TINCUP 10-Year Bourbon

I’ve shared on numerous occasions  that if you’ve got a cool-looking bottle, I’m probably stopping to take a look - and better yet, have an age statement on the label. With those two descriptors, there’s a high likelihood that I’m putting it in the cart “for the blog”. Today, we’re checking out TINCUP 10-Year Bourbon.

Aged Sourced Whiskey  

TINCUP hearkens back to Colorado’s first whiskey drinkers and miners and the tin cups from which they drank. You can find the whole story here from our initial review of the TINCUP brand. One distinction from TINCUP American Whiskey is that this 10-year product is bourbon, with nothing added other than water to proof the finished product (unlike the original TINCUP Whiskey which added a small amount of Stranahan Malt Whiskey).

The product is bottled at 5,251 feet above sea level at its Denver facility. The bourbon itself, though, is distilled in Indiana by MGP. 

The Tasting   

This bourbon reflects the typical high-rye mash bill from MGP containing 64% corn, 32% rye and 4% malted barley and is bottled an an approachable 84 proof. From the website, we’re told to expect cinnamon, pine, honey and fgreshly cut grass on the nose, followed by sweet pepper, leather, and raisins on the plate, finishing with caramel and biscuits. 

Eye: Medium-spaced legs of dark copper adorn my Glencairn glass. 

Nose:Vanilla followed by grains, marzipan / almond paste, doughy pie crust, and earthy herbs and botanicals. There is a lot going on in this one! 

Palate: Very smooth with vanilla, malted grains, light spice, and sweet, dark fruit. 

Finish: Caramel and pie crust, with oak and spice arriving late. This was shorter than I’d expect from a 10-year bourbon, but also not completely unexpected with its low proof.

Overall: TINCUP 10-Year Bourbon was a decent pour. At $50, it is easily pushing into a premium spirit price. Like its American Whiskey sibling, this is smooth and light. I appreciated the 10-year labeling, as well as the bourbon standard (nothing added). To its demise, though, this is similar to a Basil Hayden product with its lower proof. For a taste as bold as the Rockies themselves, I’d love to see what this could be at 90 or 92 proof.