Inside the Bottle: Pursuit Spirits siphons inspiration from chardonnay and a beloved “dusty”

Pursuit Spirits Double-Oaked Bourbon Whiskey // Photo by Mike Dahlor

Pursuit Spirits’ latest whiskey is special, but to fully appreciate the depth of this offering, I’m going to guide you on a trip through time. Time to fire up the Flux Capacitor.

This trip is focused on what, in the whiskey world, is known as a “Dusty.” A dusty whiskey has several different definitions, depending on the person you’re talking with. Some say it is an old bottle just sitting on a store shelf gathering “dust.” Others feel that the whiskey must no longer be produced and must be older than eight years. Regardless of the criteria, dusty whiskeys are much sought-after and are rare expressions for many whiskey enthusiasts.

What makes a dusty so special? 

Most notably, the process of making whiskey was treated differently in the past. The grains were different (think non-GMO), the distillation proof was different, and the barrel entry proof was different. 

Today, Bourbon can be distilled as high as 80% ABV (160 proof) and can enter the barrel as high as 62.5% ABV (125 proof), but in the past, this may have varied greatly. Bourbon may have been distilled at 125 proof and entered the barrel uncut, or it may have been distilled at 110 proof and entered the barrel at 105 proof. These variables were all controlled by the master distiller and their vision of how the whiskey would be in a bottle.

Today’s bottle has its origin rooted in a dusty from “Old Grand-Dad”. National Distillers, a whiskey manufacturer, began operations in 1933, and when they were sold to Jim Beam in 1987, the Old Grand-Dad label sold along with it. So, at minimum, a Dusty Old Grand-Dad would be 47 years old. 

This was the flavor profile that captured the attention of Pursuit Spirits Master Blender, Ryan Cecil. Having tried several experiments, Cecil could not quite match the wonderful and antique flavor he found in the 47+ year-old Old Grand-Dad. One day, while enjoying a chardonnay on the porch with his wife, he noticed the wine offering that elusive buttery note he’d been looking for.

Cecil contacted Innerstave (a company providing oak and wood science solutions to the wine & spirits industry) to ask what brought that buttery note to chardonnay. Innerstave responded by providing samples of several French oak varieties, and Cecil found he’d struck gold. 

One of the 36-month seasoned French oak samples, when combined with a proprietary toast level, brought that aged Old Grand-Dad profile back to life! So, after over two years of trial and error, and multiple failed experiments, Cecil was finally able to offer an expression that would showcase this wonderful and historic whiskey profile. 

So, let’s get this vehicle up to 87 MPH and take a little sip back in time.

Pursuit Spirits Double-Oaked Bourbon Whiskey

On the Nose

Everything about this shouts butter and caramel. The nose has a lovely presentation of oak char overlaid with deep caramel; imagine making caramel from scratch and you didn’t burn the sugar, but you got it dark. Beneath that is the slight hint of candied orange, buttery shortbread cookies, and baking spices.

On the Palate

The front palate amplifies the notes one finds on the nose. The thought of Werther’s caramels melting over a butter-basted charred oak stave dominates my imagination. As the sip moves into the mid-palate, the caramel moves with it, but it’s joined by little pops of orange zest and buttery milk chocolate notes. I find the side of my tongue engaged by small but pleasant spikes of baking spice and cinnamon.  

Finish

The finish is medium to long. It is my favorite type of finish. One feels it has ended, but moments later you find that it is not finished, but only evolving. Minutes after the swallow, you can nurse these flavors back out of your cheeks and tongue discovering even more depth and nuance. All the while, the delightful balance of this whiskey reigns through the experience.

ABV: 54% (108 proof)

Rating: 95

Price: $79.99

Rating Key:
90-100: Buy & hoard it. Share it only with Whiskey nerds you want to be indebted to you.
70-89: Buy it, enjoy it liberally because you can get more when you want to.
40-69: Worth it to try because you can always make a cocktail if you need to
20-39: go ahead if you want to, experience is learning.
0-19: You were warned.

*Authors note—this product is currently available in MO, but supplies are extremely limited in the KC area. In light of that, I wanted to provide options for Pitch readers. If you are not able to find this at your local stores, you may request it, or it is being fulfilled online by www.seelbachs.com.