Savannah 88 Bourbon

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Savannah 88 Bourbon

Unread postby Mike » Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:52 pm

New whiskies are appearing in a continuous stream on the shelves of liquor stores. Many are flavored whiskies, which avoid the rules and regs of making a true bourbon (thus avoiding the cost of years I storage). That these come from small distilleries is made respectable (at times with justification) by being given the moniker of 'Handcrafted', or 'Artisanal', or 'Small Batch', or some other process designed to distinguish it from industrially made whiskey.

I often enjoy the products of these operations and would include among them our own, rarely seen, Cheryl Lins, whose Delaware Phoenix 'Craft' distillery produces some superb whiskies that adhere to the almost forgotten traditions of whiskey making. Also, I am partial to the products from Rick Wasmund out of Virginia, and the Leopold Brothers out of Michigan.

Now comes a new bourbon out of Georgia. At this time it is only available in Georgia. It goes by the name of Savannah 88. It has, so they say, 8 grains and is 88 proof. It meets the requirements allowing it to be called a bourbon - at least 51% corn, distilled at less than 160 proof, has spent at least two years in a charred new white oak barrel, and has no additives. Acknowledged is that among its grains are corn, rye, wheat, and barley.

I suspect, since there is no information available to enlighten us on this matter, that the other four grains are varieties of the four named grains. Also, it contains some 'bright bourbon' which is aged for two months in small barrels, on the assumption, I am sure, that small barrels hasten aging by having more surface area of oak for a given volume of distillate - a technique used my many 'craft' distillers.

This whiskey uses silver queen corn in its recipe (a decidedly very sweet eating corn that has no equal in my experience) and other Georgia grown grains. The cost for this bourbon is a reasonable $30. I was certainly curious about this whiskey, which got a very nice write up in the Savannah Paper recently, and determined to give it a try....... not expecting much from it.

I find it to be much better than respectable. It is quite sweet, and the rye spice plays 'footsie' with its cinnamon overtones in a half hearted effort to offset the sweetness and vanilla of the barrel and the silver queen corn.

Still, in my opinion, it achieves a soft delicacy that gives nothing up to its youth. It is somewhat reminiscent to me of Evan Williams Single Barrel, and just as good. I consider this a high compliment for a new bourbon from a small distillery.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
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Re: Savannah 88 Bourbon

Unread postby Squire » Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:59 pm

Thanks for the report Mike. I am for the most part indifferent to these artisan outfits (hand made doesn't mean well made) who use cutesy comments on their website (grains grown in the lush sunshine and rainfall of South Georgia, Hell, grain doesn't grow anywhere the Sun doesn't shine or the rain doesn't fall) instead of simply making a good product. If you can't make decent whisky with corn, rye and barley malt then adding 5 more grain varieties isn't going to help.

I am curious about the sweetness though (I notice their other product is a Sweet Lemon Tea Bourbon) because during the fermentation process the sugars are eaten up by the yeast leaving no residual sugar to carry over into the whisky. So why use a sweeter variety of corn except for marketing purposes? I notice sweetness is also emphasized on their website so they must be using an additive.

For $30.00 I can get two bottles of 100 proof J.W. Dant BIB and have enough change left over for lemons and sugar.
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Re: Savannah 88 Bourbon

Unread postby 393foureyedfox » Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:01 am

Squire wrote:
For $30.00 I can get two bottles of 100 proof J.W. Dant BIB and have enough change left over for lemons and sugar.



squire, you think like I do. I always value your opinions on bourbon because youve tried everything over many years, you know what you like, you say it like it is, and you dont fall for limited this/that - high end - labelling crap.

drink on!
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Re: Savannah 88 Bourbon

Unread postby Squire » Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:59 pm

Economy with words Doug, is the result of having fewer remaining years to say them.
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Re: Savannah 88 Bourbon

Unread postby Wasatch » Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:11 pm

Yeah thanks Mike. Maybe someday it will make it's way to Utah.
Cheers!
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