Product Spotlight: MB Roland Whiskey
Founded in 2009 by Paul & Merry Beth ("MB") Tomaszewski, MB Roland Distillery was Kentucky's first completely "grain to glass" craft distillery. MB Roland is a converted Amish dairy farm located in a small town in southern Kentucky called Pembroke, just a stones throw from Tennessee. It embodies exactly what a craft distillery should, small production, refined detail, and a passion for every bottle produced.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash Bill: 78% White Corn, 17% Rye, 5% Malt.
Proof: 110.4
Age: 2 Years
Nose: Honey, brown sugar, and corn (Fantastic!)
Tasting Notes: On first sip you can tell right away this is a young bourbon. However, that isn't always a bad thing. The burn of the high proof (barrel proof) combines gracefully with brown sugar and a sweet molasses to warm your pallet and excite your taste buds. The finish is higher on the barrel char and burnt sugar.
Overall: I enjoyed this bourbon a lot. The high corn mash bill lends a sweet side to the higher barrel proof. You may hear this a lot throughout the review of these three products, but I love a pure bourbon. Uncut and unfiltered is about as close as you can get to straight out of the barrel. Being a purest, this tugs on my heart strings.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Wheated Mash)
Mash Bill: 74% White Corn, 6% Malt, 20% Red Winter Wheat
Proof:101
Age: At least 2 years
Nose: Sweet corn and butterscotch. (Very enjoyable)
Tasting Notes: Very smooth, like most wheated bourbons, this one gently glides along the pallet and the high proof (barrel proof) takes a back seat to the sweetness. On the back end, the barrel char really takes the wheel.
Overall: Again, sounding like a broken record, the uncut/unfiltered product is always a winner in my book. This is a bourbon I would choose to share with my friends. The combination of the sweetness and the barrel char pair perfectly and have me asking for more.
Kentucky Dark Fired Whiskey
Mash Bill: 45% White Corn, 17% Rye, 33% Dark Fired Corn, 5% Malt
Proof: 112
Age: At least 2 years
Nose: Corn, barrel char
Tasting Notes: This whiskey is very interesting. Even though I am a bourbon lover, I am always excited to expand my pallet. This whiskey technically has more than enough corn to be bourbon (45% White Corn, 33% Dark Fired Corn) but it's placed in used charred barrels unlike bourbon that requires new charred barrels. I would equate this whiskey closer to scotch than bourbon. It has a notable complexity. On the front end, the sweetness of the corn is very evident. Barrel char and wood greet you early on and walk you through the rest of the experience. The finish is a lot like a scotch with the smokey woody burn. The liquid rolls down the throat with a light corn sweetness, and a very prevalent barrel char.
Overall: Very enjoyable. If you are a bourbon snob and scoff at the word scotch you may not enjoy this one as much. However, I encourage you to expand your pallet and try this one. It has a high complexity that most young whiskeys do not have. This whiskey will proudly be displayed along side the rest of my bourbon collection.
I was very pleased with the whiskey MB Roland sent us and feel the need to schedule a visit to tour their distillery soon. The craft distilleries have really solidified their roll in the bourbon industry and I can't wait to see where they take it. Next time you are doing the bourbon trail drive a little farther south and give them a visit.
Open For Tours, Tastings & Product Sales:
MON – THU : 10AM – 6PM
FRI & SAT: 9AM – 6PM (First tour at 10AM)
SUN: 1PM – 6PM
Your Steward in Bourbon,
Jordan Grigsby
We are always looking for new and exciting products to experience. If you would like to have your product featured, please contact us at abvnjordan@gmail.com.