Detrick Full Proof Bourbon Single Barrel

Belle of Dayton’s Detrick Bourbon isn’t a secret here at Seelbach’s anymore. It’s become one of our favorite craft releases to bring you, consistently performing well year-over-year in my personal "Best Of..." lists, and quietly building a reputation as one of the more exciting names in the category.
 
Distilled in-house in Dayton, Ohio since 2014, Belle of Dayton has consistently delivered full proof bourbons that don’t stick around for long. This barrel came in just a hair under 8 years old, and while we considered letting it cross that mark, sometimes flavor wins out. This was one we didn’t want to sit on. In keeping with my Four Roses analogies, this one would be closer to a mid-tier OBSV/OBSK recipe with its leather and spice bite but big coating texture. 
 
The nose is beautifully perfumed with polished leather and seasoned oak, giving a mature, classic first impression. Spiced, candied red fruit builds alongside vibrant cherry, while hints of overcooked caramel, fresh cookie dough, and a touch of lemon add dimension. As it opens, the leather and oak soften and warm, with a faint note of ripe banana and a more plush sweetness.
 
The palate is weighty and chewy with a rich, coating texture. Vibrant cherry leads into warming leather and a pronounced Kentucky hug, backed by layered spice. Subsequent sips soften slightly, shifting toward anise and a heavier creaminess while maintaining a core of candied fruit and gentle sweetness.
 
The finish is long and peppery with lingering spice and charred oak. Subtle notes of banana split and dark chocolate emerge alongside fading fruit and leather, leaving a balanced, gently sweet and spiced impression.

Pre-prohibition, Detrick Distilling Co. sold double copper-distilled whiskey in Dayton under Registered Distillery No. 60, 10th Ward. Their founder, Frank Detrick’s motto: “While we live, let’s live.” Inspired by the ambition of this long-ago spirit, the LaSelle Brothers ventured to create a bourbon whiskey—genuine and unique.
 
Drawing naturally filtered water from the area’s Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer, they distilled a rare 5-grain bourbon mash bill of corn, oats, rye, wheat, and malted barley, and rye mash bill of traditional rye, white corn, wheat, and malted barley.
 
Nearly a decade in the making and relieving a century of anticipation, Belle of Dayton Distillery proudly brings back Detrick Fine Whiskies, the first Bourbon and Rye made in Dayton since Prohibition.