Review: Hirsch The Bivouac and Single Barrel Bourbons Silver and White

We’ve been writing about Hirsch since its 2016-ish relaunch, and the operation has grown in size and scope ever since. Today, Hirsch has at least 7 expressions under its belt, including three (very different) single barrel releases that are hard to distinguish from one another aside from peeping the color of the label. Ultimately you really have to read the fine print on the back to know what you’re getting.

Today we review two of those single barrel releases — both part of the permanent collection — and we’re also taking a look at The Bivouac, which is a permanent release product that is much more readily available than the single barrel bottles.

Hirsch The Bivouac Bourbon Review

This is a blend of two bourbons, but only barely. 95% is a 3 year, 5 month-old whiskey from a 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% barley mashbill. The other 5% is 8 years old, from a mash of 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% barley. All Kentucky distillate.

The whiskey’s a little rough-and-tumble, corn-heavy on the nose and a little boozy as it evokes aromas of Cracker Jack, roasted peanuts, and a little barnyard. A vein of ethanol weaves throughout, evoking youth.

The palate doesn’t do much to raise the bar over all that. Again the whiskey hits as a combination of peanut and popcorn, gently spiced with a spray of nutmeg and some anise. Tannic and gritty, it again comes across as overly boozy and undercooked, with no real oomph on the finish, ultimately making me wonder why this was bottled at 100 proof. As an 80 proof happy hour shot, The Bivouac might hold some promise against competition like Jim Beam White Label. Trying to push it uphill with a higher abv and a promise of more nuance just doesn’t pan out.

100 proof.

B- / $40 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Hirsch The Single Barrel Silver Bourbon Review

6 years, 4 months old. From Hirsch’s mash of 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% barley.

This is decidedly an oddball whiskey, and it hits you from the start. The nose is big and herbal, with lots of rosemary and anise, followed by a grind of fresh black pepper and cracked almond shells. More standard elements of caramel-dipped peanuts and roasted corn emerge from underneath, but the herbaceous qualities of the whiskey are impossible to ignore.

The palate is a truly wild ride, taking the herbal notes on the nose and running with them. Anise, rosemary, sage — then ample mint. Then menthol, as the whiskey digs deeper and deeper into its playbook. Flavors of tobacco pair with the menthol rush, culminating in a finish that returns to cracked black pepper and just a hint of fruit — black cherries, perhaps some raspberry. Notes of crumbled, dried black tea leaves take things to an exotic and increasingly unusual conclusion.

It’s definitely a whiskey to seek out if you’re looking for unexpected flavor combinations — though I’m on the fence as to whether they all work perfectly well together in the context of bourbon.

109.2 proof as reviewed. Barrel #23-3089.

B+ / $100

Hirsch The Single Barrel White Bourbon Review

4 years, 8 months old. 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% barley.

There’s plenty of youth here, but this bourbon never comes across as particularly brash. The nose has a big punch of peanut and popcorn notes, backed up by ample barrel char. Touches of anise add some intrigue, along with a more herbal element that — after ample time in glass — approaches marjoram.

The palate feels restrained and, again, rather young, but never unapproachable. Peanuts, brown butter, and banana bread notes are all well-represented, the underlying fruit mostly clinging to notes of mashed banana. Doughy, with low-lying notes of vanilla wafers and sesame seed, it never really emerges from its shell. Light touches of acetone add an industrial quality here and there.

It’s harmless on the finish — especially with a splash of water — for better or for worse.

101.8 proof as reviewed. Barrel #19-32831.

B- / $50

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