I've returned. I have wanted to do another one of these reviews shortly after my review of Branchpoint Trit Bottled in Bond, but nothing quite matched what I wanted to showcase. (I have a review of a single barrel Black Butte whiskey and Broken Top that I've either scrapped or I wanted to wait to publish.) Really what I wanted was something from Killdeer and here we are. This micro distillery just north of Newberg is high on my list of places to visit, and I was thrilled when I walked into an east side liquor store and found one of the 90 proof bottlings for sale. Everything I saw (there was a younger bourbon and also a rye) looks to be single barrel, so YMMV.
Killdeer Bourbon 54 months 90 proof. $46
Rested 10 minutes. Glencairn. Composed of corn, rye, and barley per label. Reviewed over multiple sessions.
Color: Deep gold. For a 90 proofer, this is really sticking to the glass. Letting it sit allows for honey-like drips.
Nose: Oaky with cinnamon, baking spice, and quite a bit of milk chocolate. Strawberry frosting on a fresh crack. Slightly medicinal with red licorice. Overripe banana. Vanilla starts to creep in towards the back of the nose along with some oat. I definitely wouldn't call this caramel though. Underpinned by a leatheriness with a slight touch of tobacco. Ultimately, it's doughy and bready like slightly underbaked rolls.
Palate: Makes me think of fortune cookies. The oak is there but it leans more towards the smell of cedar than the aforementioned caramel. This is very much more doughy and young on the palate. Light sugariness, almost like a barreled rum rather than the heavier brown sugar / molasses one might expect. Then it kicks into a rye pepperiness at the end as well as mint.
Body: Medium body. Coats decently enough but you can tell this was proofed down to get here.
Finish: Warming. The whiskey sits pretty well, and though one would temper expectations for a 90 proofer, the whiskey does have some staying power which is much appreciated.
Overall: I do enjoy this, but it's vastly different than other whiskies and just above average. It's definitely youthful, and if you're coming from older or proofier whiskey, then it's a matter of tempering expectations. I would guess, based on the color and the flavor profile, that it's also sitting in a low char barrel but would need to confirm. (I plan to go out and get the details.) I also have a feeling that Oregon "bourbon" whiskey, because of our climate, needs 6+ years to really get on its feet, and I suspect that because of the same, 8-10 (maybe even 12) is the sweet spot. That being said, I think that this shows a tremendous amount of promise, and I consider it a priority to support distilleries like this to see what happens in the long term. Ultimately, I do look forward to the 100 proofer that they have on the website as well as trying to finagle some older bottles out of them.
Personal scoring: 29/50 points
T8ke score: 6.0