HODL

Barrels #20 & #22

Original Artwork by Phillip Hua
Distilled by MGP – Lawrenceburg, IN
Selected by Joshua Thinnes
Serial Code 09SB23

HODL is a pair of single barrel straight bourbon whiskies, Barrel #20 & Barrel #22, each aged for 8 years. They were distilled at MGP in Indiana from a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley. Each barrel was bottled by hand, gravity fed with no filtration to preserve the original character and texture of the spirit. Both barrels were bottled at cask strength and then rested in glass for six weeks before being released.

These barrels spent their first 5 years aging in Indiana, before being brought to the Bay Area for another three years. Barrel #22 spent its final 18 months finishing in a French oak barrel that previously held Cabernet Sauvignon. They were bottled on June 1, 2023.

These casks were acquired at the same time as our previous release, Mystic Oak. Barrel #20 was my favorite of all the casks from that lot. It lends a nice contrast to #22, which together plays off the duality that is represented in the artwork.

TASTING NOTES

Barrel #20 (Green Wax) | 58.5% abv / 117 proof | 174 total bottles
Sweet, savory, and spicy; this connoisseur’s bourbon is not for the faint of heart. There is a funky backbeat to this whiskey, showing aromas of browned butter, dried papaya, and cured oak. The wafts of alcohol that permeate are quickly overpowered by fresh caramel, butterscotch, and tropical fruits like calamansi and green plantains. The palate is alive and intense with a chewy texture and a mouth-watering spicy finish that leaves you buzzing and wanting more.

Barrel #22 (Red Wax) | 54.7% abv / 109.4 proof | 186 total bottles
Vanilla bean, caramel, and dried red fruits make themselves apparent in the nose as soon as they hit the glass. With a little time, these red fruits develop deeper into a raisin quality. The aromas of grape are subtle and expertly interwoven into an array of classic bourbon flavors all sewn together with a finesse that only French oak can bring. The palate is gentle, silky, and very smooth, leaving you doubting its true alcohol weight, all while punching way above its class. If Macallan 12 and a Four Roses OBSQ barrel made a baby while vacationing in Indiana, this is what it would taste like.

ABOUT THE ART
HODL by Phillip Hua is a 24” x 30” mixed-media collage printed with UV-cured acrylic ink on cast acrylic with gold metal leaf.

13 HODL Collector's Editions are available. Each set includes two (2) waxed-dipped and signed bottles (one of each barrel #20 & #22), a signed and numbered archival print, and a corresponding numbered digital certificate of authenticity (NFT).

Read the complete story of HODL.