Calumet Farm 8 Year Old Bourbon (750ml)

Calumet Farm 8 Year Bourbon opens with aged-oak aromas and a deep vanilla undertone. The producer describes vanilla and fruit at the start of the palate, followed by soft white pepper and a fuller woody character. Balanced sweetness and a fading caramel note shape the finish. It offers a more moderate-strength way to explore the Calumet range’s combination of oak, fruit and spice.

Try a small pour neat before adding water, comparing the vanilla-led opening with the later pepper and oak. A large cube is an option for gradual cooling. In an Old Fashioned, start with modest sugar so you can adjust the cocktail around the bourbon’s existing sweetness.

How it’s made: Distilled and aged in Kentucky for eight years, this bourbon uses 74% corn, 18% rye and 8% malted barley. Batches contain fewer than fifty selected barrels. Three Springs Bottling Company in Bowling Green bottles it at 90 proof, or 45% ABV.