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Wilderness and Whiskey

Silverthorn Reserve 10-Year Review: Is It Worth $100?

Our Silverthorn Reserve 10-Year review covers its bourbon and rye blend, vanilla and butterscotch notes, spicy finish, and whether it earns its $100 price.

In this post
  1. At a glance
  2. The blend and its Sagamore connection
  3. Nose: vanilla, butterscotch and clove
  4. Palate and finish: toffee, mint and pepper
  5. Around $100 is a steep price for a first try

Silverthorn Reserve 10-Year brings together sweet, rich bourbon and spicy rye in a dessert-like blend. We enjoyed that balance in Whiskey on the Fly, our quick-hit whiskey review format, with both sides of the blend showing up clearly in the glass.

At a glance

  • Age statement: 10 years, the youngest whiskey in the blend.
  • Strength: About 51.5% ABV, approximately 103 proof.
  • Price: Around $100.
  • Ratings: One of us gave it a double do on our scale; the other gave it a red.

The blend and its Sagamore connection

Silverthorn Reserve uses sourced whiskey as a non-distilling producer, or NDP. Drew, the CEO, came from Sagamore and sent us three samples to try. We think their own whiskey could come later, but this release is sourced.

The blend includes 50% 13-year straight bourbon. It also contains 10-year straight rye with a 51% rye mash bill, plus 22% straight rye with a 95% rye mash bill.

We usually enjoy bourbon-and-rye blends. That combination can bring the mint and spice we like from rye alongside bourbon’s smoothness, sweetness and a little oakiness.

Nose: vanilla, butterscotch and clove

Vanilla and butterscotch lead the nose, with good sweetness right away. Underneath that, we get rye spice and a little clove.

The butterscotch stands out enough that, once we picked it up, it became hard to miss.

Palate and finish: toffee, mint and pepper

The vanilla and butterscotch carry from the nose into the sip. We get toffee, cinnamon and brown sugar alongside the bourbon’s sweet, rich character.

Then the rye hits with mint and rye spice. That shift gives the blend a nice balance between dessert-like sweetness and spice.

The finish feels heavy, with a little peppery spice. There’s some oak on the back end, followed by lingering sweetness.

Around $100 is a steep price for a first try

We both liked the whiskey, but one of us felt $100 was a little high just to try it. Enjoying the pour and feeling comfortable taking a chance on the bottle are two different questions at that price.

For more from the same brand, see our Silverthorn Reserve 13-Year Bourbon review and Silverthorn Reserve 10-Year Port-Finished Rye review.

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