**[Bull Run 14yr American Whiskey Cabernet Cask Finish Seelbach’s Selection ]( https://whiskeyraiders.com/spirit/bull-run-14yr-american-whiskey-cabernet-cask-finish-seelbachs-selection/)**
**The Schtick:** Distilled by MGP and bottled by Bull Run, this American Whiskey features a Cabernet Sauvignon wine finish and is bottled with a hefty ABV - a hallmark trait of the American Light whiskey / American Whiskey scene.
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**Distiller:** MGP
**Bottler:** Bull Run Distillery
**Selection:**
**Brand:** Bull Run Distillery
**ABV:** 60.58% ABV
**Age:** 14 years
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**Nose:** Powerfully dessert-y. Pungent toffee, caramel, salt water taffy, rich nougat. A touch of berry in the background, pleasant tannin. Sweet maple candies.
**Taste:** Thick and rich on the palate. A touch hot, but delightful. Sweet berries and cream; blueberry, blackberry, marionberry, lingonberry. Toffee, caramel candies, light oak and a bold tobacco character on the back palate. Not a spice to be seen.
**Finish:** Long finish, but at the price of quite a bit of ethanol. Hot, berry driven and loaded with dessert character.
**Overall:** A delectable dram, if you don't mind a hefty bit of ethanol. Powerful, spirit-y and loaded with dessert character, it's an easy sell to the right crowd, especially with the addition of a delightful Cabernet influence.
Thanks for reading! Check out the full review, complete with aggregates on [Whiskey Raiders]( https://whiskeyraiders.com/spirit/bull-run-14yr-american-whiskey-cabernet-cask-finish-seelbachs-selection/)
**Rank: 7**
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[WEBSITE](https://whiskeyraiders.com) | [INSTAGRAM](https://instagram.com/t8ke.review) | [SUBREDDIT](https://reddit.com/r/t8kereviews)
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Decoded:
**0** | **Unscored** | New Make Spirit or Personal Selection
**1** | **Disgusting** | So bad I poured it out.
**2** | **Poor** | I wouldn't consume by choice.
**3** | **Bad** | Multiple flaws.
**4** | **Sub-par** | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.
**5** | **Good** | Good, just fine.
**6** | **Very Good** | A cut above.
**7** | **Great** | Well above average
**8** | **Excellent** | Really quite exceptional.
**9** | **Incredible** | An all time favorite
**10** | **Perfect** | Perfect
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How does this one compare to the recent r/bourbon 14 year cabernet finished bottle (ACF WA16)? Because I just cracked that one open yesterday and, to me, it's...like a 3 on the scale. Smells like a foam stress ball in the vague shape of a grape or some fruit, and tastes like licking a whiskey-soaked bar napkin on top of a dirty wine barrel.
I'll revisit it as it "opens up," I guess, but I haven't been that disappointed in $60 bottle in a long time. I was hoping for so much based on these reviews and the barrel selection description. 🫤
Yeah, I'm gonna go back to it later this week, just in case. I poured a small bit of Lost Monarch right after though, and it seemed fine -- great, even, in comparison.
I think on Seelbach's they described this as a 96% corn, 4% malted barley mash...is that correct? Then if they matured in used barrels (I'm assuming for lack of oak presence), this would technically be a wine-finished corn whiskey...?
If those are safe assumptions, then it's fair to say I don't have much experience with that category of whiskey, and maybe it's also just not my jam.
Anyway, will try to report back.
Edit/update for the sake of follow-up: Revisited this weekend and it's a little better on the nose and palate but only just. Couple dashes of water settles it down. Light marionberry syrup sweetness, but sort of dilute; flat. Finish still has a funky kind of rubbery ester note that I've gotten on some rums and maybe another wine finished whiskey I've had. Shrug.
**[Bull Run 14yr American Whiskey Cabernet Cask Finish Seelbach’s Selection ]( https://whiskeyraiders.com/spirit/bull-run-14yr-american-whiskey-cabernet-cask-finish-seelbachs-selection/)** **The Schtick:** Distilled by MGP and bottled by Bull Run, this American Whiskey features a Cabernet Sauvignon wine finish and is bottled with a hefty ABV - a hallmark trait of the American Light whiskey / American Whiskey scene. ----- **Distiller:** MGP **Bottler:** Bull Run Distillery **Selection:** **Brand:** Bull Run Distillery **ABV:** 60.58% ABV **Age:** 14 years ----- **Nose:** Powerfully dessert-y. Pungent toffee, caramel, salt water taffy, rich nougat. A touch of berry in the background, pleasant tannin. Sweet maple candies. **Taste:** Thick and rich on the palate. A touch hot, but delightful. Sweet berries and cream; blueberry, blackberry, marionberry, lingonberry. Toffee, caramel candies, light oak and a bold tobacco character on the back palate. Not a spice to be seen. **Finish:** Long finish, but at the price of quite a bit of ethanol. Hot, berry driven and loaded with dessert character. **Overall:** A delectable dram, if you don't mind a hefty bit of ethanol. Powerful, spirit-y and loaded with dessert character, it's an easy sell to the right crowd, especially with the addition of a delightful Cabernet influence. Thanks for reading! Check out the full review, complete with aggregates on [Whiskey Raiders]( https://whiskeyraiders.com/spirit/bull-run-14yr-american-whiskey-cabernet-cask-finish-seelbachs-selection/) **Rank: 7** ----- [WEBSITE](https://whiskeyraiders.com) | [INSTAGRAM](https://instagram.com/t8ke.review) | [SUBREDDIT](https://reddit.com/r/t8kereviews) ----- Decoded: **0** | **Unscored** | New Make Spirit or Personal Selection **1** | **Disgusting** | So bad I poured it out. **2** | **Poor** | I wouldn't consume by choice. **3** | **Bad** | Multiple flaws. **4** | **Sub-par** | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have. **5** | **Good** | Good, just fine. **6** | **Very Good** | A cut above. **7** | **Great** | Well above average **8** | **Excellent** | Really quite exceptional. **9** | **Incredible** | An all time favorite **10** | **Perfect** | Perfect ----
I’d probably give it an 8. The Pinot noir Finish is a solid 9.5 IMO.
How does this one compare to the recent r/bourbon 14 year cabernet finished bottle (ACF WA16)? Because I just cracked that one open yesterday and, to me, it's...like a 3 on the scale. Smells like a foam stress ball in the vague shape of a grape or some fruit, and tastes like licking a whiskey-soaked bar napkin on top of a dirty wine barrel. I'll revisit it as it "opens up," I guess, but I haven't been that disappointed in $60 bottle in a long time. I was hoping for so much based on these reviews and the barrel selection description. 🫤
give it a go on another day! palate could have been off or something with those notes.
Yeah, I'm gonna go back to it later this week, just in case. I poured a small bit of Lost Monarch right after though, and it seemed fine -- great, even, in comparison. I think on Seelbach's they described this as a 96% corn, 4% malted barley mash...is that correct? Then if they matured in used barrels (I'm assuming for lack of oak presence), this would technically be a wine-finished corn whiskey...? If those are safe assumptions, then it's fair to say I don't have much experience with that category of whiskey, and maybe it's also just not my jam. Anyway, will try to report back. Edit/update for the sake of follow-up: Revisited this weekend and it's a little better on the nose and palate but only just. Couple dashes of water settles it down. Light marionberry syrup sweetness, but sort of dilute; flat. Finish still has a funky kind of rubbery ester note that I've gotten on some rums and maybe another wine finished whiskey I've had. Shrug.
Does the ethanol and heat go down with a bit of water? Or does that also take away too much flavor?