Tommyrotter Triple Barrel American Whiskey

Maker: Tommyrotter Distillery, Buffalo, New York, USA

Distilleries: Undisclosed distilleries in Indiana and Tennessee (hmm, which ones could they be?)

Style: Wine-barrel finished American whiskey. A mix of two Indiana bourbons and one Tennessee whiskey aged in new and used oak barrels and then the wine barrel, hence Triple Barrel.

Age: NAS

Proof: 90 (45% ABV)

Notes: No coloring or chill filtration added. Sample provided by Tommyrotter Distillery.

Price: $35 (Premier Group).

Appearance: Bright copper.

Nose: Complex. Young toasted oak, tarragon, bubblegum.

Palate: Medium and fruity. Mixed berry jam, French oak, burn.

Finish: Sweet. Corn syrup, raspberry, cocoa powder.

Parting words: Tommyrotter was founded in 2015 by Bobby Finan and Sean Insalaco in Buffalo New York. They currently produce three regular products, vodka, gin, and this Triple Barrel Whiskey plus a line of limited releases (including a bourbon barrel gin to be reviewed in the near future).

Triple Barrel Whiskey is composed of three whiskeys. Two Indiana bourbons (one high-corn, one high-wheat) and one Tennessee whiskey. The high-corn is around 18 months old, the wheater is about 5 years old and the Tennessee 7 y/o. The bourbons are aged in new charred white oak, and the Tennessee Whiskey is aged in used charred oak barrels. They are mixed together and then finished in French red wine barrels. As Bobby Finan told me, Triple Barrel doesn’t count as a blend of straight whiskeys because of the youth of the high-corn bourbon. That could change in the future though.

The result is a delicious, easy-drinking whiskey. It’s young, but the rough edges are smoothed out by judicious use of cooperage. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough in the sample to do any mixing, but I suspect Triple Barrel would do very well in Manhattans and Old Fashioneds. I’m very glad Bobby reached out to me. Triple Barrel is recommended.