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The first bourbon distilled and bottled in Birmingham, AL in more than 100 years, this bottle comes from Dread River Distilling Company, founded in 2016 with distilling operations beginning in 2019. This is not sourced whiskey! The two founders met when Jeff Dugas, a practicing orthopedic surgeon, was performing surgery on then Auburn linebacker John Cubelic. At the height of the craft spirits movement, the two saw the opportunity to be the first local producer for the Birmingham market. Dread River delivers a wide range of spirits including rum, gin, agave, and whiskey, all manufactured on their own equipment. Their impressive 24,000 square foot facility is also home to a well appointed bar, restaurant tasting room, and event space. Dread River bourbon was able to score a Silver Metal in the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition while their Rye was awarded a gold.
🛒Sourced: A gift from my Sister and Brother-in-Law - Dread River's shop has it for $52.99 - 750ml
Thanks for supporting my hobby!
🧪Proof: 90 proof, 45% ABV
🎨Color: R4 - A burnt and brackish brown, darker than I would have expected
🥔Mash Bill & Production: 60% corn, 30% wheat, and 10% malted barley - A good call on their part, wheated bourbons are still underrepresented, not to mention I tend to love them dearly. At 30% wheat they are a smidge higher than the traditional players which hover around 15-20% wheat mash. Red winter wheat is the predominant wheat variety used in US bourbons. They use a Level 3 barrel char (common in wheaters like Maker's Mark and Heaven Hill's Larceny/Old Fitz). This straight Bourbon is Aged at least two years, allegedly just short of three. Barrel Entry Proof is the standard 125 and the Batch Size is not known but it can't be big. This bottle is from batch #1, bottled in 2022. Not sure what it means that they still have product from then.
👃Nose: Youthful and sweet with both ethanol and some malty earthiness.
😜Palate: Relatively thin on the tongue. I get a vague sweetness and a bit of sawdust and cereal, perhaps Honey Nut Cheerios. There is a small bit of astringency towards the finish but it is easier drinking than I expected. If you let it sit for a while, the oxidation produces a marshmallow flavor in transition to the finish.
💦Finish: A short buzz of honeycomb. Very light.
🏆 Overall: 4/10 - Fine - Beginnings of Greatness - While Dread River Birmingham Bourbon's high wheat content produces a nice sweet distillate, between the age and the proof I'm not sure it has had enough time for the barrel wood to round out the flavors. What would be decadent vanilla and caramel in a few years, just simply hasn't had the time to develop. I would categorize this as excellent white dog but under-oaked bourbon. Dread River has the building blocks of something special here, and I'm interested to try older/more concentrated iterations from them. The next time I'm in Birmingham, Dread River's lovely facility will definitely be on my list to visit.
💵Would buy again? No, but I'm interested to see how Dread River's other releases do.
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws | Struggle to get through the bottle
4 | Fine | Serviceable | Okay | Mixing or ice recommended.
5 | Good | Drinkable Neat | An agreeable dram indeed.
6 | Very Good | Any flaws offset by interesting flavors | A cut above.
7 | Great | You find yourself reaching for this one often | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Serve to Impress Guests | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite | You guard this bottle jealously.
10 | Perfect | You didn't think anything could be this good | A clear champion.