750mL bottle - ~$40.00
- Purchased at Total Wine
Background
It’s become a tradition: every year when I travel to California, I search for a whiskey product of some variety to bring back…preferably something I’ve never seen before and would have a hard time finding in the East Tennessee area. This time around, I think I found a real winner in Hooker’s House Bourbon.
Hooker’s House Whiskeys are a tribute to General Joseph Hooker and his over-indulging, outrageous lifestyle. Although his military practices are often questioned, his love of whiskey and women cannot be. His Army reputation as a “ladies’ man” began early in his career and he was referred to as the “Handsome Captain”. The general kept morale high among his troops by inviting a posse of ladies to fraternize with the gents. At first, the women became known as “Hooker’s brigade” or “Hooker’s girls” and later became just plain “Hookers”. The legendary General Hooker liked to carry on so much with women and whiskey that he popularized the word Hooker to its common use. The General’s home, Hooker House, located off the historic plaza in Sonoma is now a museum celebrating his spirited life and now the spirit and legend of General Joseph Hooker lives on in Hooker’s House Whiskeys.
Prohibition Spirits is located in Sonoma, California, very close to the location of the massive wildfires that have been in the news recently (at the time of this writing, they appear to be undamaged by the fires). They went into business to create Limoncello but have expanded their repertoire to include several specialty spirits, including the Hooker’s House whiskey lineup. Hooker’s House Bourbon starts with a high-rye, single barrel Bourbon “from a Bourbon-belt rick house,” which they rebarrel in vintage Pinot Noir barrels and later blend with Sonoma spring water, finishing the whiskey at 100 proof. They have deemed this a “Sonoma-Style American Bourbon,” an appellation I’ve never heard of before, but which I was eager to try.
One review I glanced at stated that the Bourbon is sourced in Kentucky and has the highest rye portion I’ve ever seen on a mash bill (54% corn/46% rye). They also state that it spends 9 months in the pinot noir barrels.
Notes
The first thing I noticed about Hooker’s House is the color. I’ve had some Bourbons and whiskeys before that were a fairly dark amber color, but this one is such a dark amber it’s almost red. I want to believe that the extra red comes from spending time in wine barrels…but who knows really?
Nosing this Bourbon, I picked up an extra strong vanilla note and a faint berry and wine note that tended to all but drown out the slight notes of oak and corn in the mix. Taking a sip, the spicy tingle starts early, which is to be expected from the amount of rye used. That’s followed quickly by notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and caramel. The finish continues the burning sensation while finally offering up touches of red wine, oak and corn liquor.
This is a good dram…and a strong one! For this review, I elected to pair it with Padron 1926 Serie No. 6 Maduro.h As I smoked along, I noted that the cigar and whiskey checked the same boxes: strong…spicy…underlying sweetness. It really was a nice pairing if you like strong cigars and stout Bourbon…and I do.
I don’t know how widely distributed Hooker’s House Bourbon is, but I would encourage Bourbon enthusiasts to seek it out and give it a try. The “Sonoma-style” really is an interesting and unique twist on my favorite type of whiskey. Pair it with a medium-to-full or full-bodied Maduro or Habano-wrapped cigar and I think you’ll be happy.
The wine country definitely gives Hooker’s House Bourbon a different twist. While having much of the traditional Bourbon flavor profile, the Pinot Noir barrels provide additional character to the dram. I’ve had a couple whiskies made in (or at least finished in) California…this is my favorite so far.
