SPIRIT DETAIL

BRAND: BACKBONE

CLASSIFICATION: Straight Bourbon Whiskey

AGE: 5 year 5 month

MASH BILL: MGP; 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley

MASH BILL: 55.5 ABV | 111 proof

CASK INFO: 5 years in charred new oak, 5 month finish in Martiniquan rum cask

OTHER: The Original Unfinished

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Toasted citrus, salty cedar air, vanilla, hint of bananas

PALATE: Dark and spicy, visceral, white oak, very light cinnamon orange peel, toasted sugar

FINISH: Tropical tannins, toffee, pineapple rubbed wood, cinnamon, sweet tobacco lingering

BEHIND THE BOTTLE

Balvenie 12 Doublewood is what started it all for Ylli. Some would say that he’s a Balvenie boi. That being said, Balvenie 14 Caribbean cask is probably the best rum cask finished spirit out there. The beauty of that Balvenie expression is that it was sexy, but not too sexy. In a world of finished whiskies overpowering the original juice, it’s hard to find a balance. Here we have an outlier.

Ylli never planned on committing to two barrels on the same day, but they were both too good. It was when he was presented with this rum finished bourbon. Already a fan of what Backbone has been cooking, it was until the liquid touched his lips that he was reminded of the elegant touch of a banana. This of course reminded him of the Balvenie and hell, even the Ardbeg Drum and 2003 Glen Scotia Festival Rum Cask (alright, that was a bit of a stretch). Regardless, same same, but different. The only other rum cask finishes on mention that are on the shelves are ryes. Ylli knows more than anyone people want that corn. That’s why it was yes to the dress on this dram at first sip.

EDITOR’S NOTES: Long here, what’s up all. I want to tell a story about how we blended about ~15k worth of drams into a copita (yeah, not even a full carin). It was 2021, the Rona’ was finally amplifying up or simmering down? (not going to lie- those years were a blur) Annnnnyyyyywayy, it was the year of horse asses, deep throating copitas and watching ALCTD’s official ambassador, Mr. Mayer, slam drams like the f**king champ he is. Needless to say, Ylli and I couldn’t keep up. While we didn’t disrespect the juice thrown in front of us, we knew our respective limits. Drinking from 10a - 5a is a tough job…if you wish you were us, you shouldn’t.

We had a genius idea of mixing all these magnificent drams all together. I’m talking distilleries not even in existence anymore, I’m talking drams min age was 25, I’m talking the stuff that makes you feel like you own a yacht after you swallow. There was a specific dram I remembered that had a rum finish, where the rum was very overpowering…we indeed forgot we had that. Fast forward, we make this blend….take a sip- ‘bro, all I can taste is the rum finish, dead ass’. 

Now, here we are. Ylli picks a Rum cask fin bourbino. This corn is good. Don’t mix it. Cheers!

$69.99

AVAILABLE NOW AT ALLOCATED!