Based in Starlight Indiana, Starlight Distillery has its roots dating back to 1843 when Simon Huber emigrated from Germany to start his own 80 acre farm. Today his sixth and seventh generation decedents are still harvesting crops on the same farmland expanded to 700 acres today. In the early 2000’s Ted and Greg Huber wanted to diversify the family winery business by opening a distillery to make brandy. This took years of research and working with the legislators in Indianapolis to pass new laws that would allow them to do this. Today in addition to many other spirits, the Huber family have a line of bourbon and rye that has earned them an excellent reputation; named after Ted and Greg’s grandfather, Carl T. for his love of bourbon.
Today I’m reviewing the Carl T. Huber’s Limited Release Double Oaked Bourbon. In this release, Starlight chose to use a blend comprised of 4 to 8 year bourbon aged in new American Oak and additionally aged for around 6 to 8 months in new Seguin Moreau Vanilla Toast and heavy toast Canton barrels. Let’s get to it.
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Starlight Distillery.
Proof: 106.
Age: Comprised of a 4 to 6 year blend, plus 6 to 8 months in new Seguin Moreau Vanilla Toast and heavy toast Canton barrels.
Batch: DB029.
Mash bill: This batch is a blend of two mash bills.
#1. 60% corn, 20% rye, 20% malted barley.
#2. 51% corn, 20% rye, 20% malted barley, 9% wheat.
Price: $65.00.
Appearance: Reddish dark amber.
Nose
Butterscotch, milk chocolate, apricot, banana, vanilla bean, green tea, dill, lemon citrus, almonds, wheat bread, allspice and oak. This nose is incredible and somewhat complex. I love the how the double oak brings out a delicious chocolate note that is upfront with just the right amount of sweet butterscotch. A blend of herbal, fruit, soft wheat bread with a hint of almond and malt that hangs underneath with some lemon brightness. The nose is excellent and gets better with every sip.
Palate
Medium-thick viscous mouthfeel. The nose transfers with toffee, apricot, banana, vanilla bean, green tea, lemon citus and almonds. The allspice is well balanced, kicking in softly in the mid sip. The oak shines through from the start and lingers as the other notes fade away, continuing mainly in the mid palate to the finish. This is a very tasty sipper that drinks below its proof.
Finish
Allspice continues with vanilla, apricot, dill and green tea. Oak tannins turns to leather and soft tobacco. This has is an oaky finish that lingers with allspice for quite a long time, with some dryness towards the end.
Conclusion
I’m a fan of oak so it stands to reason that I would like this double oaked expression, and I do. It seems that I’m not alone in my oak fandom which is why so many brands now have some kind of double oaked expression and Starlight is no exception. But not every brand achieves a double oaked expression this well and I appreciate that. A perfect example is how this batch uses the additional aging to create more complexity without creating a lot more sweetness. To find out why and how this double oaked release is different than many others I’ve tasted, I looked to the Seguin Moreau Vanilla Toast barrels. Which led me to my next question. Did Starlight use French or American oak Seguin Moreau barrels in this batch? Aging in French oak will typically create the kind of vanilla and spicy notes I’m experiencing in this batch’s profile. If this is true why doesn’t Starlight mention “French Oak” on the label the way other French oaked expressions do, and what are the Canton barrels contributing? These questions and more led me down a giant rabbit hole ending with a phone conversation with Starlight Distillery Spirits Program Director, Andrew Jerdonek.
IThe answers are both simple and complex. The simple answer is yes, Starlight actually used both French Oak Seguin Moreau Vanilla Toast and Seguin Moreau American Oak barrels for this batch. And also yes, they used heavy toast Canton barrels to get more fruity notes for these limited batches. The complicated part of the equation deals with the nature of making good whiskey. Which all comes down to taste. After these batches come of age, a decision of what else is needed, and for how long comes into play. More decisions (sometimes at the last minute) are made to use whatever barrel is needed for additional aging, and for how long to get the balance and desired profile. I understood this to mean that different batches use French or American Sequin Moreau barrels, or a combination of both. Other decisions determine which mash bill is more dominant in a batch. Andrew said that these limited time offerings (LTO) usually lean more on what I labeled above as mash bill #2 (the four grain). But sometimes a dose more of mash bill #1 is added if more body is needed. I wish I could have talked to Andrew all day. Super great guy who loves nothing more than to talk whiskey.
In the end this bourbon is offering a distinctive and delicious doubled oak experience that has exceeded my expectations. I recommend this bottle to people who love double oaked bourbons and possibly for folks who don’t care for the syrupy sweetness sometimes found in other double oaked expressions. Though I love what Starlight is doing with their youngish whiskeys, it makes me wonder what their lineup would taste like if it spent a few years more in the barrel. Maybe someday we’ll have the answer to that question.
Rating: 7/10.
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.
