75% corn, 20.5% rye, 4.5% malted barley (MGP sourced) — 115.9 proof. Blended from just 75 barrels hand-selected from the original 1,350-barrel lot that launched the Vertical Series in 2019, this release is named for Bourbon War — the Pinhook thoroughbred that ran both the 2019 Preakness and Belmont. The nose is deep and composed: burnt orange, brioche, butterscotch, clove. The palate follows through with brandied cherry, salted caramel, candied pecan, and cinnamon stick. The concept is genuinely singular in American whiskey: a 13-year longitudinal journey tracking the same barrels from age 4 through age 16, releasing one annual chapter each year. This is year ten of that story.
