Subtle hints of rose petals and ripe cherries on the nose. You don’t want the day to end and you wish you had bought another bottle of Old Bone 15 yr. You feel deeply satisfied but also hopeful. The conversation is deliberate and life affirming, and then you sip this whiskey in between listening and talking. I picture rocking chairs and a creaky porch, and then this bourbon is what you are drinking with your favorite aunt or uncle. Imagine a late summer afternoon in the South, where the sun has gone under the horizon, and the heat of the day has subsided to a comfortable temperature. Being able to try new things in the whiskey space, without strings attached, is an opportunity we greatly appreciate.Old Bones 15 Year is an elegant bourbon – a quintessential sipper. TheBourbonFinder thanks Luca Mariano for graciously providing us a sample of their product. I’ll be curious to see what the Luca Mariano brand will roll out once it’s own still is online but, for now, the product they’re releasing is contract distilled at Wilderness Trail Distillery, and is a fine example of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. So while a few things about the brand’s marketing might be confusing to a consumer, I’m concerned with one thing above all else: the quality of the liquid–and the quality is there. The press material implies Italian heritage and a substantial lineage of distillation, although the product (currently) is contract-distilled off-premise. Meanwhile, Luca Mariano is based in Danville, KY. It tells us the whiskey was distilled and aged in Kentucky, but bottled in Michigan. Having no idea what to expect with this product right out of the gate, I found the back label of the elegantly-designed bottle a bit confusing. Let’s have a taste of the product and see what it has to say for itself. But details are easy to iron out, whereas bourbon is not. In all honesty I think the details surrounding the beginning of the brand are a bit difficult to make sense of. The long-term goal of the brand is to include distillation, aging, and a visitor’s center on the premise of the 300 acre farm they purchased in Danville, KY in 2017. Luca Mariano bourbon and whiskeys are aged in charred, new oak barrels to perfection and inspected thoroughly before bottling, ensuring only the highest quality of bourbon and whiskey in every bottle. Now, they are excited to release it to the public. The Viola family has been perfecting their Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey recipe for over 100 years. Rather than calling it quits, he decided to take the long and difficult path to creating his own whiskey brand. With bourbon! Pulling the Mariano name from his grandfather, and pairing it with his son’s name (Luca), he launched the brand Luca Mariano as a means of continuing a hand-me-down hobby in the form of distillation.Īccording to the Luca Mariano website, Francesco tinkered with distilling in his home garage until he was made aware that doing so was–let’s just say–not quite compliant with the law. that spawns a whiskey brand to bridge the gap between the two.įrancesco Viola, owner of Luca Mariano, has found a way to tie his lineage–and family names–together in a modern way. In the bourbon world we see bottles adorned with labels touting family history, secret recipes, and many other things along those lines however, what we don’t often see is a crossover from Italy to the U.S. Looking to connect? I’m on Instagram or you may reach out to me via Email or Discord if you’d like to discuss bourbon, request reviews, or anything else.

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