Seelbach's Private Reserve Bourbon Whiskey Finished in California Cabernet Barrels Batch 2
Seelbach's Private Reserve Bourbon Whiskey Finished in California Cabernet Barrels Batch 2 is a barrel-strength, 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey bottled at 130.1 proof (65.05% ABV) — Bardstown, Kentucky bourbon (75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley) finished for four months in a California Cabernet barrel from Aonair Winery in Napa's Howell Mountain. Just 240 bottles were released. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
This is wine meeting whiskey at full strength: Seelbach's took the blend from its 9-year Private Reserve and filled a single Cabernet Sauvignon barrel from Aonair, the boutique Howell Mountain winery run by Grant Long Jr. The plan was to blend the barrel back; the taste said otherwise. Four months in the Cabernet cask layered dark red fruit and tannic depth over the high-proof Bardstown bourbon without ever covering it — a balance Seelbach's, the bespoke independent bottler founded in 2018, chases with every finished release.
Tasting profile: strawberry jam, molasses, and white pepper on the nose with buttered toast and dried fruit; a syrupy, viscous palate of strawberry preserves, molasses, and sweet vanilla over spicy oak; a long finish of toasted oak and warming heat as the dried-fruit sweetness dries out. Browse the Seelbach's brand collection, more bourbon whiskey, and the full spirits collection.
Serving note: neat with a splash of water to tame the 130.1 proof — or build a Manhattan and let the Cabernet fruit do the talking.
What does the Cabernet finish add? A single Aonair Winery Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon barrel contributes dark red fruit, strawberry jam richness, and tannic depth over four months of finishing.
What is the mash bill? 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10% malted barley, sourced from Bardstown, Kentucky.
How many bottles were released? 240 bottles from the single Cabernet barrel.
What is the ABV? 65.05% ABV (130.1 proof), barrel strength, 750mL.