Featherbone Bourbon Whiskey is one of the many spirits being produced by Michigan’s ambitious Journeyman Distillery. In just a couple years since inception, the company is already responsible for a slew of various whiskeys, liqueurs, rum, vodka and gin. The spirits are batch distilled in a traditional copper pot still, and all their ingredients are certified organic.
Featherbone is made from 70 percent corn, 20 percent wheat and small bits of barley and rye. It carries no age statement, but given the youthful distillery, we can assume it’s not more than a couple years. Our best guess puts it a little north of one year, presumably aged in smaller barrels to speed up the aging process. In the glass, it’s pale amber with aromas of fresh corn, wheat grains and hints of vanilla. Take a sip, and you get a surprising amount of oak, plus some baking spices, cereal grains and leather. It finishes dry with plenty more spice.
Featherbone is intensely flavorful and tastes more mature than it is. The mild sweetness marries well with the prominent spice notes, and the oak is present but not dominant. It’s fairly well-balanced from start to finish. Overall, we like it. It’s a solid introduction to the distillery, and it makes us very curious to try the rest of their lineup.
Journeyman is a small operation, but that hasn’t hurt their ability to expand, with availability now including California, New Jersey and many of Michigan’s neighbors.
Stats:
– 45% ABV
– $40-$45
CE Rating: ★★★
