West Fork Whsky Co. Korean Barbecue Finished Bourbon Review.

-

 West Fork Whsky Co. Korean Barbecue  Finished Bourbon Review.

    Every now and then, a whiskey comes along that breaks all the rules, and West Fork Whisky Company has made a habit of doing just that. In recent time they have been doing some creative finishes with their in house distilled, aged and bottled whiskey. West Fork has teamed up once again with the culinary wizard King Butter for a truly experimental release: a straight bourbon whiskey finished in a Korean barbecue barrel. This limited release promises something wild, savory, and entirely new in the world of bourbon.

    West Fork and King Butter (storefront linked here) have already made some great and unique finishes with their hot honey and Swoleracha hot sauce cask projects, but this one might take the cake, or rather, the steak. With only about 50ish bottles in existence, the concept alone had me intrigued: barrels that once held rich Korean barbecue sauce, now cradling bourbon for ten months of flavor infusion. How could I possibly say no?


For the full video review visit the link here: https://youtu.be/9pAQmlFynlM.

Age Statement: 5+ years.

ABV: 50%

Mash bill: N/A. (Believed to be 73% corn 17% wheat 10% rye).

Area of Distillation: Westfield, Indiana.

Appearance: Burnt Orange.

Finished: Korean BBQ barrel for 10 months.

On the nose:
    The first impression is pure umami. Roasted garlic, sesame oil, and a touch of miso rise immediately from the glass. There’s a faint smokiness, reminiscent of charcoal or grilled meat, wrapped around a core of bourbon sweetness, corn, caramel, and faint wheat spice. Notes of seaweed saltiness and blackened sugar give it a savory depth rarely found in whiskey.


Taste:
    This is Korean barbecue in a glass. Smoky, salty, and meaty tones hit up front, with flashes of sesame nuttiness and a gentle heat, like a pinch of red pepper flake. The base bourbon still shows through, carrying hints of corn sweetness and toasted oak, but the savory flavors dominate. It’s rich, bold, and entirely unexpected, with a miso-like saltiness and roasted garlic that make each sip a culinary experience more than a traditional whiskey tasting.


Finish:
    Peppery and slightly earthy, the finish brings out a black-pepper steak quality, balanced by a subtle sweetness. Despite the bold flavors, the finish is surprisingly soft and clean, not sticky or cloying. It leaves behind a lingering warmth of garlic, char, and sesame, inviting another sip just to puzzle out how it all works together.


Final Thoughts: 
    This isn’t your standard bourbon, and that’s the point. West Fork’s Korean Barbecue Finished Bourbon is as crazy as it is wonderful, a perfect showcase of creativity without gimmickry. It tastes exactly as advertised, and for that, it earns high marks. While I wouldn’t pour it nightly, it’s a conversation piece and an experiment that pays off in flavor and craftsmanship. With a small-batch exclusivity of only around 50 bottles, it’s a collectible piece of Indiana whiskey innovation with local collaboration.


Rating: B (Very good).

Cost: $59.99 for 750ml.

For the full video review visit the link here: https://youtu.be/9pAQmlFynlM.

Social platforms to follow me: https://linktr.ee/thelastcallyt

Learn more about West Fork Whisky Co. via the link here: https://www.westforkwhiskey.com/.

Learn more about King Butter via his storefront here: https://kingbutter.com/.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dovetail Distillery Cut Throat Oat Whiskey Review.

-
Image
Dovetail Distillery Cut Throat Oat Whiskey Review.      I received this spirit as a review sample from Dovetail Distillery, linked here . It is important to clarify this did not impact the ratings of this review.           Dovetail Distillery, currently the smallest craft distillery based in Nevada. Currently the distillery is doing quite a bit with unique grains and one of those grains is Oats. Oats can be a fun grain your craft distilleries can play around with and add a unique profile to their spirits. Their Cutthroat Oat Whiskey is no exception, bringing three unique grains to the mix. After being double distilled it is aged for two years in custom char/toast American white oak 15-gallon barrels. This barrel size can be tricky, it does take a keen eye and palate to make sure this size of barrel doesn't take over.       Given my fascination with oat-based spirits, I was eager to dive into this bottle and see how Dovetai...
Read more

Old 55 Distillery Single Barrel Cask Strength Sweet Corn Bourbon Whiskey Review.

-
Image
Old 55 Distillery Single Barrel Cask Strength Sweet Corn Bourbon Whiskey Review.           Old 55 Distillery is a small craft operation tucked away in Newtown, Indiana, just south of Lafayette, and they’ve built a name for themselves by doing something very few dare to try, making bourbon with 100% sweet corn. I’ve crossed paths with a few of their spirits before and have always respected the level of care they bring to the table: all distilling, aging, and bottling is done in-house, with a heavy emphasis on local grains. Their Bottled-in-Bond Sweet Corn Bourbon is the bottle most people around here know, but this release, a single barrel, cask strength version, was something I’d only ever seen at the Market District in Carmel, Indiana.       Sweet corn isn’t just a novelty for Old 55, it’s an expensive, labor-intensive choice. A bushel of the common yellow dent corn runs about $4 (2020 prices), but the sweet corn they use costs over $1,...
Read more

Abduction Whiskey Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review.

-
Image
   Abduction Whiskey Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review.      I received this spirit as a review sample from Abduction Whiskey, linked here . It is important to clarify this did not impact the ratings of this review.     Abduction Whiskey is based out of Pacifica California. Where the bottling itself is only about six months old, but the amount of passion behind the brand stems much longer.  Ryan Murray, a chiller mechanic, he took a leap of faith to turn his love for whiskey into something tangible, a move that resonates with many dreamers in the whiskey world. With an alien-themed aesthetic that ties into the idea of “abducting” barrels to create something uniquely their own. The bourbon is sourced from MGP and blended in-house to develop a their profile. While many bottlings opt for a three-grain combination, going with four should bring an extra layer of complexity that can enhance both texture and flavor.  For the full video review visit th...
Read more