Cornmeal | Fresh wheat | New oak | Grainy

Heavy syrup | Rock candy | Light grain | Vanilla Cream | Fresh oak

Breakfast syrup | Brown sugar | Vanilla frosting | Maple candy | White peppercorn spice | Lingering sweetness and faint grain

Established in 2011 in Warren, Vermont, Mad River Distillers was created by John Egan, Maura Connolly, and Brett Little, who leveraged surplus heirloom apple trees on their farm to venture into apple brandy. After converting a former horse barn at Cold Spring Farm into their operational facility, the distillery debuted with Mad River First Run Rum in May 2013. Mad River has since expanded its portfolio to include whiskey, rum, and brandy, handling all mashing, fermentation, distillation, and aging locally on-site. The producer prioritizes regional, non-GMO, fair-trade, and organic raw materials across its lineup.

The age of the whiskey immediately shines through as the maple syrup is no match for masking the intense graininess of the aroma; in fact, it’s completely blanketed. The syrup overcorrects in the midpoint as it bursts onto the scene and slams you with intense sweet notes of heavy syrup, rock candy, and vanilla cream. Light grain and fresh oak are still present but merely an afterthought and drop off almost entirely as you move to the finish. Continuing the intensity from the syrup, the whiskey ends on notes of breakfast syrup, vanilla frosting, maple frosting, and brown sugar.

To make Double Tapped Maple Bourbon, the distillery takes their base bourbon and blends in Vermont maple syrup. Technically not a bourbon due to the company’s decision to proof this below 80 and the fact that maple syrup is added directly to it, it’s clear that this was meant to be targeted more towards those who prefer a lighter pour or a cocktail, seeing as their standard bourbon is 92 proof. If you drink it neat, you’ll encounter a youthful, unbalanced sip, and while ice helps temper the situation slightly, it isn’t enough to mask the whiskey’s flaws. Double Tapped Maple Bourbon isn’t sure whether it wants to highlight the syrup or the base grain, resulting in a pour that doesn’t check either box well.