Ammunition Cask Strength Bourbon (Cabernet Sauvignon Finish) Review

In my eyes, there are certainly worse vectors out there, in terms of ways to get involved in the spirits industry, than entering via the world of wine. Winemakers are, after all, typically known for the dexterous nature of their palates and blending acumen, skillsets that meld naturally into the creation of small-batch whiskey. Also, if you’re going to be exploring secondary maturations and cask finishes in wine casks, who’s going to know the unique nature of a specific wine cask better than the person who initially aged their own wine in it? So with all that said, I think the kind of vertical integration sought by a company like Daylight Wine & Spirits makes a lot of inherent sense. They’re the makers of Ammunition wines, and by extension Ammunition Bourbon and Rye Whiskey, both of which see secondary maturation in those wine casks. And after tasting the company’s new cask strength bourbon expression, I get the sense that this is a product line that is just now really rounding into form.

With that said, there’s a little mystery here, and the nature of the liquid in the bottle is not 100% clear. Ammunition has been doing secondary maturations to bourbon and rye since the late 2010s, but those earlier releases were reportedly sourced from the genesis point of so, so many other whiskeys on the shelf: MGP of Indiana. Back then, the company had an unusual mash bill of 60% corn, 25% wheat, 10% rye and 5% malted barley, potentially reflecting their blending of multiple MGP mash bills, which would then have a secondary maturation in various Sonoma County wine casks for roughly 3 months. But that’s not what is in these bottles today.

Now, the liquid (for the bourbon expressions at least) is clear about its sourcing from Kentucky, with a recent press release stating that it is “proudly distilled in Kentucky with no MGP.” Its mash bill is reportedly 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malted barley, which doesn’t exactly match up with any of the big distilleries that are the usual suspects for sourced Kentucky bourbon. The label, meanwhile, says this was “distilled, aged, finished and bottled by Ammunition Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky,” but there are no real listings online for “Ammunition Distillery” as an independent entity. The source of Ammunition Bourbon is thus not exactly clear, but we can say two things for sure: This is now Kentucky bourbon (with no wheat in the mash bill), and it now has a notably longer 6 month secondary maturation in French Bordeaux wine barrels that previously held Ammunition Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon. The age statement has likewise increased to 4 years, as opposed to the flagship bourbon that was previously a blend of 2, 3 and 4-year-old whiskeys.

All told, this seems to speak to Ammunition Wine + Whiskey seeking a more premium product, one that can more fully be transformed by its signature secondary wine cask maturation. And that makes perfect sense to me, because without it we’re looking at just another young bourbon on a shelf that is so often stuffed with them.

So with that said, let’s get to tasting this new Cask Strength expression of Ammunition Bourbon. It weighs in at 55% ABV (110 proof), with a somewhat steep $80 MSRP.

On the nose, this bourbon leads off with some of the younger elements of the whiskey presenting themselves, via impressions of lumber and fresh baked cornbread, but those are carried off fairly quickly by deeper impressions of dried fruit and French oak. I’m getting notes of prune or raisin, combined with speculoos/cookie butter and fudge-like chocolate, which is an enticing combo. At the same time, hints of mint-forward rye creep through here and there, and dry spice touches on clove and cinnamon.

On the palate, this comes on strong, with lots of nutty toffee, cocoa and toasted oak spice. Vanilla cream leads off and quickly transitions to big, bold baking spice notes derived from the French oak, combining candied ginger and cinnamon brown sugar with dark, dried fruit and lingering peppercorns. The wine casks are clearly contributing a lot of warm and semi-sweet oak spice in particular, as French oak so often does, with the fruit notes providing a nicely subtle secondary layer. Ethanol heat is sturdy, but not too much at 110 proof.

The most impressive thing here is how well the secondary cask maturation is able to elevate and impart a far greater impression of maturity to what is still a relatively young spirit. There’s a lot of 4-year-old bourbon out there that still reads as largely immature, but this is not that. The wine casks were clearly chosen well, and they amplify and deepen the profile here without totally overwhelming it. I think this use of secondary maturation is ultimately smart and quite beneficial from a flavor perspective, though we should note that it seemingly adds substantially to the eventual MSRP. At $80, it’s a bit of an ask for even the average bourbon geek to take a chance on an unknown brand, but if you enjoy the spice-forward nature of these wine casks you should find yourself well rewarded.

Distillery: Ammunition Wine + Whiskey
City: Bardstown, KY
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
ABV: 55% (110 proof)
Availability: 750 ml bottles, $80 MSRP

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