ASW Fiddler Amburana Finished Bourbon

ASW is an Atlanta GA based distillery that use a combination of sourced MGP wheated bourbon and/or their own high malt bourbon for their Fiddler line of bourbon whiskey. The bottle I’m reviewing today is a sourced 4 year single barrel MGP wheated bourbon that was additionally aged in a Brazilian Amburana cask for 2 months. This private selection was chosen by Bourbonfinds, and sold on the Shared Pour website. Let’s check it out.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes.

Distillery: MGP sourced. ASW Distillery finished and bottled.

Proof: 108.6

Age: 4 years in American white oak, 2 months finished in Amburana.

Mash bill: 51% Corn/ 45% Wheat/ 4% Malted Barley.

Price: $80.

Appearance: Golden caramel.

Nose

Unmistakably Amburana. Upfront is a lot of cinnamon and sweet tobacco. With more resting I get caramel, butterscotch, wheat bread, peaches, vanilla, orange marmalade, pecans, mint, cloves, dill, allspice and oak. I wasn’t expecting so many herbal notes in this wheated mash bill typically found in mash bills containing rye. It turns out that Amburana wood adds herbal notes which enhances this bourbon’s uniqueness and complexity. This nose is nothing short of excellent.

Palate

Medium viscous mouthfeel. Strait from the nose is cinnamon, wheat bread, toffee, stone fruits, orange, pecan, cloves, dill and oak. Cinnamon spice ramps up covering the whole palate and lingers through to the finish. The flavor and balance of spice is very well done. It’s pronounced but never gets in the way of the other notes. This is a very well rounded and delicious desert pour. A wheated bourbon with an Amburana finish works even better than I expected.

Finish

Cinnamon spice is the star of this finish. While never overwhelming it continues to linger in the palate and cheeks for a very long time. Meanwhile tannins of soft leather and tobacco slowly arrive along with toffee, stone fruit, cloves and pecan. Again, the balance is impressive. This is a long and pretty satisfying finish.

Conclusion

This is a very delicious and unique wheated bourbon which has exceeded my expectations. Good pick, BourbonFinds! ASW seems like a very good up and coming distillery, but it occurred to me that this bottle may be an unusual first introduction to their brand. I’m loving the Amburana finish but there’s also a very delicious wheated bourbon base in there I’d like to try without the Amburana. I predict we’ll see more Amburana finished whiskeys this year, but as trends go this is a pretty good one. In addition to this Amburana selection, I have an excellent Rare Character MGP sourced Amburana Rye. Though as good and interesting as they are, my Amburana finished whiskeys are something I’ll reach for only occasionally, and to share with friends to see their reaction (which I’ve done already). I highly recommend this bottle but between the Rare Character and this ASW Fiddler, I think I’m good for Amburana finished whiskey for a while.

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.