Review: Cathedral Ledge Distillery Straight Bourbon

Earlier this month Cathedral Ledge Distillery in North Conway, New Hampshire issued its initial release of its straight bourbon. Although there have been earlier releases of the distillery's wheated bourbon and rye whiskey, this was the very first time the distillery had released a bourbon whiskey featuring rye as the flavoring grain.

As members of the Cathedral Ledge Bourbon Club, Dan and I have had opportunities to sample this whiskey from the barrel three times during the aging process beginning with a barrel tasting in July of 2021 and ending with  a barrel tasting last July. We also got our entire payment of club dues back in the form of a gift card coinciding with this particular aged spirit release, which almost makes this purchase feel like "free whiskey!"

With so much build-up, you might expect that it would be hard for any whiskey to live up to expectations, but we've had a good sense of what was coming for a while, and last July's tasting, in particular, was a source of some excitement for us.

Cathedral Ledge Straight Bourbon Tasting Notes

It was certainly exciting to open this bottle for the first time! I sipped my first pour neat from my Cathedral Ledge Glencairn glass.

Mash Bill:  69% Corn, 19% rye, 12% malted barley.  Aged two years in a combination of #3 and #4 char barrels. Bottled at 90 proof.

• Color: Deep honey to light amber
• Nose: Vanilla, rye bread, baking spices, a touch of green apple
• Palate: Vanilla, honey, rye bread and cinnamon with a creamy mouth feel
• Finish: Pepper, spearmint, lingering sweetness

Overall, this is a very impressive first bourbon release for a great local distillery, and it's been a real honor to be able to give feedback to Chris Burk and his team over the last two years. Back in July, I was a big fan of the #4 char barrel of this spirit, but I completely respect the creative decision to blend the barrels. The end product does not disappoint.  Congratulations Cathedral Ledge Distillery - it's been a long road!

As much as I love what this bourbon has become, I'm also hoping Chris comes out with a Bottled in Bond release in another two years, because I think those oak barrels still have a bit more to give this spirit.  Until then, this bottle is well worth picking up when you're in the area.  

Cheers!

Trevor