13th Colony Double Oaked Bourbon (Batch 3, 2024) Review

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It seems like just yesterday that I was just an average whiskey reviewer doing some research on the source of 13th Colony’s Double Oaked Bourbon. My findings led me to write this article where I explained that not only did I believe that 13th Colony sourced the bourbon from another distillery for that release, but that they’ve actually sourced barrels for ALL of whiskey they’ve ever sold.

What came next was something I never expected. First my article got shared across various social media platforms. Then came a comment by the Bourbon Pursuit Podcast guys who chimed in that what my article said wasn’t even the biggest story about 13th Colony. They alleged that their bourbon was so dark and artificial-tasting that it could only be the product of using additives.

That story set off an explosive chain of events that basically occupied my entire month of December. WhiskeyTubers fought left and right about the truthfulness behind both accusations. It was enough that I felt compelled to write a follow-up article because not a single rebuttal from 13th Colony explicitly claimed that the whiskey they sold was distilled by them.

The hype has since died down and now I find myself reviewing Batch 3. This probably has many of you wondering “didn’t he learn his lesson?”

13th Colony Double Oaked Bourbon (Batch 3)

I know a lot of people called my article on 13th Colony a “hit piece.” In reality, I just wanted to call them out for not being open and transparent on their labels or press releases. I found myself really enjoying their Double Oaked Bourbon and I wanted to give credit where credit was due. If they source it from MGP or Barton, that’s fine by me. Hell, even if it’s loaded with additives (which I now believe it is), then okay, just say so. In fact, I want to learn more about these additives because it’s one of the few times I’ve drank a whiskey with them in it that it didn’t taste gross or too sweet.

So here I am with another bottle of their most recent batch. The labeling hasn’t changed a single iota (except for proof and batch info), but the demand seems to be just as strong as last year. Secondary market prices (which I paid) are still around $600.

What’s the secret of its success? It first starts out with a solid base bourbon usually aged around 8-9 years. I’m assuming that it’s sourced from MGP or Barton and it was re-barreled in a new charred oak cask. I believe that if the oak extract liquid wasn’t poured directly into the bourbon, then the secondary barrel had some poured into it before it was filled with bourbon. The concept is to make the inside of the barrel “wet.” This technique is referred to by other producers as “charging” the barrels.

Charging (or recharging; I’ve heard both terms), is a common tactic with finished whiskey producers who don’t want to buy a fresh new barrel of Sherry, Port, Cognac every time they want to finish a whiskey. You simply take a few gallons of the liquid you want the barrel to taste like, dump it in and let it rest for a few days to absorb into the wood. Then you dump it back out so that residual liquid won’t count as an additive. At least in theory this is how it works. It’s rumored that many producers (not just 13th Colony) might neglect the last step before adding whiskey back into the barrel.

13th Colony does one more step where they introduce wood spirals (French Oak, maple wood or both) into the barrel through the bunghole and let the newly filled barrel rest in Georgia’s hot and humid weather.

The final product comes out tar-black. When it’s held up to sunlight, you can see an unusual shade of red around the “corona” (look at my pictures to see how red the liquid appears – that’s not photoshopped). But all anyone ever says when I try to explain why I think the color is from additives is “Who cares? Is it good?” So today I get to find out if it’s still as good as the previous two batches. Here we go. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Scents of rich oak, coffee and milk chocolate are recognizable first. There are other sweet notes of toffee, saltwater taffy and maple + honey hard candies.  I’m not detecting many fruit notes and there isn’t much by way of spice notes, but each scent has a very strong presence. This is a dessert-lover’s nose through and through.

Palate: The heat gradually builds with each sip, but still seems controllable. I’m finding chocolate covered raisins, Tootsie Rolls and loads of oak. The heat builds with the help of sharp cinnamon spice and ground black pepper. Other tannins include loads of leather and cedar cigar box flavors. I even find some dried fig notes to round out another fruit note.

Finish: I find lingering chocolate and oak notes after the sip is complete. It never seems to get too bitter. This is probably because of the sweet notes that also accompany them on the finish to include toffee, caramel fudge and a touch of peppermint. Overall, it’s everything I want it to be and not much more than that. Simple, yet memorable.

Score: 8.5/10

13th Colony Double Oaked is still in top form with Batch 3, but the magic may be starting to wane just a little bit. This might be because I’ve already experienced it multiple times in the past year and I’m becoming more familiar with the overall profile, but to me it feels like a couple layers have fallen off the nose and palate. There’s no doubt this is still a huge, powerful bourbon, but Batch 3 is ever-so-slightly less complex.

Still, if you want to experience a wave of oak and not have it be too bitter, this is the bottle you want. Chocolate notes follow the oak almost every step of the way and the spice and heat are just enough to keep you on your toes. I think more inexperienced drinkers will find some difficulty in drinking this neat and may have to resort to adding some water. A bourbon I equate to for a similar experience (to the heat, that is), is Stagg Jr. You usually had to let that one air out for your tongue to handle it.

Final Thoughts

If you can look beyond the allegations of additives in this bourbon, you’ll find a bourbon that’s still impressive among a sea of competitors that hawk similar styles of whiskey. That’s not easy to do when everyone and their mom is launching some whiskey finished in every style of cask known to man.

This was one of my most requested samples from my friends in 2024 because it’s so polarizing. I’m not saying this makes it worth $600 to get your own bottle on the secondary market, but I’ve seen people spending that much to buy much lesser bottles. So proceed with caution if you set out to get your own. If you do, I can promise you that it’ll be the talk of the next bottle share you attend.