Three Chord Whiskey Drummer Batch 3 Review
In-Depth Review
We have finally come to the end of the excellent Three Chord tasting set put together by the WBSE Facebook group. And I’ve tried to save the best for last with this final expression. Called Whiskey Drummer, this expression represents the halo product from Three Chord – a 15 year non-chill filtered bourbon bottled at barrel proof. Three Chord has released two batches of Whiskey Drummer so far, made up of 10 barrels each. Oddly named Batch 1 and Batch 3…it begs the question, what happened to Batch 2? But with an MSRP of $189.99, this is the oldest and most expensive whiskey bottled by Three Chord, and marks a perfect way to end this deep dive into this exciting new brand.
Age: 15 Year
ABV: 107.3
Cask: Virgin Oak Casks
MSRP: $189.99
Distillery Name: Three Chord
Review Date: 12/20/21
Color: Dark Gold
Nose: First impressions – this nose is lovely. Soft notes of leather and tobacco complement bright citrus notes of orange peel and lemon zest. There is a sweet almond cream note with fresh chopped wood, honey, and walnut. The nose is bright and lively even with darker wood and tobacco notes that 15 years in the barrel have imparted.
Palate: The palate starts off with a touch of heat but isn’t overpowering. The palate is rich, nutty, and chewy. The first half of the palate has notes of cherry cordial, chocolate shavings, and peanuts while the back half is more focused on wood, leather, and burnt sugars. There’s a wood character that balances out the toffee sweetness well, without dominating or creating a dry experience. The palate can be spikey at times, with strong oak cutting through other flavors. It features a good mouthfeel with great heat – even at just 107 proof. Adding a few drops of water really opens up the palate, with more nuanced baking spices like clove and allspice, more vanilla. The water helps to tone down the wood, offering a more inviting palate overall.
Finish: Long and rewarding finish that keeps highlighting that strong oak influence with wood char and spice also coming through. After adding a few drops of water, the finish lingers with more butterscotch and burnt vanilla.
Final Thoughts: After finishing the core range of Three Chord’s offerings, I can admit that while I enjoy this 15 year Whiskey Drummer expression, I am drawn to the fruiter and sweeter side of the younger Twelve Bar Reserve even more. This release is geared more towards those drinkers who enjoy a drier profile with strong wood influence and I found it a bit too oaky and spikey for me at times. However, after adding a few drops of water this improved dramatically for me. The water added a sweeter, more nuanced complexity to the palate, offered more butterscotch on the finish and worked to soften some hard edges that the oak created. And at $200 a bottle, this is a hard whiskey to recommend for the normal drinker. If I had to choose, I would save the extra $100 and grab the fantastic Twelve Bar Reserve expression instead!
