friend’s cousin.
Moved by the story, and the gift, I knew this was a bottle that needed to be treated with reverence. I took my time with this whiskey and was sure to offer up the first glass in a toast to these heroes.
The first thing I noticed, before even breaking the seal on the bottle, was an impression of quality and attention to detail. From the weight of the thick-walled glass bottle, to the embossed logo in the glass, the metal label, and the inlaid logo coin in the stopper. The bottles are cast in molds that are made from reclaimed steel from the World Trade Center. This steel was gifted to the owners of the distillery by the New York City Port Authority, as a token of thanks for their service.
Research (done after the tasting, so as not to influence my perceptions) revealed the mash bill to be 70% yellow dent corn, 20% soft red winter wheat and 10% two-row malted barley.
Color – In the bottle, and in the glass, you notice a deep, rich color. It is almost brown in the bottle, and a nice dark caramel in the glass. Since Bourbon is not allowed to contain any coloring, that hue can only come from one place. Age.
Another visual note is that it coats the inside of the glass. It doesn’t run down immediately, or even leave “legs”. It slowly recedes back into the glass in a nice, even sheet, letting you know that some serious viscosity and mouthfeel lie ahead.
Aroma – The first thing I picked up upon nosing this whiskey was vanilla. I also found a gentle sweetness in the form of caramel and burnt toffee, with just a hint of corn sweetness in the background. There is just a light hint of char if you’re looking for it.
Tasting – The sweetness from the aroma, and the viscosity seen in the pour make themselves known immediately. This is bottled at 95 proof (an homage to the founders’ former unit number, team 595), and the heat is not shy, but is never harsh. Notes of oak and vanilla come towards the end of the tasting and into the finish. The finish is drying, yielding to soft tannins, and some leather is starting to develop, again letting you know that this is not a young whiskey.
A little splash of water tones down the heat and allows that leather to come into the aroma a little. The palate becomes a little rounder, and while the sweetness is still there, the oak becomes more apparent. The leather seems to come on a little later but is definitely still there.
Overall impression – As I have said, this is not a young whiskey. It does not contain an age statement (which by law means it is at least 4 years old), but I would be shocked if I learned it was younger than 8 years. It reads like an 8 to 10-year-old Bourbon to me, especially with the deep, rich color, and notes of leather in the aroma and on the palate.
I have tried many craft whiskies, from good to fair to “no thank you”, and the one thing that they all have in common is that they are young. Small businesses need a revenue stream, and so they will produce “baby Bourbon”, aged for a shorter time in smaller barrels. Some will wait the two years to label it as a “Straight Bourbon”, but rarely will you see the required 4 years in the barrel to forego an age statement. To see an offering that is easily twice that old come from a craft distillery is a rare find, and a rare treat.