Hello all. I've been reading reviews here for a long time and now I'm jumping in on the action since I still don't see any reviews for the whiskey listed in the title above.
Cumberland Cask was 'resurrected after four generations' by the great grandson (Josh Eskrill) of Davidson County legend whiskey maker Manuel. As the story goes, Manuel was known by many after the Prohibition as the foremost authority on Tennessee whiskey. 'It wasn't long before he left his self made department store next to the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville to make whiskey his way of life.' Now, 'holding to his tradition,' Eskrill is taking Tennessee Whiskey back to where it started, to the days before charcoal filtering (in my opinion) ruined Tennessee Whiskey.
Cumberland Cask Barrel Cut, an uncut, unfiltered, hand crafted whiskey, is the exact recipe Manuel was selling all those years ago, apparently. The only difference is I bet Manuel wasn't selling his barrel cut whiskey at $45 a bottle. Haha. There is also a standard 90 proof offering that is quite tasty. I still need to buy and try the limited edition Ruby Cut that is being sold in my local store for $59.99. I have heard it is quite excellent. It is apparently the 90 proof recipe aged in California Port barrels.
OK. So more about the barrel cut version. At 118 proof, you might expect this to be a burning ball of tasteless ethanol, but I am here to tell you, there is no whiskey or whisky I enjoy more on Earth right now than this one. Suprisingly smooth for its high alcohol content (more so IMO than Booker's or WT Rare Breed) with just the right amount of spice and fruitiness, leather and smoke. Of course it is sweet thanks to the corn, but the rye comes theough and balances very well and each sip leaves you with a hint of smoke courtesy of some malted barley. I smell and taste caramel, apple and a hint of cherry and blueberry. My tongue also picks up a hint of blackberry in there I think.
The mash bill is 70% corn, 25% rye, and 5% malted barley, if you are curious. All of Cumberland's stuff is aged between 6.5 and 8.5 years. And as noted, this is not chill filtered or charcoal mellowed. Which is a plus for me, as I am certainly no fan of Jack or his Tennessee relatives (I am a KY Straight Bourbon man, sorry fellow Volunteers).
There's more history about the makers and the company out there on the Web. I am so happy to be from Tennessee now that we have a whiskey I actually enjoy to call our own! As noted above, I am looking forward to trying the limited edition Ruby Cut, which is aged in California Port Barrels. A buddy of mine says he can't bring himself to share even a sip of the little he has left with anyone else (I will remember that one day when I stea....errr....buy a bottle of 17YO Eagle Rare or some 20YO Pappy Van Winkle). Note that you might have trouble finding this whiskey if you live too far outside of Nashville. I hope the distribution channels open up soon so others may enjoy my favorite whiskey.
So that is that for my first post fellow bourbon and whiskey and whisky lovers. I have much to share and much more to learn, as I have only been drinking whiskey for the past 10 years (I am 29. My first few sips came as a 19 year old boy at my grandfather's home in the mountains of East Tennessee. That was and remains perfectly legal under Tennessee law by the way, as long as you are with an elder relative and with approval from one or both of your parents/gaurdians).
Happy sipping!
-Mark from Murfreesboro, TN