BOTTLE DETAILS
- DISTILLER: Produced and bottled by Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co., the Distiller is not disclosed.
- MASH BILL: 68%-74% Corn | 19%-22% Rye | 19% Malted Barley
- AGE: 17 years
- YEAR: 2025
- PROOF: 92 (46% ABV) – Non-chill filtered
- MSRP: $200
- BUY ONLINE: Purchase at Reserve Bar
STEVE’S NOTES
SHARE WITH: Drinkers who’ve never experienced really old bourbon.
WORTH THE PRICE: Not to me, but to fans of big, old oak bombs demanding a super-premium price, highly likely.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar. Try before you buy, but if you like the whiskey type I describe below, you won’t regret spending $200 on it.
OVERALL: The nose is lovely, a mix of floral, sweet and savory; the aromatic definition of old bourbon. Have you ever split wild cherry wood for a fire? That’s the aroma–plus a little Luden’s cough drop to make it pleasantly medicinal. Dried flowers, old leather-bound library books and rickhouse aromas announce that this liquid is a real-deal dusty pour. The nose on this never finishes, never stops offering up new aromas, but in the interest of moving to the taste, let’s finish at toasted wheat bread and peach preserves.
The initial sip is a fruit and spice bomb that drinks above it’s 92 proof. With your tongue tingling, return for a second sip to find the abundant cherry and peach notes on the nose carry over as baked pie versions of each. A little mint, black pepper and charred oak move in to nudge the whole toward savory. Though a little too drying for me, the finish includes a little toasted oak, a dose of baking spice, the aforementioned black pepper and ample stone fruit.
If I were to point to my favorite of the Orphan Barrel line, this would be it. It’s not dry to the point of being acrid or bitterly oaky, which, honestly, is what I expected based on other long-aged Orphan Barrel releases. But if you have a fatty grilled steak or excellent milk chocolate on hand, they will pleasantly offset any dryness this whiskey can muster. I happened to have a 17-month-old country ham that I sliced prosciutto style, and it was a delicious accompaniment.
BRAND NOTES
Hailing from the Heartland of Kentucky Bourbon country, Fanged Pursuit is a new 17-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Orphan Barrel.
Label design Fanged Pursuit pays tribute to an untamed spirit, which celebrates the parallels between our liquid and the bottle label. To pay homage to this liquid’s heritage, the label depicts a lone Kentucky bobcat silently prowling its native Bluegrass State’s forests. The stealthy, calculated movements of the bobcat mirror the aging process of this bourbon—unfolding with deliberate, measured precision,
and relying on a deep harmony with its surroundings to unlock its full potential. Just as glimpses of a bobcat are rare and fleeting—seen only at dawn or dusk—Fanged Pursuit is a once-in-a-lifetime bourbon, crafted for a single release and never to be made again.
TASTING NOTES
This Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey delights with aromas of vanilla, red cherries, and honey, followed by notes of toasted oak, orchard fruits, and spices, all culminating in a velvety mouthfeel.
Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.