Batch 206 Old Log Cabin Bourbon is a young craft whiskey with a very old name. From what I can tell the original Old Log Cabin was Canadian Club that was being brought in from Canada and relabeled by the Purple Gang before being sold to Al Capone who in turn sold it to fold like Bugs Moran. After a while Bugs figured out he could get it cheaper if he bought it from hijackers instead of from Al himself. Al got wind of this and lured Bugs and his gang to a warehouse, using Old Log Cabin as bait, for an ambush that came to be known as the Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Other versions of the whiskey pre-date the prohibition slaughter under the name Old Cabin and post prohibition the owner and source of the whiskey changed hands many times before being discontinued and sinking into relative obscurity until now. Recently resurrected by Washington distillery Batch 206 is not only bringing back the Old Log Cabin name, but awareness to the brand’s history as well.
It’s interesting to see them doing things like recreating the old Log Cabin glass decanters for a special release of the whiskey and talk about interesting points of the brand’s history on their site. Then taking that history and merging it with the modern idea of giving as much info as possible on the bottle about the whiskey inside. It creates a nice juxtaposition of old meets new.
Batch 206 Old Log Cabin Bourbon Info
Region: Washington, USA
Distiller: Batch 206 Distillery
Mashbill: 51% Corn, 49% Malted Barley
Cask: New charred oak (char #3)
Age: 19 Months
ABV: 43%
Distilled on: Kothe 1,000L Hybrind Pot / Column Still
Distillation Method: Double Distilled – Pot Stripped
Water: Cascade Mountain Watershed
Price: $50*
Batch 206 Old Log Cabin Bourbon Review
EYE
Butterscotch
NOSE
Sweet, young and lively this aroma comes barreling out with big notes of corn, malt, fruity sweetness, almonds and vanilla. A solid layer of new wood runs throughout and it definitely has that young craft whiskey smell to it.
PALATE
Corn, vanilla, malt, fruity sweetness and a touch of spice with more of that new wood / young craft quality to it backed by a bit of caramel. It may not have the depth and complexity that comes with age, but it has a great structure to it. I’d love to taste this again after the wood has had a chance to influence it even more.
FINISH
Medium fruity fade with light layers of corn, caramel and malty sweetness.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Moderate balance, medium body and an oily smooth texture.
OVERALL
Old Log Cabin is an interesting whiskey and I like what the folks at Batch 206 are doing. In housing terms this whiskey has good bones, but it needs to mature more before we get those deep rich notes that start settling in after several rounds of seasonal expansions and contractions.
Currently it has a lot of nice sweet and grainy notes that might even out and get richer. That additional time might also help that new wood flavor and aroma matures and become warmer and deeper. I’d definitely call this a good start and I’m looking forward to seeing what it turns into after another rotation or two around the sun.
SCORE: 82/100
*Disclosure: This sample of Batch 206 Old Log Cabin was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
