Thirteenth Colony Bourbon Review Batch 2024
I have never seen this on the shelf in my local liquor stores, but I was able to order one from Seelbach’s. This is a great way to work! While writing this, I’ll grab a pour and start the Thirteenth Colony Bourbon review for batch 2024.
13th Colony Distilleries opened in Americus, Georgia in 2009 and is now the oldest operating distillery in Georgia since Prohibition. It is a family run business which started out as a way to share homemade liquor with friends. Eventually, the question was posed, “If we make liquor for the friends we know, should we make it for the friends we don’t know yet?”. Answering that question led to the creation of Thirteenth Colony Distillery.
Their focus is on creating quality spirits at an affordable price without the extra cost of celebrity endorsements or overly embellished packaging. Their standard bourbon and rye are meant to be a daily drinker, not a “top shelf” special occasion pour.
Their Master Distiller, Graham Arthur, is a classically trained Chef who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and worked in some notable restaurants in the Atlanta & Charleston area before transitioning into using his palate to craft spirits.
Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 4 to 6 years
Proof: 95
Proof Designation: na
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: 70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Malted Barley
Barrel Char Level: ??
Barrel Entry Proof: ??
Distillate Source: ??
Distillery: Undisclosed
Company: Thirteenth Colony Distilleries
Bottled By: Thirteenth Colony Distilleries
Distilled/Aging Location: Americus, Georgia
Master Distiller: Graham Arthur
Release Date: 2024
MSRP: $45
Secondary Market: na
Availability: Somewhat Available
Thirteenth Colony Bourbon Review – 2024 Batch
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 month), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
Beads formed on the crown at about 3 seconds, legs started to form at 6 seconds, and at about 21 seconds few legs reached the bowl.
Nose
The nose is sweet with light caramel, vanilla, some oak, a hint of cherry and a glimpse of banana.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
The Bourbon Finder: Batch 2023: Light oak and big sweet caramel. A lot of traditional bourbon notes stand out like oak char, toasted sugar, and a dash of fruit.
Whiskey Raiders: Batch 2023: Honey, full of banana, tropical fruits, sweet rising bread and custard. Light, sweet, fruity.
Bourbon Bossman: Batch 2023: Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Charred Oak, and a Faint Fruitiness (Apple/Banana).
Palate
Light caramel (as opposed to rich or dark caramel), new oak (a bit tannic), brown sugar, mild baking spice, leather, mild banana and a hint of cherry.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
The Bourbon Finder: Batch 2023: Coats the palate nicely and brings a wave of sweet desserty bourbon forward. I feel like this reminds me a bit of a caramel ice cream sundae with a cherry on top. There are nice background notes of oak and fruit that I’m enjoying, and even a good dash of spice in there to round it out.
Whiskey Raiders: Batch 2023: Moderate mouthfeel, honey, light oak, pepper, sweet oak and peppy ginger. Some papaya, tropical fruits. It’s unusual on the palate, possibly one of the fruitier bourbons I’ve had.
Bourbon Bossman: Batch 2023: Vanilla, Honey, Baking Spice, Dried Apple, Banana Chips, Cinnamon, All Spice, and Dry Oak.
Finish
Medium-short finish with caramel, honey, and oak.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
The Bourbon Finder: Batch 2023: A medium finish overall. This moves from big sweet notes into a more rounded oak and spice finish.
Whiskey Raiders: Batch 2023: Short finish, honey forward with notes of almond, papaya, sweet oak and caramel candies.
Bourbon Bossman: Batch 2023: Medium with Sweet Oak and Spice.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is a little thin yet smooth, but not silky, creamy or viscous.
The Burn
4 out of 5. This means that the burn from the alcohol is a bit lower (5% to 9%) than what I would expect it to be. I would guess this to be around 90 proof, not 95 proof.
Tasting Summary
Thirteenth Colony Bourbon is tasty and easy to sip. It does have a nice balance of simple, basic bourbon flavors, but it lacks depth and complexity. If you have a relatively smallish collection of whiskey then this is a fantastic daily drinker. But if you have a large collection of mid-to-high-end whiskeys to choose from, then this will probably sit on the shelf or be used in cocktails.
However, having said that, for a price point of $45 it’s a great whiskey and a well crafted top-tier pour for that price range.
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 | 6.8 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
Availability Score | 4 | 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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Extensive tasting notes! Very nice!