Editor's note: This whiskey was provided to us by Log Still Distillery as a review sample. According to our editorial policy, this will never affect the final result of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the purchase link at the bottom of this review, our website will receive a small referral fee, which helps support but does not affect our editing and other costs.
Everyone has a family. In the world of bourbon, that family is the story, and that story is the brand. For Log Still Distillery, this story, and all their brand identity, are in the Dant family. The name Dant has a long history in bourbon, and I won't go into it here. However, if you want to read it, please check the Log Still website linked above or one of our other articles. Or, for another Dant descendant who is in the bourbon business, check out this article on Bourbon Veach.
Now that you have some links to view family history, let's take a look at the product. This is Log Still Distillery's Monk's Road fifth district series Cold Spring Winery Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. Yes, this is all on the label, I believe this is the full name of the bottle. From here, let's call it Monk's Road Bourbon. I received this in a marketing kit that included whiskey stones, truffle chocolates and dried orange wheels. All are packed in a solid wooden box with the Monk's Road logo engraved with a laser.
Let's talk about this label. The Monk's Road Bourbon label is difficult to handle because there are many names on the bottle. Monk's Road is the product line, and the Fifth District series seems to refer to the series released in a single barrel, this is the first one. How about the names of these two wineries? Log Still Distillery is the name of the company, and Cold Spring Distillery is an old distillery that was once located on their land. Its name comes from the temperature of spring, which is reported to be enough for the brewery to operate throughout the year.
If you look at the back of the label, you will see that it was bottled by Log Still Distillery, which means they put the liquid in the bottle. They did not disclose where the bourbon inside was distilled. The front of the label clearly states the statistics of this whisky, the printed year statement is 6 years, and the ABV is 50%. It also includes handwritten barrel and bottle numbers.
Monk Road Fifth District Series Cold Spring Winery (picture from Ian Arnold)
Important data: 50% ABV, 6 years old, No. 23 barrel, 79.99 USD per bottle.
Appearance: clear honey color with a hint of amber; legs are thin and long.
Nose: At the beginning, there were a lot of grains on the nose, including corn and wheat. The second smell made me smell ethanol and caramel pudding.
Mouthfeel: Its front part has a creamy texture, covering the mouth. I eat caramel and vanilla first, which is like a good custard. The taste will gradually become a hint of baking spice before turning into a dry, citrusy aftertaste. The water makes the creamy texture last longer, but retains most of the same taste, only slightly changing the intensity. After fading, I added a little black pepper spice at the end.
It has direct flavor characteristics and can be made into a perfect straw. It is sweeter on the front, with a desiccant. I believe it can make good cocktails, but its price far exceeds my consideration of the use of cocktails. Most importantly, when there is a better whiskey sold at a lower price, I don't recommend that you buy a bottle specially.
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