DSR – NC – 012: CB Fisher’s Small Batch Bottled In Bond Bourbon Whiskey
Company/Distillery: Fainting Goat Spirits, LLC
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
Mash Bill: 60% Corn, 30% Rye, and 10% Malted Barley
Age Statement: At Least 4 years for Bottled In Bond Designation
Proof/ABV: 100 Proof/50% ABV
Color & Viscosity: Russet Muscat in color. The vicious line is medium to thick in appearance. Tiny beads form from the viscous line and trudge down towards the belly of the tasting vessel.
Purchase Price: $49.95 from the Distillery in December 2020; 750 ml. The bottled used for this review was provided by Fainting Goat Spirits to Rickhouse Ramblings with no strings attached.
Bottle Label Information:
Front Label
“CB Fisher’s Small Batch Bottled In Bond Bourbon Whiskey”
“Distilled and Bottled by Fainting Goat Spirits LLC, Greensboro, NC”
“100 Proof/50% ABV”
Rear Label
“C.B. Fisher led men to battle, gambled his life savings on a gold mine, and left a mark everywhere he went. As a result; streets, neighborhoods, and city parks bear his name. The legend of his adventures gathered strangers together. Strangers became friends, friends became family, and for that we created our whiskey in his honor. Our grain to glass bottled in bond bourbon is handcrafted from North Carolina corn, and aged in new American white oak barrels. Once matured, our barrels are hand selected by our Master Distiller to share with the world. Marrying notes of toasted pecans, ripe honeycrisp apples, brown butter, and warm fall mulling spices. Our bottled in bond bourbon hopes to bring you together over your own tall tales and cocktails.”
“History Made By Hand By People Who Give A Damn.“
“Distilled and bottled by Fainting Goat Spirits, Greensboro, NC”
“Small Batches Handcrafted in North Carolina | Batch 1 | Bottle 950”
Distillery Background
Greensboro Distilling Co./Fainting Goat Spirits LLC
Greensboro Distilling Co./Fainting Goat Spirits was founded as a family-owned, small business in December 2015, by the husband and wife team of Bill Norman and Shelley Johnson Norman. Mr. Norman, who serves as Master Distiller, previously trained at The Culinary Institute of America in French cuisine where he mastered the ability to fine tune his palate. Mrs. Norman brings her passion for entrepreneurship and business management to Greensboro Distilling Co. The couple is joined by their children Andrew Norman, who serves as Master Blender, and Lesly Norman Hobbs, who brings a wealth of business experience, rounding out their Greensboro Distilling Co. management team.
The idea to distill spirits was hatched when Mr. Norman went on a tour of a distillery while vacationing in Seattle, Washington. It was on this trip that Mr. Norman quickly realized that his expertise in the kitchen would make him well-suited to own and run a distillery. Upon returning home, Mr. Norman reached out to his son, Andrew, who had taken a recent interest in home brewing and liquor infusions. The father and son duo would then begin to experiment and practice distilling before finally taking the plunge and launching the distillery. The dream became reality in December 2015 when they received their Distilled Spirits Plant (DSP) authorization.
Greensboro Distilling Co. is a grain-to-glass distillery, using fresh North Carolina corn, wheat, and rye grown on a farm in nearby Marshville, North Carolina. On a typical day at the distillery, one can find the Normans grinding and mashing their own grains for the fermentation process. Their hands-on approach doesn’t stop there; the Normans continue to take an active role in the process through distillation with their Artisan Still Design still, aging their products in new American Oak barrels, and bottling their products.
Greensboro Distilling Co./Fainting Goat Spirits currently produces Tiny Cat Small Batch Vodka, CB Fisher’s American Single Malt Whiskey, Emulsion New American Gin, and CB Fisher’s Straight Rye Whiskey. The Fisher’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon Whiskey of this review was a first release with additional releases planned for the future.
Rickhouse Ramblings would like to think Andrew Norman for providing background information, mash bills, and other fun facts for this review. Your transparency and willingness to provide us with information, especially in an industry that likes to hide behind marketing and figurative curtains, is much appreciated.
Additional information regarding the distillery and its products can be found on their website.
CB Fisher’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon Whiskey
Fainting Goat Spirits’ CB Fisher’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon Whiskey is distilled under the rules and regulations of the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897. This means that the whiskey was distilled in one season by one distillery. After distillation, the whiskey is aged in a bonded warehouse for a minimum of 4 years before being bottled at exactly 100 proof. In 1897, this law was passed to provide consumers a level of confidence that the whiskey they are purchasing is of high quality standards. Fainting Goat Spirits’ Bottled in Bond Bourbon features a mash bill of 60% corn, 30% rye, and 10% malted barley. Most importantly, this whiskey holds the title of North Carolina’s 1st Bottled in Bond Bourbon Whiskey.
Tasting Notes
Tasting Date/Vessel: March 3, 2021 – Neat in Glencairn Glass; Then with a few drops of distilled water added.
