Review: Eastside Distilling Burnside Bourbon and Marionberry Whiskey
Review: Eastside Distilling Burnside Bourbon and Marionberry Whiskey
We’ve covered Portland-based Eastside Distillings’s masterful Burnside Double Barrel Bourbon before. Today we’re looking at a couple of its other products, including the 4 year old straight bourbon which Double Barrel is based on. Thoughts follow.
Eastside Distilling Burnside Bourbon 4 Years Old – Youthful, but not brash or underdone, this is a fruity example of a craft bourbon. The nose offers cinnamon-dusted apples, vanilla, and a little citrus character — oranges, mainly. Along with all of the above, more of that citrus comes through on the body, perhaps with a little mango on top of it. It’s not until the finish mostly that the mashbill makes itself, offering a gentle grain character that offers spicy rye notes and a cereal-like finish. Frosted Flakes, though, not Grape Nuts. Solid mouthfeel thanks to its 96 proof bottling strength. B+ / $25
Eastside Distilling Marionberry Whiskey – Eastside’s whiskey (it doesn’t say which) flavored with local Oregon marionberries and bottled at a slim 60 proof. A pretty maroon in color, surprisingly woody on the nose. Ample fruitiness on the palate — think strawberries, with just a touch of blueberry in there too — but tempered with some of whiskey’s fresh vanilla. Still, the finish is quite sugary and overwhelmingly jammy. That’s not a slight, but this is a far different drinking experience than the typical bourbon fan might be accustomed to. 70 proof. B / $34