2XO means Two Times Oak, a moniker Dedman created to describe the process used to blend and finish his whiskey in new charred oak barrels, to create a specific profile in a series of limited small batch offerings. The Phoenix Blend is said to contain two bourbon mash bills from different Kentucky distilleries, which use a moderate rye and a very high rye bourbon content. I’ve been curious about The Phoenix Blend and came close to buying it a time or two. Recently a friend told me he bought a bottle and had great things to say about it. I had just sent him some samples and he returned the favor by sending back this one. Let’s get to it!
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 10 minutes.
Distillery: Not stated.
Proof: 104.
Age: NAS.
Mash bill: Said to contain both a moderate and high rye mash bill.
Price: Retail, $100.
Nose
Toffee, caramel, a hint of chocolate, raisins, peaches, berries, vanilla, clove, celery, dill, pecan, allspice and lots of rich toasted oak. More fruit comes in as time goes on. This nose is excellent and incredibly well balanced.
Palate
This has a good medium mouthfeel, but not quite as viscous as I would have hoped. The nose moves on to the palate with caramel, toffee, a good mix of stone fruit, berries with more herbal notes entering mid sip than I expected from the nose. Allspice delicately makes an entrance accompanied by very tasty toasted oak to close out the sip. There is an interesting Ying-Yang thing going on between the fruit and herbal notes in which they both share an equal space but change focus on each sip. This allows a lot of different flavors to be picked out with little effort which adds to its enjoyability. This is an incredibly delicious and easy drinking sipper.
Finish
Subtle allspice lingers for a very long time all over the palate with toffee, subtle fruit notes and clove. A well balanced amount of oak continues with no bitterness for a good finish.
Conclusion
This is a very delicious pour and one of the most tastefully crafted examples of a double oaked whiskey I’ve had. If I was asked to guess its age in a blind pour, I would say as young as 6 years and as old as 9 or maybe 10 years, which is not likely. If it was, I think Dixon would use it as a selling point. Regardless, this batch tastes older than I believe it is. This is a testament to the blending and the additional oak finishing. As it is, The Phoenix is already on the expensive side, but would cost even more if it contained much older Kentucky bourbon. Whatever the age, my impression is there are some excellent barrels picked for this batch, which is what I would expect. On the upside, there are many things to love about this batch, and I give it credit for being so delicious and incredibly well-crafted.
Just for fun, I had a pour of Calumet Citation to see how The Phoenix stood up side by side to an excellent 16 year Kentucky bourbon. While it’s no surprise that Cal 16 had a much more mature profile, it also reminded me that age isn’t always everything. I honestly enjoyed The Phoenix just as much as Calumet Citation, but for the strengths each of them has on their own merit. A downside is The Phoenix seems intentionally crafted to appeal to a wide audience rather than to bourbon folks looking for a bolder, higher proof expression, that can be found at a lower cost boot. Which leads me to my next point.
Though I love what Dedman has done with this batch, my hesitation for buying The Phoenix Blend would be moot if it were around $80. Although it occurred to me that if I hadn’t picked up two bottles recently that were both disappointing, and purchased The Phoenix instead, I would have been much happier and still saved a few bucks. Maybe the price will come down when Dedman’s new The Innkeepers Blend hits the streets. Another issue is lack of transparency. Although I can guess The Phoenix’s approximate age and probable sources, an age statement would go a long way to make the consumer feel a lot better about buying it.
Rating: 7.3/10
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
