Individual Review: Dettling Cask Strength Single Barrel Alabama Straight Bourbon

Opening Statements (AKA Description of the Whiskey):

Dettling Cask Strength is a Single Barrel Alabama Straight Bourbon made by Big Escambia Spirits, LLC in Atmore, Alabama. Atmore is located just North of the Florida panhandle on the State line and is an extremely small town (less than 10,000 people as of 2019). Seth and Vicki Dettling created Big Escambia spirits in 2014 with the desire to build a family owned distillery that raises its own grains. The Dettling family has been distilling spirits since 1867 when Franz-Xaver Dettling began producing kirsch, a type of clear cherry brandy, in Brunnen, Switzerland. Today, the Dettling Distillery is still in operation in Switzerland producing kirsch. Hence, Big Escambia Spirits pays for the right to use the name "Dettling" on its products.

Big Escambia Spirits currently operates the last third of the agricultural process for the grains used in its whiskey and is working on expanding its farming operations to entirely in-house. Most of the grains currently used in its whiskeys are locally grown in Alabama. As such, the company proudly proclaims that it is has created a "field to bottle" bourbon.

Big Escambia Spirits states that its cask strength expression is aged in barrels with a #3 char. Seth Dettling hand selects these barrels that usually come from the upper part of the rickhouse (the hottest part of the building). The company website also claims that all of their cask strength bourbon is bottled from barrels at least 4 years old, but I wonder if that is only a recent development in the criteria used in selection because I purchased my bottle in March 2021 and it is only 3 years and 5 months old. Being that Big Escambia Spirits is so young and not sourcing its whiskey, there are not any high age statements on its products yet. In June 2021, the company released a bourbon with its highest age statement yet: 4 Years and 2 Months.

Distillery & Bottling Company: Big Escambia Spirits, LLC

Mash Bill: Unknown

Proof: 109

Age: 3 Years, 5 Months

Direct Examination (AKA Tasting Notes):

Nose: Strong Buttery Caramel, Brown Sugar, Creamy Vanilla, Allspice, Gentle Oak, Light Cherry, Powerful Ethanol

Palate: Caramel, Vanilla, Red Apple, Cherry, Cinnamon, Peppery Heat

Finish: Dark Burnt Caramel, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, More Red Apple, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Oak, and More Heat

Length: Long

Mouth Feel: Heavy

Cross Examination (AKA The Whiskey's Shortcomings):

The heat can be overpowering, but adding water easily solves that. The water also brings out the delicious creamy vanilla on the palate and finish.

Closing Arguments (AKA Conclusions about the Whiskey):

Wow! This was a completely blind buy for me. I randomly walked into an ABC Beverages in Alabama and saw this on the shelf. I noticed that it was a local product and decided to give it a shot. This might be the best blind purchase I have ever made.

From its color, proof, flavors, and viscosity, everything about this is intense. The flavor notes of this whiskey are plentiful and prominent. It has sweetness, fruitiness, oakiness, and spice. The star of the show is definitely caramel followed by vanilla, baking spices, and then soft fruit notes. The flavors are balanced and complement one another extremely well. The only draw back to this bourbon is the heat. The ethanol is prevalent throughout the entire sipping experience, but a few drops of water quickly tames it. In addition, the water also brings out the vanilla notes.

This is a very high quality bourbon. Probably the most surprising thing about this product is its young age. Despite being this particular bottle being less than 4 years old, Dettling Cask Strength delivers a fully developed whiskey experience with a plethora of character and body. I attribute Big Escambia Spirits ability to achieve these accents in such a short amount of time in full size barrels to the intense heat and humidity in L.A. (lower Alabama).

In addition, I greatly admire that Seth and Vicki Dettling decided to make their own product from local ingredients rather than source a whiskey and bottle it as their own. Although there is nothing wrong with sourcing a product, it is refreshing to see a distillery make something uniquely its own from the get-go. It is also a huge investment and risk to start out distilling one's own product and then having to wait for it to age before even the first bottle can be sold. Here, the risk totally paid off. Admittedly, I take a little pride in Seth and Vicki's success because I grew up in Alabama only an hour and a half Atmore. In my opinion, this bourbon is one of Alabama's best kept secrets and I cannot wait to see what Big Escambia Spirits does next.

Verdict (AKA Score): 8.25

Verdict Key:

10: I do not possess the vocabulary to adequately or accurately describe this masterpiece. It should not be possible for man to create such art.

9: Incredible. Hoard this stuff. Paying secondary market prices is totally worth it.

8: A real pleasure to sip. Always try to have at least one bottle and a back up on hand.

7: A solid pour. Daily drinker for sure. Try to have a bottle on hand.

6: Would not say no to a pour if offered to me, but I won't go out of my way to find it.

5: Good to mix with a coke.

4: Swing and a miss. A mixer makes it tolerable.

3: Only if I had nothing else to drink in the house.

2: Was this made in a prison toilet?

1: This is the stuff the KGB used to slowly and painfully kill prisoners.

0: An abomination of epic proportions. Should not be called whiskey.