One of America’s fastest-growing Bourbons, Punches Chance, has released its latest expression, The Left Cross.
Bottled at 48% ABV, the 14-year-old Bourbon expression comes out swinging after being finished for two to six months in 12-year-old Jamaican rum casks.
The initial American oak picks up vanilla, dark fruit, and warm oak flavours, while the finishing adds a distinct “funk” with brown sugar, ripe bananas, and sweet baking spice.
Luckily, the expression had both Master Distiller Kevin Curtis and Master Blender Stephen Hughes of IJW Whiskey Company in its corner to oversee the creation of a balanced and nuanced spirit where the elements of the Bourbon and the Rum co-exist beautifully.
“Our journey with The Left Cross is about taking an older whiskey and experimenting with unique finishing techniques – in this case, dark Jamaican Rum casks,” explains Umberto Luchini, founder of parent company Wolf Spirit.
“Our objective was to use the rum finishing to coax out more of the existing characteristics from the whiskey while adding a unique hint of sweetness,” he continued. “It’s a special craft to finish such a mature bourbon, but the masters at IJW Distillery have done an exceptional job finding the right balance.”
Named for the devastating left cross punch of Jamaican heavyweight fighter Donovan “Razor” Ruddock, the expression doesn’t pull any punches with a starting mash bill of 84 percent corn, eight percent malt, and eight percent rye.
Like a boxer’s career, the availability of the expression is limited, with only 2000 bottles produced.
For more information, go to puncherschancebourbon.com