Nose
Christian: In the bottle, Fisher’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon invites you with a rich tobacco and the fruity essence of baked apples. After a quick swirl and raising the glass to my nose, I detect a pleasant sweetness accompanied by floral aromas. Hints of toffee and caramel candies are also present. As I continue to nose, I pick up floral notes similar to that of a soft perfume. This aroma brings to mind honeysuckle or freshly bloomed flowers in spring. Finally, I detect a light hint of red berries. The nose is quite unique, complex, and unexpected yet still enjoyable. The addition of distilled water reduces the floral notes a good bit, allowing the toffee and caramel to be the dominant aromas.
Mike: From the bottle, this bourbon offers a pleasant cigar tobacco aroma with hints of bourbon soaked apple slices. The aromatics emanating from the glass are enticing–intense notes of sweet honey initially, then offering softer hints of brown sugar and vanilla. A swirl of the glass opens with a slight hint of ethanol that transitions to lightly sweetened applesauce. The addition of water substantially sharpens the apple aromas and brings forward a brown sugar and oatmeal flavor.
Mouth
Christian: This whiskey has a nice oily mouthfeel that coats my mouth briefly. A rush of flavor hits my tongue as I take the first sip. Toasted brown sugar and suede leather quickly announce their presence. As I take a second sip, I begin to identify a hint of apple and baking spices. The baking spices take on a familiar hint of cinnamon and a touch of citrus from coriander. The water allows the mouthfeel to soften a bit. The baking spices, especially the coriander, intensify while the suede leather remains strong. The oak char starts to pick up and stand out with each sip that I take.
Mike: The mouth starts out very interesting. It leads with a Scotch-like earthiness that moves front to back abruptly. The mouthfeel is thick, with a peppery spiciness that matures rapidly at the back of the palate. This offering from Fisher’s is semi-dry on the tongue. Cigar tobacco and brown sugar transition smoothly into vintage leather and semi-sweet cinnamon. The campiness of the Scotch-esque flavors stand out with the addition of water; it really sweetens the mouth overall.
Finish
Christian: Fisher’s Bottled In Bond has a dry, medium length finish. This is where the rye becomes the star! The finish has a nice black pepper spice in the backend that continues to build after the spirit is no longer in my mouth. As I taste again and allow the finish to build, a note of fresh apple and salted caramel become apparent. There is a little bit of bitterness here that takes on a very faint hint of chalkiness, similar to that of a multi-vitamin. It is not overpowering and doesn’t detract from the experience at all. The distilled water allows the flavor of baked cinnamon apples, appearing once again, to well up late in the mouth. A slight hint of leather and black pepper/rye spice lingers but is complementary to the apple and not overbearing.
Mike: This pour offers a dry, smoky medium finish. There is a soothing and calming heat beginning in the back of the throat that endures down into the chest. A soft peppery warmth lingers on the palate as the overall finish fades away. The addition of water enhances the smoky finish but doesn’t do much to tame any of the heat, which is a pleasant surprise.
Our Rating
Final Thoughts
Christian: Fainting Goat Spirits Fisher’s Bottled In Bond Bourbon, provides a true tasting experience. The aromas and flavors that transition from the nose to the mouth and well into the finish, are unique and varied through each part of the pour. The nose provides a sweet opening with a touch of floral that is inviting. The mouth blends notes of scotch, by way of coriander and suede leather, with more traditional bourbon notes of brown sugar, cinnamon, and toasted brown sugar. The finish allows the high rye mash bill to shine. A spicy kick of black pepper, combined with salted caramel and apples, is a treat and great way to wrap up the pour. I enjoyed this experience and the uniqueness it provides.
Rating: 3.0 Rickhouses
Mike: I’m impressed with this offering from Fainting Goat. Fisher’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon is their first bourbon release and it is definitely distinct. The nose offers floral bouquets followed by an unexpected and unique mouth. The Scotch-like flavors were unanticipated but mingled nicely with traditional bourbon flavors and did not overshadow. The finish was slightly above average for me, as I expected more of a punch for a bourbon that is bottled at 100 proof. This is a very unique bourbon that offers a somewhat unconventional profile that gives it a charming personality.
Rating: 3.25 Rickhouses
Glad you liked it.
My wife and another couple were on a wine tasting Saturday afternoon recently. The staff at a nearby vineyard recommended Fainting Goat rather than another we had planned. We are all grateful for his recommendation and had a delightful tour/tasting. I have done most of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and can honestly say that the tour was top notch on a smaller scale. The fermenting tanks were not swimming in pool size (and dozens in operation at ths same time). My plan was to buy a bottle of the less expensive gin to show support but they were all great. I purchased two bottles of the CB Fisher’s Bottled In Bond Bourbon and shared one with a good friend, a real aficionado of fine bourbon. After rattling on about tasting notes, finish, etc, he said that this the best NC has to offer and is looking forward to visiting the distillery and meeting with them all. Me, I am sipping the BIB with ice, listening to the rain fall and enjoying the afternoon.