Cinder and Smoke Excelsior 17 Year Bourbon Review
I picked up this craft bottle while attending the 2024 Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown. It had a $399 price tag so I initially passed on the purchase. But its uniquely enjoyable flavor profile stayed on my mind all night. So, on day two I went back to the Bard Distillery stand at the festival. There had been 80 bottle left the day before, now there were 32 left. So I purchased one, and I don’t regret it. So I’ll pour a dram and get started on this Cinder and Smoke Excelsior 17 year bourbon review.
The Excelsior 17 year was first aged for 13 years in White Oak barrels, followed by 2 1/2 years in new White Oak, and the followed by 1 1/2 more years in French Oak barrels, for a total of 17 years. It won Double Platinum at Fred Minnick’s 2022 Ascot Awards and the Double Gold from the Barleycorn Awards. It was a single release with only 410 bottles available.
Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in: White Oak and French Oak barrels
Age: 17 years
Proof: 102
Proof Designation: na
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: Undisclosed: Corn, Rye, Malted Barley
Barrel Char Level: ??
Barrel Entry Proof: ??
Distillate Source: ??
Distillery: The Bard Distillery
Company: The Bard Distillery
Bottled By: The Bard Distillery
Distilled/Aging Location: Distilled in Tennessee, aged in Graham, Kentucky
Master Distiller: ??
Release Date: 2023
Batch Notes: batch size is 410 bottles
MSRP: $399
Secondary Market: $1,100
Availability: Rare
Cinder and Smoke Excelsior 17 Year Bourbon Review
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (about 1 week), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
After swirling the glass, the beads began to form at about 5 seconds, the legs formed at about 12 seconds, and the first legs to reach the bowl were at about 42 seconds.
Nose
The nose hits with dark, funky (in a good way) old oak, roasted almonds, a sweet smokiness, old seasoned leather, dark caramel, and burnt orange. It has a very interesting aroma.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Since this is such a limited release I found very few other reviews, hence, the lack of other people’s review notes.
Ascot Awards: na
Barleycorn Awards: na
Blog: na
Palate
First flavors are a mix of sweetness, smoke and funky old oak. It’s unique but pleasant and intriguing. That is followed with baking spices, toasted clove, cinnamon, anise, orange peel, leather, and dark mocha notes.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Ascot Awards: Chocolate, vanilla, and graham cracker s’mores! YUM!
Barleycorn Awards: Oak profile is well-integrated and clean, featuring coconut, vanilla, dill, and orange; the palate bursts with orange blossom and fresh herbs, concluding with a long, floral, spiced orange finish.
Blog: na
Finish
The finish is long and very enjoyable with dark caramelized sugar, vanilla, chocolate and toasted pecans.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Ascot Awards: na
Barleycorn Awards: na
Blog: na
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is a little light. I’d call it silken…pleasant but not mouth coating.
Mouthfeel Rating Guide: Thin = Watery | Silken = smooth & slippery, but not mouth coating | Creamy = coats the tongue like heavy cream does. | Rich or Unctuous = coats the entire palate like quality olive oil
The Burn
3 out of 5. This means that the burn from the alcohol is about what I would expect it to be. There is some heat but nothing unexpected or unpleasant. I would guess this to be around 100 proof, not 102 proof.
Tasting Summary
The Cinder and Smoke 17 year Excelsior is an intriguing, exotic pour that makes me image that I’m sitting in an old gentleman’s club filled with leather chairs, velvet curtains, and a cozy fireplace burning, sipping one of their best old bourbons. It is a well-balanced blend of sweet, savory, and old oak flavors, intricately weaved into a very satisfying pour.
My Rating
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
| Score Type | Score | Examples |
| Likability Score | 8.3 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
| Availability Score | 1 | 1-Rare, 2-Hard to Find, 3-A Little Hunting, 4-Easy to Find |
My Tasting Notes
A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.
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