There are wines and spirits with a ‘great’ story, and there are wines and spirits that taste great and are sometimes a great value. A product that offers flavor and value can eventually earn a following, but a product with a story but without flavor and value quickly disappear from the retail shelve.

While attending the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival I had the opportunity to taste three of American Freedom Distillery’s Horse Soldier Bourbon…story, taste, and value.

Currently distilled in Columbus, Ohio (Horse Soldier started with eight-year-old stock), the St. Petersburg, Florida based operation was founded by a group of retired Afghanistan veteran Green Berets. Named for the Green Beret use of horses to navigate the difficult Afghan terrain, and with bottles of their Signature Bourbon pressed in molds made from steel “salvaged from the World Trade Center site after the events of September 11, 2001”, this is clearly a product with a compelling backstory. Moreover, a portion of all bourbon proceeds “support the America’s Response monument” at New York’s Ground Zero.

The Horse Soldier team did not rely on the backstory. They visited distilleries in Scotland, Ireland, and Kentucky to better understand the process, created the tagline “Legendary Men, Legendary Spirits”, and hit the road to introduce Horse Soldier Bourbon. They sold the first year’s allocation in a month.

I had the opportunity to taste the Straight/87 Proof ($39), Small Batch/95 Proof ($59), and Barrel Strength/108.5 Proof ($79) bourbons.

The Straight Bourbon is produced of 65% Corn/30% Rye/5% Barley. They use limestone filters and new American Oak (required for Bourbon). The result is a “caramel, toasted corn, and a dark fruit nose”. The oak that emerges on the nose continues through the palate with vanilla and a hint of honey. The lingering finish offers honey and a “warm spicy feel”.

The Small Batch offers a different mashbill. The 70% Corn/20% Soft Winter Wheat/10% Barley is also filtered with limestone and aged in new American Oak. The oak is more prominent with this style. The caramel and the honey is joined by a hint of raisin on the nose. The honey continues on the palate and you will find notes of apple that continues through the finish.

The Barrel Strength is also produced of 70% corn/20% soft winter wheat/10% Barley with limestone filters and new American Oak aging. The corn, however, is Yellow Dent. The Yellow Dent is noted for ‘high soft starch’ that increases sugars and thus alcohol, and in turn offers ‘spiced raisin and toffee’ as prominent elements of the flavor package. I generally find barrel strength spirits to be uncomfortably high in alcohol. And, while the Horse Soldier Barrel Strength is certainly high in alcohol, the mashbill has resulted in a smooth drink with a wonderful deep copper hue in a well-structured spirit.

You can currently find Horse Soldier throughout Florida (including Wine World locations in the panhandle). The website suggests that you could find Horse Soldier in Columbia, South Carolina with plans of soon appearing in Charleston. New York distribution is on the very near horizon.

Look for this one…the Bourbon is excellent, and the story are compelling.