Cinnamon | Gingerbread | Baking spices | Some heat

Vanilla | Gingerbread | Cinnamon stick | Molasses cookies | Seasoned oak | Hint of coconut | Punchy

Rush of spice | Cinnamon | Gingerbread | Caramel

Oak & Eden was founded in April 2017 by brothers Joe and Jamie Giildenzopf and Brad Neathery. In May 2018 they launched their first product, and now offer a variety of different whiskeys. Each is finished in a unique way - a five inch long wood spiral, which the company refers to as the “Spire,” is added to each bottle to finish it.

Bourbon & Amburana is the inaugural release of the company’s Reserve Series, which will feature a unique release on a seasonal basis. Adding a Brazilian oak spire directly to the bottle imparts heavy Amburana influence to the whiskey, with plenty of cinnamon, gingerbread, and baking spices throughout the sip; flavors Amburana wood is known for. A nice molasses cookie note develops on the midpalate, and there are splashes of vanilla, seasoned oak, caramel, and even a hint of coconut.

Having tasted a wide range of Amburana finished whiskeys, it isn’t uncommon to see the Amburana influence completely take over, and that’s what’s happening here. There are some more centered bourbon flavors - vanilla, caramel, baking spices, and oak, but the cinnamon and gingerbread really dominate this sip. There is some heat on the nose, and the delivery of flavors is somewhat punchy on the midpalate, hitting above the whiskey’s 100 proof point with significantly more flavor intensity than you would typically expect. That being said, letting the whiskey sit in the bottle a few days after my first and even second sittings with it, seemed to have allowed it to settle quite a bit, evening out its rougher edges that dominated the first few pours. This might be a function of the added oak spire, as it continually changes the whiskey with each passing day. And, moreover, Amburana wood is known to have a significant impact on flavor profile over a short time, so it's possible this whiskey will continually (and noticeably) change over time (unless you remove the oak spire).

I am confident those new to the style will find a lot to love and have a ton of fun exploring this style of whiskey finish, assuming heavy cinnamon and gingerbread flavors sound appealing. The oak spire is a fun talking point and the whiskey offers loads of flavor. However, Oak & Eden Reserve Series: Bourbon & Amburana struggles to find overall balance by comparison to the growing number of Amburana finished whiskeys. While it dials up the Amburana influence to a fun degree, it’s not nearly as cohesive as releases such as Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Amburana and Seelbach’s Amburana Finish that strike a better balance between the base whiskey and quick-to-overpower Amburana flavors. In the end, Oak & Eden Reserve Series: Bourbon & Amburana is a fun, full-flavored, unique tasting sip, but lacks the balance other traditionally finished Amburana finished whiskeys deliver.