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Bourbon

15 Stars Vino de Naranja Finished Bourbon Aged 8 Years

$139
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OVERALL
RATING

8

Bourbon Review: 15 Stars Vino de Naranja Finished Bourbon Aged 8 Years

We review 15 Stars Vino de Naranja Finished Bourbon Aged 8 Years, a blend of two bourbons, each aged eight years, was finished in a single Vino de Naranja cask.
  • Nino Kilgore-Marchetti, founder of The Whiskey Wash, is an award-winning whiskey journalist, expert, and judge
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Tasting Notes:

About:
This is a blend of two bourbons, each aged eight years, finished in a single Vino de Naranja cask. It is bottled at 102.8 proof and priced at $139.
Appearance:
A lovely orange-amber glow in glass reflects thick legs and moderate viscosity.
Nose:
A rich orange vanilla note emerges upon the first sniff, offering a soft orange candy smell. This is supported by a bit of oak, a helping of molasses, some excellent butterscotch considerations, and some toffee.
Palate:
This is delicate and approachable on the palate. It brings a nice orange candy note supported by rich vanilla DNA and some generous oak. Carrying on, this one finds a bit of cherry, some toffee, fresh figs, a slight hint of coriander, and dried apples.
Finish:
A clean and decent finish wraps up this bourbon, giving a slightly orange and sweet end that extends over a long period of time.
Comments:
15 Stars Vino de Naranja Finished Bourbon Aged 8 Years is an excellent expression for this brand’s first-ever single barrel offering. It showcases yet again the ability of father and son whiskey blenders Rick and Ricky Johnson to put together an outstanding offering.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

15 Stars Vino de Naranja Finished Bourbon Aged 8 Years review
We review 15 Stars Vino de Naranja Finished Bourbon Aged 8 Years, a blend of two bourbons, each aged eight years, was finished in a single Vino de Naranja cask. (image via 15 Stars)

Editor’s Note: We received a review sample of this whiskey from the brand. However, in accordance with our editorial policies, this has not influenced the outcome of our review in any way.

15 Stars, founded by father and son whiskey blenders Rick and Ricky Johnson, has made a name since coming online in 2022. The brand has received over 100 of the world’s most coveted whiskey awards, including several “best in class” awards. Operations are managed out of Bardstown, Kentucky, where 15 Stars works with a partner distillery (likely Bardstown Bourbon Co.) to distill over a dozen different whiskey mash bills, some of which include unique specialty heirloom corn (black, red, white, and blue) that the family grows for its gourmet specialty popcorn business, Black Jewell Popcorn.

Additionally, 15 Stars maintains a stock of sourced aged whiskeys, released periodically as unique offerings. The brand’s name pays homage to Kentucky as the 15th state, with Kentucky’s recognition on the second US flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes, which was authorized by President George Washington in 1795.

What’s in the bottle

The whiskey being reviewed here, 15 Stars Vino de Naranja Finished Bourbon Aged 8 Years, was released earlier this summer as 15 Stars’ first single-barrel offering. A blend of two bourbons, each aged eight years, was finished in a single Vino de Naranja cask. The two bourbons were flavor-proofed ahead of finishing, and the bottles were released at the finishing barrel strength of 102.8 proof.

With only 316 bottles available, this bourbon was priced at $139 when it became available.

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder of The Whiskey Wash, an award-winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y globally. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert, and judge, he has written extensively about the subject, been interviewed in various media outlets, and provided tasting input on many whiskeys at competitions.

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