Cinnamon stick | Baking spices | Bundt cake | Oak | Raisin | Grain | Faint caramel corn

New oak | Cinnamon stick | Rye spice | Green peppercorn | Tannic barrel char | Faint chocolate | Grain

Dry tannic oak | Leather | Rye spice | Mouth suckingly dry

world, with numerous distilleries and breweries operating throughout the city, and it soon became known as “Whiskey Capital of the World.” However, the industry collapsed during Prohibition and never regained its former glory. Black Band Distillery opened in 2021 and was created as a modern effort to restore and honor that lost distilling culture. The distillery takes pride in their locally sourced grain and is MOSA certified as a 100% organic operation.

Black Band Four Grain Bourbon kicks off the sip with loads of cinnamon and baking spices, along with sweeter notes in the shape of caramel corn and bundt cake. Scents of oak are also present, which leads the way into a midpoint that highlights new oak, spice, and a tannic barrel char note. The midpoint conveys a feeling of youthfulness, which becomes more present as you move into the finish. Dry tannic oak, leather, and rye spice bombard you as the finish continues to linger, growing drier and drier.

Sometimes you taste a bourbon from a craft distillery and know that it just misses the mark. In the case of Black Band Four Grain Bourbon, the whiskey seems to have potential, but it will most likely take a few years to dial in. This is especially true for the finish, which unfortunately throws off the whole sip. Promising yes, but there is certainly room for improvement.