Foley Family Wines & Spirits (FFWS) has announced the launch of Gambit No. 6, a 6-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon featuring six distinct barrel finishes, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Apple Brandy, Muscatel, Oloroso Sherry, and Tokaji. Gambit No. 6 is the second spirits release from Chip Tate since he joined FFWS as Master Distiller for Innovation in January 2024.
“The nuance of barrel finishing has piqued my interest since I started in the whiskey business more than 20 years ago, and access to these barrels opens a world of possibilities,” said Tate. “Gambit No. 6 is a testament to the depths of innovation, flavor, and craftsmanship we can achieve in whiskey making at Foley, building on more than 30 years of heritage as a family-owned, fine wine and luxury estates company.”
Gambit No. 6 starts with a classic 6-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon featuring a mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. To create the blend, roughly 15 percent of the whiskey was finished for 19 months in Cabernet Sauvignon American Oak barrels sourced from Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery’s PreVail Wines. A secondary portion of the whiskey – approximately 85 percent – was finished for three months in Chardonnay French Oak casks also sourced from Ferrari-Carano. Then, the bourbon finished in Chardonnay casks was divided between the Oloroso Sherry, Muscatel, Apple Brandy, and Tokaji barrels, and aged for an additional 12 to 16 months.
The barrels were housed at the Minden Mill Distillery near Lake Tahoe, NV, where Tate checked on their progress throughout the finishing process. Once each of the barrels reached its maximum potential, Tate blended them together to create Gambit No. 6. The result is a 92-proof, rich and dry, non-chill-filtered whiskey that reveals itself in layers of baking spice on the nose and a balanced palate with hints of cacao, sweet tobacco, and ripe fruit notes. Recommended served neat or on the rocks, Gambit No. 6 also makes a flavorful Old Fashioned cocktail.
Gambit No. 6 Old Fashioned
- 2 oz. Gambit No. 6
- ¼ oz. Amaretto
- ¼ oz. Simple Syrup
- 4 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
- 3 Drops of Saline (a mixture of 80% water & 20% salt)