Luke Cuenco 08.01.24
Infused bourbon has been quite the journey for me. While I was initially opposed to the idea, I’ve slowly been acclimated to the new flavor profile and how it integrates pretty well with classic cocktails. Five Springs Infused Bourbon has been kind enough to send over a handful of bottles of their first three infused bourbons and so far I am pretty impressed with them. My favorite so far has been the Honey Sage infused bourbon and if you’re looking for a great addition to your summer iced tea, go ahead and check out our full review of that specific bourbon here. This week we are taking a few sips at what I would consider the boldest flavoring so far – the Blood Orange Infused Bourbon.
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REVIEW: Five Springs Blood Orange Infused Bourbon
Nose
Blood Orange is quite a strong scent and a zesty one at that. In contrast to its extremely citrusy and tart cousin, Blood Orange has a much more subtle mix of sweet and tart along with some floral notes that make it a favorite of many as a cocktail or soda flavor. In contrast to the overwhelming bourbon smell of the Honey Sage, the Blood Orange scent is prominent as soon as you pop the cork on this particular Five Springs-infused whiskey.
Palate
A quick neat pour from the bottle and a swig later I was pretty hooked. Once again Five Springs has managed to nail the flavor balance right out of the bottle without the need for any additions or mixing of cocktails. If you’re a fan of strong-tasting bourbon, Five Springs Blood Orange gives you a strong and familiar bourbon flavor but with a healthy and upfront dose of sweet and tangy blood orange too.
If you’re afraid that this simply tastes like a lot of other “orange-flavored” whiskeys, bourbons, and liquors, you don’t have to panic – this isn’t that. In contrast to the very syrupy, sweet, and sugary-tasting flavored spirits that are a dime a dozen out there, Five Springs has managed to keep things sweet and light without overwhelming your taste buds with flavored syrup. Although probably the most subtle of the notes, the floral aroma and taste of the infused blood orange is what really rounds the flavor of Five Springs out for me, and makes me want to revisit it in the future for a full run of classic bourbon cocktails.
Cocktail Suggestions
Speaking of cocktails and classics, Five Springs has a couple of suggestions for you if you’ve managed to pick up a bottle of this enjoyable Infused Blood Orange Bourbon. My favorite of the three should come as no surprise: The time-honored Old Fashioned is made more or less the same, but instead of your typical bourbon, you add in Five Springs Blood Orange. What this does is intensify the orange hints that you’d normally get in an Old Fashioned it does this so well that you can eliminate the orange peel and the cherry for that matter. This is an easy, simple, and fast cocktail to make that doesn’t require much else beyond bitters and the bourbon since everything else is taken care of by the bourbon itself!
The next two suggestions I’ve yet to try. One is a Manhattan which I have never been a big fan of but will put on my list of “to-do” cocktails that we’ll revisit down the road. The next is a Blood Orange Spritz. What’s interesting about this cocktail is that it combines the typically sweet and floral nature of the Blood Orange and Aperol, with some genuinely sour lemon juice. This bubbly citrusy concoction is the perfect sipping cocktail for an afternoon out on the porch.
Final Thoughts
So far Five Springs is two for two in their first lineup of their infused bourbons. I have already tried a small sampling of the final of the first three – Vanilla Maple, and I have to say the whole collection has a lot to offer bourbon and cocktail drinkers out there. For the Five Springs Blood Orange-infused bourbon, I have to say that it’s probably way better suited as a cocktail starter than anything else. The bolt blood orange flavor does a lot to streamline a lot of orange-themed cocktails and when combined with natural flavor enhancers like bitters or Aperol, you can really extend what Five Springs already has going on to make some pretty interesting and refreshing cocktails for just about any situation or meal (Bloody Orange Mary anyone?). I’d go as far as to say that with ice, the Blood Orange Infused Bourbon from Five Springs is refreshing on its own in the evening and probably my favorite way to enjoy it so far. If you can, I think Five Springs Blood Orange infused bourbon is worth a try!
