Cock of the Walk Proprietors Reserve is one of the more characterful bottles coming out of Bardstown right now, and it rewards knowing what it actually is. It is a high wheat bourbon, meaning wheat stands in for rye as the secondary grain, which trades the sharp peppery bite of a traditional Kentucky mashbill for something softer, rounder and distinctly dessert leaning. The liquid is column distilled to an undisclosed wheated recipe at an undisclosed Kentucky distillery, then brought to Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, where it matures in heavily charred new American oak carrying a proprietary toast. Preservation runs a deliberately different cask regimen on this label than on their estate wheated bourbon, aimed squarely at pushing the spice and structure forward rather than letting the wheat go soft and sleepy. The result lands somewhere unusual: the buttery, almost pastry like sweetness you expect from a high wheat bourbon, but with real backbone underneath it. It comes off the line non chill filtered and at a proof that shifts from batch to batch, which is very much the point of the label. Rather than proofing every release to a fixed house number, Preservation bottles each small batch where it sits, so intensity and texture genuinely differ from one bottle to the next. Check the proof statement on the label of the bottle you have, because it is telling you something specific about that batch. The name and the rooster come from a brand with roots going back to the early 1990s, though the whiskey in the bottle today is entirely Preservation's work. This is a bourbon for someone who wants the wheated profile without the softness, and who does not mind a little unpredictability from batch to batch.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
VARIES BY BATCH |
| Proof |
VARIES BY BATCH |
| Size |
750ml |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
Kentucky |
| Bottler |
Preservation Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky |
| Distillery |
Undisclosed Kentucky distillery, contract distilled |
| Category |
Bourbon Whiskey |
| Expression |
Proprietors Reserve |
| Age |
No Age Statement |
| Mashbill |
Undisclosed wheated mashbill |
| Maturation |
Heavily charred new American oak with proprietary toast |
| Filtration |
Non chill filtered |
| Production |
Small batch, variable proof |
Tasting Notes
Color: Deep burnished copper.
Nose: Buttery and dessert like, with almond toffee, caramel candy and baked apple, layered over dried peach, golden raisin and a savoury tobacco note.
Palate: Rich and velvety. Vanilla and high wheat sweetness lead, then dark dried fruit and red cherry, with a bright spike of cinnamon and clove through the middle.
Finish: Long, warm and honeyed, closing on toasted oak and lingering baking spice.
FAQ
Q: What does wheated mean?
A: The mashbill uses wheat rather than rye as the secondary grain alongside corn. Wheated bourbons are generally softer and sweeter, with less of the sharp pepper spice rye brings.
Q: Why does the proof change between bottles?
A: Each small batch is bottled where it lands rather than proofed to a fixed number. Documented releases have ranged from roughly 100 to 115 proof, so check the label on your specific bottle.
Q: Who makes it?
A: It is matured, batched and bottled by Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. The distillate itself is contract produced at an undisclosed Kentucky distillery to a wheated recipe.
Q: How old is it?
A: There is no age statement. Preservation's distributor describes the barrels as six to eight years old.
Q: Is it chill filtered?
A: No. It is bottled non chill filtered, which preserves texture and body at higher proof.
Q: Where can I buy Cock of the Walk Proprietors Reserve online?
A: Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
