15 Stars Sherry Cask Finish Bourbon Review

Several releases in, and it’s safe to say we’ve been thoroughly impressed with the whiskey blends being put together by Kentucky independent bottler 15 Stars Fine Aged Bourbon. They do tend to run toward the luxe side of the spectrum, such as the gaudy $280 MSRP of the 15 Stars Platinum Bourbon, but this is clearly an outfit that has access to some excellent whiskey stocks and likewise has the knowhow to assemble intriguing blends. One thing I haven’t tasted previously from 15 Stars, though, is finished whiskey–meaning that the newly released 15 Stars Sherry Cask Finish will be breaking some new ground for the young company.

This is a “meticulous blend of straight bourbon whiskeys, aged 13 and 10 years,” sourced from Kentucky and Indiana, which then spent time in “casks previously seasoned by sherry wine.” This wording was actually a bit concerning to me, as “seasoned” typically implies casks that were briefly used to finish sherry, rather than casks used to mature sherry for years and years–i.e., casks that may not have the most sherry character to impart to another whiskey. I needn’t have feared, however, because this release certainly isn’t hurting for sherry influence. Not in the least.

This is a limited release at select retailers in a handful of states, and through 15STARS.com, bottled at a somewhat more aggressive 57.5% ABV (115 proof). It carries an MSRP of $179–which is certainly quite quite, but a good deal below the imposing stature of the 15 Stars Platinum release at least.

So with that said, let’s get to tasting and see how 15 Stars Sherry Cask Finish measures up to its forebears.

On the nose, this blend displays lovely, enticing impressions of syrupy dark fruit and dried fruit up front, evoking raisin and fig jam, paired with dark chocolate or perhaps something more in the arena of fresh fudge. There’s a little leatheriness hinting at its maturity, along with very darkly caramelized sugars, teetering on the very of burnt. Faintly, I’m getting a touch of falernum-esque allspice.

On the palate, this blend embraces rum-soaked fruitcake up front, with notes of grilled plum and dried fruit, into burnt wood and a little charred astringency. There’s a lot of chocolate, both milk and dark chocolate, along with ashy roast and more of that allspice. After a minute, caramelized banana is also coming on strong. The fortified wine unmistakably comes through in the finish, with lingering sherry nuttiness. Ethanol, however, is rather on the punchy side–this settled with a persistent, chile-like burn in the back of the throat, which slightly mars what is otherwise a very big, juicy and decadent profile.

This bottle is a whole lot of fun, I think. The sherry cask character certainly isn’t timid, as I thought it might be. If anything, it’s one of the more sherry celebrating bourbons I’ve come across in recent memory. If the ethanol can mellow out just a little bit–which it very well may with time, both in the bottle and in the glass after you pour–then this dram feels like it’s on the cusp of being a world-class bottle. And with a series of excellent releases, it certainly seems like 15 Stars is on its way to earning the benefit of the doubt in these matters.

We’ll be curious to see where this ascendant non-distiller producer goes next as they continue to vie for attention in a highly competitive market for high-end American whiskey releases.

Distillery: 15 Stars Fine Aged Bourbon
City: Bardstown, KY
Style: Blend of straight bourbon whiskeys
ABV: 57.5% (115 proof)
Availability: Limited, 750 ml bottles, $179 MSRP

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident beer and liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.