McKenzie Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

Finger Lakes Distilling has been on our wish list from the start of Blind Barrels, and thanks to the recommendations of several members, we finally made it happen! The team at Finger Lakes are true OGs of the craft movement, located in beautiful upstate New York (and not Michigan, as Bobby thought for most of his initial call with them). Founder Brian McKenzie was born and raised here right by Lake Seneca, with a deep love of his home state and a knowledge of what the local agriculture brings to the table (plus a familial trait of entrepreneurism didn’t hurt). With something growing on every piece of land, and a flourishing wine tourism industry, Brian rolled up his sleeves, got some laws changed, and became the second licensed farm distillery in New York. Finger Lakes was so early to the craft game that when they went to purchase a small 12 inch column still Vendome wasn’t even sure they could make one that small! They are about as traditional as it gets, with their distillery modelled in the classic Scottish style (it’s seriously beautiful) and a nod to historical methods of production (more on that later).

This Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon is a perfect example of everything they’re doing right. Not only is there some serious age on it at 7 years, but also a depth of flavors that might surprise you coming from a wheated bourbon mash bill. There are a few factors contributing to this, from open top fermenters that Brian says “give it a sense of place” in picking up a variety of flavor profiles from wild yeasts, to incredibly low barrel entry proof (most go in close to 100 proof drawing from their historical research, making this the rare BIB that has almost no water added to it), to extra-seasoned oak for their casks that some of our friends may have called “ugly barrels” but really leads to a depth of flavor and complexity in maturation. All this goes to show that they aren’t just focused on efficiency but rather on the details of what drives the absolute best flavor in their products. Even their grain selection is intentional, as they’ve pledged to use New York State Agricultural products, with some grain being grown just 300 yards from their distillery, and most just a couple miles away. Bobby fell in love with this bourbon from the first sip, with a unique flavor profile balancing nuttiness, grain, and spice. Brian says, “You pick up on something that I think makes this one distinctive: that kind of spicy character that you wouldn't normally expect.” We love how transparent and genuine they are, and as they approach their 20th birthday, we know that there are more great things yet to come! Be sure to pop in for a visit if you’re in the area (remember, NEW YORK, not Michigan), and take advantage of that McKenzie hospitality.