Clyde May’s Bourbon Review

Clyde May’s
Straight Bourbon Whiskey
92 Proof
Conecuh Ridge Distillery
Distilled in Indiana
Age: 4-5 years
MSRP: $48.99
Review

Please enjoy our Clyde May’s Bourbon review!

Clyde May Was A Famous Alabama Moonshiner

The Clyde May’s brand pays homage to famed Alabama moonshiner, Clyde May. In fact, Alabama is one of the two states that have a state spirit, and theirs is Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey. Clyde May’s Bourbon also comes from Conecuh Ridge Distillery, so in effect, it is Alabama’s State Spirit, albeit, once removed. Alabama Style Whiskey is a little bit different from bourbon as it is finished with a small amount of apples. Of course, you can’t add apples, or anything, to a bourbon, since no additives are allowed. The story goes, that back in the day, Clyde would age a single barrel of whiskey for one year, to give as gifts. To mellow out the flavors of his young whiskey, he would add some oven baked and broiled apples. Hence, “Alabama Style” Whiskey was born.

What about Clyde May’s Bourbon?

As far as this bourbon goes, all we know is that it is distilled in Indiana, presumably at MGP (Now known as Ross & Squibb). It’s non-chill filtered, and is 4-5 years old. Other specifics are not provided. For us whiskey geeks, it is interesting that it is non-chill filtered, but yet bottled at 92 proof. 92 proof is right at the “floc point”, which is the proof below which some compounds, such as some proteins, fatty acids and esters, will come out of solution when chilled. That doesn’t hurt the flavor at all, but it can make the product get hazy, and some people don’t find that appealing.

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

Nose: Apple, sweet cherry, caramel, brown sugar, honey, light cinnamon; light oak; moderate alcohol
Taste: Cinnamon, sweet caramel and brown sugar, soft apple juice; a bit of barrel char and spice build fairly rapidly; there are some stone fruits in the background as well.
Finish: Fairly rapidly developing and long lasting spice; a combination of black pepper and barrel char; moderate burn with some dryness growing along with the spice; a little apricot tang appears later; long finish

The nose first reminds me of a warm apple cobbler. Interestingly, the flavors evolve into apple & cherry cobbler later on. The same warm desert feeling continues into the taste, which has a bit of a syrupy mouthfeel. There is quite a bit of spice that develops in the finish and serves almost as a palate cleanser. Although, not quite, as tart dried apricot become more noticeable towards the end.

Leather?

The tasting notes provided by Clyde May’s, and many other reviewers, mention leather as one of the dominant flavors. Leather is a flavor/aroma that I often get from whiskey, but I don’t get it at all here. So, that is a bit of a quandary to me.

Conclusion – Clyde May’s Bourbon Review

Overall, Clyde May’s Bourbon is a very pleasant and drinkable bourbon. While it has a “sitting by the fire eating pastry” kind of feeling to it, it also would be great for sipping outside on a warm day. In fact, the label says: “…easy drinking spirit… Straightforward, porch–sitting, rocking chair bourbon”. I would agree with that!

Have you tried Clyde May’s Bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!

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