Do Good Distillery Nighthawk Bourbon (45.55%): I should have posted these tasting notes quite a while ago but I just couldn't get back to finish and edit them right after Jim Harrelson's sudden passing last August who was the head distiller, operations manager and the head of product development of Do Good Distillery... He named this bourbon after his friend Paul R. Katuszonek a.k.a. "Night Hawk" who served together with him as a police officer in Oakdale PD and died in an unfortunate car accident back in 2012. It is distilled from a high rye recipe unlike its wheated sibling California Bourbon we tasted earlier on the blog. But like California Bourbon it is distilled from 100% California grown grain and is two years old. The bottle I tasted carries the batch number #3 and the bottle number #181 on its label.
Color: Medium amber, polished old copper tupperware.
Nose: Toasted coriander seeds, peppermint leaves and kiln dried oak. Pine needles, roasted pistachios and fresh rosemary. Wet forest floor and damp soil. Chalky, herbal and piney. Refreshing... A few drops of water add some chemical qualities: linseed oil, latex paint and liquid soap.
Palate: Ricola eucalyptus drops, toasted oak and pine nuts. Cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and sliced fresh ginger. Whole cloves and hardwood shavings. Adding water washes away the spicy backbone, it's sweeter now: Ginger candy and honey roasted almonds. I think I prefer this one without water like it's sibling California Bourbon as well.
Finish: Medium long with eucalyptus, nutmeg and pine.
Overall: A very good counterpart of California Bourbon. Spicy, oaky and herbal in contrast of the tart and vegetal qualities of California Bourbon... Both are very balanced and well matured. Kudos to Jim... Let's have another toast to his memory with his favorite quote from Ben Franklin: "Do well by doing good..!" and you did well Jim...
Price: $53
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