Review: Noble Oak Double Oak Bourbon

Review: Noble Oak Double Oak Bourbon

Noble Oak is a new brand of bourbon that takes traditional, sourced MGP whiskey, then finishes it with the addition of staves of former sherry barrels through a process called Compression Finishing. The Kentucky-based company doesn’t say much about what Compression Finishing is or how it works, but it doesn’t claim it to be an accelerated aging program of any kind.

It certainly does keep the price down, though. There’s no information included about mashbill or overall aging time, however.

Let’s dig in.

The nose is immediately heavy with sugar — butterscotch, caramel, maple, and vanilla cake frosting. Notes of coffee with cream cover up a hint of granary and a fresh oak note that grows heavier as it opens up with air. The palate’s a surprise: Much more cereal and far more wood, though there’s still plenty of sugar to go around, too. What’s not detectable is any semblance of sherry; those winey, citrus-dusted notes just never materialize in any meaningful way except as perhaps a touch of Orange Creamsicle on the finish. Some pepper notes linger on the back end, but the entire experience is so overwhelming with sweetness that the whiskey can come across more like a liqueur than a straight bourbon.

90 proof.

B- / $36 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]

Noble Oak Double Oak Bourbon

$36
7

Rating

7.0/10

Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content creation company.

6 Comments

  1. George Humbarger on March 7, 2020 at 2:44 pm

    I’m a diabetic. How much sugar in Nobel Oak
    whiskey?

    • D Cameron on March 4, 2022 at 7:21 pm

      Great everyday Bourbon. Smooth and consistent through finish with very light hints of vanilla, honey, and sherry.
      I could easily see this as a social bourbon add to the cigar lounge.



  2. Donald Beck on March 26, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    Dreadful. Sour. Bitter with a very harsh finish. Psss

    • L. Mancha on February 6, 2022 at 8:21 pm

      Agreed. Not what I was expecting at all from a “double oak” bourbon.



  3. Anonymous on March 22, 2022 at 8:58 pm

    Bland doesn’t hold up a Manhattan innocuous

  4. Steve on October 21, 2023 at 10:49 pm

    Love the smooth flavorful finish! Certainly will become a resident in my bourbon cabinet!

Leave a Comment





This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.