Review #358 - Peerless Single Barrel Bourbon 'Root Beer Float'
Peerless uses a lower barrel entry proof for their whiskies, and then they bottle everything at barrel proof, with minimal filtering. The final strength of their bourbons and ryes generally falls between 105 and 115 proof, and this single barrel bourbon falls right in that range: 112.1 proof, or 56.05% ABV.
This single barrel (named 'Root Beer Float' based on the distillery's tasting notes) was available for purchase from the distillery's tasting room in Louisville, Kentucky, and like many of their bottles, it comes at a somewhat steep cost: well over $100. For a non-age-stated product, albeit at barrel proof, what sort of value are we getting? Will the flavors wow us enough to justify that price?
Peerless Single Barrel Bourbon 'Root Beer Float'
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 118 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 56.05% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 30% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Creamy, like cream soda, leaning a little sweet, though there is a nice kick of drying oak. There's a bit of toast and char that comes with that oak, and with time, a creme brulee note develops.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; it's still a mix of stronger sweetness and some drying oak - stronger oak, really. We get more toast, and then the sweet side: vanilla, some caramel, too.
Finish: It's a medium-long finish, nicely warming and cozy, with a decent amount of oak influence lingering. Otherwise, we're getting baking notes: cinnamon and vanilla, specifically.
Final Note: We enjoyed the stronger oakiness in this whisky - it added a great drying character, without ever being overbearing. Past that, this was mostly focused on sweeter baking notes, especially vanilla and cream. Quite a tasty single barrel, which packs plenty of flavor with that barrel proof presentation.
As for value - it's alright. About average, really, at least for our collection of reviews, because the higher price is indeed offset by some very tasty flavors.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.12
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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