Batch II
Age: 5-Years
Proof: 114.94 proof
Mash Bill: 64/14/14/8 (Wisconsin Red Corn/Rye/Wheat/Barley)
About: La Flamme Reserve is Patton Road Reserve finished in ex-Armagnac casks. It was aged five years in the farm’s former dairy-barn-turned-rickhouse and subjected to our brutal winters and hot, humid summers. The Henrys team up with Nancy “The Nose” Fraley to make sure things are just right.
The initial bouquet offers a commingling of intense Bourbon aromas gently married with the Armagnac finishing casks, creating a symphony of notes of prunes in Armagnac syrup (pruneaux d'Agen), Luxardo cherries, marzipan, cornbread with honey butter, freshly baked Beignets covered with confectioners' sugar, and candied ginger. The Bourbon is extremely viscous and rich, filling the entire mouth cavity with blackberry pancakes drenched with maple syrup, vanilla cake batter, Honey Nut Cheerios, plus fruity and floral notes of Dulce de Membrillo (quince paste), orange blossoms, and apricot jam. The finish is extremely long and luscious, with a kick of brown baking spices and brown sugar that continues to linger for several minutes.
“Every autumn in Gascony, France local farmers observe the successful grape harvest and the start of the Armagnac distilling season with ‘La Flamme de l’Armanac’ celebration. La Flamme Reserve honors traditional French blending techniques and marries the flavors of the Armagnac region of France to our Wisconsin Straight Bourbon.” – Joe Henry