Episode 31: Ironroot Republic Distillery - Harbinger Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The Pot Still Column: Episode 31

Ironroot Republic Distillery - Harbinger Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Batch: 22B

Proof: 115

Age: 2 Years, 8 Months

Finish: None

Source: Ironroot Republic Distillery (Denison, Texas)

Price: $49.99

I was really excited to see Ironroot Harbinger on the shelves of my local big-box liquor store, as I had been meaning to try it ever since it won World's Best Bourbon in 2020. How could I not have been excited? Those awards are always perfect, unbiased reflections of a whiskey's quality, completely immune to the influence of monetary gain... right?

Fortunately, this purchase was worth my while, and I am happy to have the bottle in my collection. Is it worthy of the acclaim that it has gathered? We shall see.

Pulled straight from the Texan distillery's website, Ironroot Harbinger is the non-chill filtered flagship bourbon from Ironroot Distilling, and the first whiskey that the company ever released. The mash bill is comprised of purple corn, bloody butcher corn, flint corn, non-GMO yellow dent corn, and rye. That's a lot of corn. While the ages of past batches have varied, my bottle (Batch 22B) is 32 months old, aged in new American oak, and bottled at 115 proof. This is not a single barrel product, so I can assume that there is some uniformity across batches.

Ironroot proudly claims to employ French Brandy techniques in its distillation, an apparent ode to Denison's historic role in the salvation of Cognac grapes from a parasitic infection. Who knows? Not me. We're here to talk about bourbon (again...ugh).

Just as Texas toys with the idea of seceding from the United States, the State (Republic?) strives to differentiate itself from the rest of American whiskey by bestowing qualifying distilleries with the distinction of "Certified Texas Whiskey." Ironroot is part of this unofficial guild, as it is 100% distilled in Texas, unlike those commie bastards sourcing Kentucky/Indiana swill at Devil's River. I'm not sure what in tarnation they think they're doing, but they don't get to put the silver sticker of pureblooded Texan legitimacy on their bottles.

Let's get into the nose. I just spilled some of this on my Mac, goddammit--- don't swirl too hard, kids. At least it smells good! Big notes of wet brown sugar, leather, and Texas oak waft off of my MacBook Pro. Dark, slightly bitter vanilla is present as well, reminding me more of an unprocessed vanilla pod than the sweet extract. The corn impact is huge, and the scent of sweet, creamy cornmeal comes to mind.

The taste is full of the same notes that showed up in the nose, and the proof is not too hot. The flavor is well balanced, and there is far less astringent oak than I normally expect from an aged Texas spirit. That being said, there is no mistaking that this is from Texas, subdued as it may be compared to brands such as Balcones and Garrison Brothers. There is a bold, crafty note that betrays the use of grains outside of the mainstream. The flavors are hipster enough to make a cowboy roll over in his grave. The bottle wears a cowboy hat and boots, but the whiskey inside wears beanies and paints its nails black.

Closing Impression:

So what do I think of this bottle? It's pretty yummy, if I may say. Even so, I am finding a weak spot at the back of each sip that drives my appreciation of the whiskey down. Rather than peaking appropriately with a rich, rear-palate flavor crescendo, the Harbinger fizzles out just before coming fully to fruition. I am left feeling like it jogged across the finish line when it should've sprinted all the way. Being a Texas bourbon, it is much more flavorful and bold than most bourbon products, especially in its price range. The finish is quite nice, albeit a little drying. There are no noticeable faults or rough edges. Everything about the experience is good, but the whiskey falls slightly shy of being great-- it's just a matter of personal preference. Also, the cork is really hard to pull off, and that's stupid.

Nose: 83

Taste:82

Finish: 82

Overall: 82/100 [Good - Above average]

Why is the cork so hard to remove???