Toasted walnuts | Dark maple syrup | Barrel char

Walnut | Vanilla | Light maple | Earthy | Slightly buttery mouthfeel

Chocolate ganache | Hints of fruit medley | Nutty aftertaste

This is the second walnut influenced bourbon I’ve tasted this year and I’ve found that the flavors work surprisingly well with one another. The complexity and heaviness of the walnut flavors works well in conjunction with bourbon’s vanilla and oak base. The dark and rich flavors are quite pleasing to sip on, especially as an after-dinner drink.

Cooper’s Daughter Spirits, located in New York’s lush Hudson Valley, is a woman-owned and family-operated distillery that sources their ingredients locally. Interestingly, they also have their own cooperage on site. So when they print “Farm to Cask” on their label, it's more than a marketing slogan. While they are a working distillery, they don’t focus on promoting their base spirits and instead highlight their unique finishing and fusions: Lilac Liquor, Rhubarb & Honey Vodka, Thai Basil Liqueur, and Smoke Maple Bourbon.

My one caveat of Cooper’s Daughter Bourbon Finished in Black Walnut Syrup Barrels would be its proof. A higher proof would certainly ramp up its boldness, but from what I can gather, that is not the company’s M.O. Because their flavor medleys are so out of the ordinary, featuring them a touch lighter allows their spirits to be more palatable and act as more of a gentle sipper. I certainly get that, as Cooper’s Daughter Bourbon Finished in Black Walnut Syrup Barrels is exactly that.