Orphan Barrel Forged Oak hails from the Heaven Hill distillery and clocks in at 15 years of age. I had the opportunity to try this whiskey at a recent event put on by Diageo here in Los Angeles where the guests of honor were this, the Lost Prophet and a preview of the new Rhetoric 21 which was my favorite of the evening.
Heaven Hill is known for such bourbon luminaries as Elijah Craig, The Parkers Heritage Collection and Fighting Cock Bourbon. They all carry a very specific dark fruity finger print that seems to be synonymous with all HH bourbons and here in the Forged Oak it shines through deliciously.
Orphan Barrel Forged Oak Review
Distiller: Heaven Hill (New Bernheim)
Age:15 years
ABV: 45%
Mashbill: 86% Corn, 8% Barley & 6% Rye
Price: $65
EYE
Dark Caramel
NOSE
Dark sweets like butterscotch, caramel and toffee mixes with dark cherry heavy fruit and dried strawberries. Wood, vanilla and a light baking spice fill in the background along with a light bit of leather.
PALATE
Wood takes center stage here with some notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, toffee and vanilla. Some light but noticeable notes of grain, orchard fruit and dark fruit come through as supporting roles. Ethereal notes of clove, anise and mint dance in the background but become more noticeable at the end.
FINISH
Long and wood driven with notes of grain, caramel and spice.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good balance to it with a medium body and an easy smooth character.
OVERALL
I really like the Orphan Barrel Forged Oak and when it comes to L.A. I’ll definitely be grabbing a bottle. The wood notes are nicely balanced out by sweeter and spicier notes and there is something about the overall character of the whiskey that sits just right with me. The $65 price tag Forged Oak is supposed to be sporting is also pretty darn nice, especially when compared to the other Orphan Barrel releases.
SCORE: 90/100
