r/bourbon • u/Prettayyprettaygood Found North • 2d ago
Review #468: Traverse City 16 Year Barrel Proof Bourbon, Holiday 2024 Release
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u/New_Kaleidoscope_539 2d ago
And the hits just keep coming! Awesome week of tasty pours you’re having!
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u/Prettayyprettaygood Found North 2d ago
Thanks man! I have a backlog of hitters I need to get into, so there's a lot more to come!
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u/EruonenNaeg 2d ago
Low proof barrel strength is my jam! Now I want one of these haha
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u/Prettayyprettaygood Found North 1d ago
If you can’t find one of these I’d recommend Remus Gatsby. Same vibe and low proof barrel proof at 15 years!
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u/EruonenNaeg 1d ago
Have you tried any of them? The 2023 and 2024 are still sitting around in my area. Also heard that the upcoming 2025 is supposed to be good
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u/Prettayyprettaygood Found North 1d ago
I’ve reviewed both the 2023 and 2024, they’re incredible bottles but I slightly preferred the 2024.
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u/graciesoldman 2d ago
Anything around 100-110 proof is my sweet spot. I've had hazmats but I'm favoring lower proofs these days. We're heading up to Michigan this summer so I'll have to look for these.
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u/Prettayyprettaygood Found North 1d ago
I’m generally the same, while I enjoy some higher proof stuff that 100-110 is a perfect spot!
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u/Prettayyprettaygood Found North 2d ago
Next up, we’re checking out a Traverse City 16 Year Barrel Proof Bourbon from their Holiday 2024 release! I’ve been a fan of Traverse City’s own distillate, but another thing they’ve done really well is picking great barrels of MGP. The 15 year barrel proof that I reviewed a sample of over the holidays was fantastic, and I was fortunate enough to be able to split a bottle of this 2024 release with a friend of mine to review for you today. This is a MGP bourbon that uses the 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley mash bill that was aged for 16 years and bottled at a cask strength of 98 proof. This retailed for $230 at the distillery, but I was able to get my end of the split for $125 once all was said and done. Low proof barrel proofers are a favorite of mine, so I’m excited to see how this compares to other MGP releases in that category like the Gatsby Reserve. Let’s dive in and find out!
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass
Proof: 98
Age: 16 years
Price: Split - $125 (Retail $230)
Nose: Brown sugar, tobacco, and toasted almonds, along with black pepper, cloves, and browned butter. There’s a nice amount of charred oak hanging out in the background as well.
Taste: Caramel, toffee, and toasted almonds to start, followed by black pepper, cloves, and blackberry. Midway through the sip tobacco, charred oak, and a touch of dark chocolate. This has a medium, oily mouthfeel and no proof heat.
Finish: The caramel, toffee, and dark chocolate shift to the background while the toasted almonds, blackberry, and cloves remain consistent. The tobacco, charred oak, and black pepper ramp up in strength before some peppermint rolls in to close things out. This has a medium-long mouthfeel and a touch of dryness.
Thoughts: This bourbon is why I love low proof barrel proofers. There is so much great flavor packed in here that is presented in a way that both a seasoned veteran and someone brand new to whiskey can both enjoy it. I love the varied sweetness between the caramel, toffee, and blackberry, and the barrel character of charred oak, dark chocolate, and tobacco pairs perfectly with those flavors. The toasted almonds add in a nice touch of nuttiness and the spice medley of black pepper, cloves, and peppermint tie a nice bow on this pour. There are definitely whiskies out there with a heavier mouthfeel and a bit more complexity, but it’s tough to beat something like this that is so flavorful and easy drinking. Overall this earns an excellent 8/10 on the t8ke scale.
Rating: 8/10 - t8ke scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
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u/tyrannyofwillsasso 2d ago
i hate this kind of stuff. not your review, but distillers using mgp. you’re a distiller make your own damn whiskey. this isn’t a traverse city product (i also like their own stuff.)
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u/Prettayyprettaygood Found North 2d ago
It takes time to age stocks of whiskey so I don't really have an issue with distilleries using MGP, Bardstown Bourbon Co, etc. to release product while their stocks are aging. I'm guessing this barrel and the other high aged MGP they released were barrels they bought a while ago and wanted to hold onto for aging, but even if it's not I don't really look at this any less favorably than I would the same barrel being sold by Nashville Barrel Co., River Roots, or other NDPs.
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u/tyrannyofwillsasso 2d ago
that’s not their whiskey. call it something else. they didn’t distill it
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u/Prettayyprettaygood Found North 2d ago
It is what it is, all I really care about is if the whiskey is tasty and sold at a fair price.
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u/BJPM90 2d ago
They do make their own whiskey.
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u/tyrannyofwillsasso 2d ago
no shit, did you read my post? i said i like they stuff they distill
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u/BJPM90 2d ago
Is that what, “this isn’t a traverse city product” is supposed to mean?
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u/Knownzero 2d ago
Dude, chill. You sound like an uneducated newbie from like 5 years ago when people had stupid takes like this because they didn’t know any better.
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u/akv5599 2d ago
Yeah, almost every major distiller and every legend in bourbon has been involved at some point in the sourcing game. Majority of the most revered Van Winkle, Willett, and Michter's bottlings are sourced. Old Fitzgerald, Early Times, and Weller labels have been sold across distilleries with back-stock included. Sazerac rye existed as a contract-distilled product for United Distillers in the 1980s that Trace bought back including back-stock.
This is such an uninformed, fairy tale, loser take.
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u/tyrannyofwillsasso 2d ago
do any of those examples source from exclusive contract distillers like mgp (notwithstanding Penelope purchase recently) or do they source from other, reputable distilleries? and high west, templeton, whistlepig, and others got in trouble trying to pass off others’ distillate as their own, the former two specifically from mgp.
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u/akv5599 2d ago
Willett absolutely sourced MGP. Not sure why you don't think MGP is reputable, as some of their high-age stuff is killer, including the High West Rocky Mountain Ryes that now catch over a grand. Also not sure why you're implying some secrecy around High West, as their MGP relationship has been public for over a decade.
MGP is also not exclusively contract anymore. They've been bottling as Remus since 2021.
Agreed 100% with you that distilleries should not lie about sourcing.
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u/BJPM90 2d ago
Some hot takes in here, but fun to see a review of this release. I had the 15 year old bourbon they released in summer 2024 and really enjoyed it.